Leadership in Restoration: Is it about the success of every person?

You’ve heard the saying, “No one can be a great leader unless they genuinely care about the success of every person on the team.” A image was posted by a collegue on LinkedIn. You may have seen it. It was a great conversation starter.

At first glance, it sounded like solid advice.. a statement of truth I could get behind. While there's truth to it, it’s not the whole story. It lacks a critical element of leadership that is arguable the MOST important element. When we’re knee-deep in water damage, mold, and fire remediation the dichotomy of mission vs team is real. It’s important to pause to dig a bit deeper into this this saying.

As leaders in the restoration business, we do want our team members to succeed. After all, their success often translates to a job well done, or mission success. But the deeper question is, why do we want them to succeed?

Take someone like General Eisenhower, who led the Normandy Invasion. He wanted his men to be successful in battle, but his ultimate priority wasn’t just their individual success. His focus was on the mission and the values guided him on that mission. For Eisenhower, the success of his men was secondary to the overarching goal. Winning the war for the American people and adhering to his values of duty and honor were priority.

In the restoration industry, the stakes might not be as high as a world war, but the principle remains. A good leader is someone who is deeply committed to the mission and guided by strong values. The care for the team is important, but it’s secondary to the mission and values that should drive every decision we make.

Now, consider the type of leadership we’re talking about. Leadership comes in many forms.

• The general planning a massive military operation
• An office manager keeping the daily grind on track
• A baseball coach rallying their team.

Each requires a different balance of mission, values, and care for the people involved.

In the restoration industry, we’re all leaders at various times. Whether it’s

• leading a crew on a big water damage job
• guiding a family through the restoration of their fire-damaged home
• mentoring a new employee

We frequently step into leadership roles. And yes, people need to feel cared for and valued. When the stakes are high and we need to make tough decisions, our mission and values must take the lead. If we get too focused on caring for people we will lose sight of the mission. Losing sight of the mission can put your company in a very bad predicament. 

Effective leaders, be they CEOs, senators, or restoration professionals, must have a clear purpose and set of values. The clear purpose and set of values become the compass by which they navigate challenging situations. They must be the filter by which they make decisions that affect their team and clients. It’s not just about being liked or making everyone happy. It’s about being respected and trusted to uphold the mission and values that everyone can rally behind.

So, how do we become these effective leaders? We need to establish our own purpose and values—our personal code. This code should be our guiding star whenever we find ourselves in a leadership position. Whether we’re dealing with a major mold remediation job or a routine maintenance task, we fall back on our values and mission to steer us in the right direction.

In our signature program (R[OS]™️), the first phase is dedicated to getting laser focused on WHO your company is, WHERE you aim to take the company, and HOW you plan to get there. But the most important steps in Phase 1 are the purpose (mission) and the values to guide you to mission success. 

While caring about your team is essential, it’s not the only thing that makes a great leader. In restoration businesses, being a great leader means being sold out on the mission and guided by unwavering values. When we get this right, our team will not only succeed but thrive under our leadership.

Not ready for the full blown R[OS]™️ program and immersive coaching?
Restoration Business Academy will help you get started on building a solid company and getting into a community of dedicated Restoprueners™️ like you!