5
FROM THE FOUNDER
Things firm leaders must do
T here’s a lot that has been written about the qualities of effective leaders in the AEC business. I have written plenty about it myself. We can talk about these qualities of leaders all day but ultimately, it really comes down to action – it’s what firm leaders DO that matters. At some point leadership has to take action and act like leaders versus just talk a good game.
Mark Zweig
Here are a few things that are absolute musts for leaders to do as far as I am concerned: 1. Get to know your people. As a leader, you need to have a personal relationship with every single person who works for you, as well as many who aren’t your direct reports. That takes time and energy. You need texting, phone calls, coffees, lunches, after work beers, and plenty of casual time together to make it happen. It also takes curiosity. When you ask people questions about themselves and their families and listen to what they tell you, it shows care and concern and builds trust. In the “old days” when I was starting out, there was a school of thought that said you shouldn’t be friends with your employees. I have always thought that was bad thinking and still do. Real friends want to help you out. They don’t want
to sabotage you. They look out for you. And they defend you. Wouldn’t you rather have employees who think this way than those who don’t care about you? I know I would. 2. Project energy and optimism – always. Leaders have to be positive. They must always have a plan – something the organization can do – to make things better. They cannot publicly despair and act as if there are no options to overcome whatever the challenge is that the organization is facing, or nothing that can be done to fix whatever the problem is. It cannot be false confidence, either. It has to come from inside the leader, and it is based on experience that the leader has had that he or she can communicate effectively to all members of their team.
See MARK ZWEIG, page 6
THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 22, 2024, ISSUE 1534
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