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4 worked. Many of our clients provided us with opportunities in multiple states and thanks to technology and strong proj- ect managers, we were up to the task. Over the past three years, we’ve had two strategic acquisitions, one to bring on significant geography in Iowa, and a second to improve our architectural o ff erings by adding our greatest architectural competitor in Mankato. We are still concerned with being competitive, but more of our time is focused on positioning ourselves in the markets we serve. TZL: What are your key strengths? What are the key strengths for an e ff ective leader? CS: I am a good judge of character and talent. A good leader should have: z Vision. If you can identify where the firm should go, estab- lishing the strategy to accomplish it is comparatively easy. z Optimism. Th ere are dark days and people need to know that it will get better. Th ey look to you to provide that outlook. z Can-do spirit. We are constantly asked to do things we haven’t done before. It is tough to grow if you don’t, and with- out the spirit to take on new challenges you are stifling your firm’s potential. z Objective view of yourself. Without this, you will fall into the trap of thinking that you are the best at everything in the firm. Recognize your strengths and have others do what they do best. Certainly, intelligence and charisma are fantastic, but I think the others are more important. “If you’re doing the right things, being strategic and executing well, you don’t have to manage the metrics. The metrics will follow.” TZL: How would you describe your leadership style? CS: I am not a micro-manager. I enjoy creating strategy, helping others identify a plan, and letting them execute it. I think I lead by example, and I believe our people know that I care about them and their career paths. TZL: What has been your greatest professional challenge to date? How did you handle it? CS: Hands down, our recession hit its low point on July 14, 2009. It will always be with me. We had an emergency board meeting on the evening of July 12. Our board members dis- played their humanity. My father came out of retirement for one last meeting and displayed his optimism, and I had to make the team cut deeper than any of us wanted to. It was a true team e ff ort with strong colleagues. A lot of re- spect was earned by all that night. TZL: What is your vision for the future of ISG? SURPRENANT, from page 3

CS: We completely buy into Mark Zweig’s belief that if you aren’t growing, you are dying. We have so many talented people who believe in our culture and will expect opportu- nities to lead things – an o ffi ce, a market, a service, a small group, etc. We are committed to making those opportuni- ties happen. TZL: Any words of wisdom for other A/E entrepreneurs? CS: Take many small bets based on good ideas. TZL: Are you married? Children? CS: I am married to my steady influence, Tara. We have Noah, Ellie, and Caleb, ages 15, 12, and 10, respectively. Also, we just built a dream addition to our house – a four- season gym with basketball, baseball, soccer, and a future golf simulator. TZL: What’s one thing most people at the firm don’t know about you? CS: I’ve always wanted to be a travel writer. We love to travel and I have a pretty good nose for finding good places to vis- it, stay, and eat. Some of our friends call it the “ChadApp.” Maybe someday. I’m also a huge Bob Dylan fan. I own more than 50 albums. TZL: Best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever got- ten? CS: Good behavior begets good results. If you’re doing the right things, being strategic and executing well, you don’t have to manage the metrics. Th e metrics will follow. Culture beats metrics every time. TZL: Is there a leader whom you most admire? CS: My father. He was one of a kind. He didn’t care about business, he just did his things, and he was living proof that good engineers are creative. I also admire Ulysses S. Grant. He reinvented himself multiple times, going from failure to the top, again and again, and when it came time to leave something for his family because their finances were in ru- ins, he extended his life to get his memoirs published, leav- ing a significant savings for his family. “We completely buy into Mark Zweig’s belief that if you aren’t growing, you are dying.” “We have so many talented people who believe in our culture and will expect opportunities to lead things – an office, a market, a service, a small group, etc. We are committed to making those opportunities happen.”

TALK TO US Do you have an interesting story to tell? Is your company doing things differently and getting results? Let us know. We’d love to contact you and feature you in an upcoming case study. If interested, please email rmassey@zweiggroup.com.

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 7, 2016, ISSUE 1142

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