GM Chapter 2 | Proactive Leadership Strategies for Success

Mike Johnson

Alright, let’s kick this off by breaking down what it really means to be proactive as a leader. And I’m not talking about trendy buzzwords here; I’m talking about a mindset shift—one that separates leaders from managers, and great teams from average ones.

Jake Ramirez

Yeah, man. ‘Cause you know, nobody gets into this line of work thinking, “Can’t wait to spend my day putting out fires all the time.” Firefighting’s exhausting. No thanks.

Mike Johnson

Exactly. And that's what reactive leadership feels like—it’s chaotic. You’re constantly waiting until something goes wrong before you act. The problem is, by the time the fire starts, it’s already burned through your time, resources, and probably your sanity. Proactive leadership, on the other hand, is like fire prevention. You’re scanning for sparks before they catch.

Jake Ramirez

Right. And let’s be real, most sparks aren’t exactly surprises. You’ve seen 'em before! Like when Joey—dude always packs the wrong tools—tries to cut a tree with a shovel. Come on. We know that’s gonna trip up the whole schedule.

Mike Johnson

Perfect example. Remember, leadership behavior absolutely sets the tone. If you’re ignoring small issues, your team will, too. But if you’re catching those sparks early, they will follow your lead. Here’s a classic reactive moment for you: A GM who shrugs and says, "Well, no one told me we were low on mulch." Now, compare that to another GM who, every Monday, reviews inventory and checks upcoming job needs with their team. That’s someone owning the outcome, not blaming the situation.

Jake Ramirez

Ooh, ooh, let me guess—GM number one also blames the crew when the client complains, right? “They should’ve managed better!” Like, no, buddy. You’re the GM—you see the bus coming, you steer it, not throw everyone under it.

Mike Johnson

Exactly. Owning responsibility isn't just about solving problems; it's about building trust. Teams perform better when they know you're the leader watching the horizon, not just reacting to turbulence.

Jake Ramirez

Yeah, and speaking of looking ahead—remember Jenna? That GM in Ohio? Rain all week, total washout forecast, but instead of panicking, she rescheduled projects, prepped crews for backup work, and still hit her numbers by Thursday.

Mike Johnson

That’s the kind of leadership where proactivity turns into profitability. Jenna didn’t wait for rain to ruin her week—she worked around it before it even became an issue. Compare that to the companies that wait until Thursday to call their clients…if they bother calling at all.

Jake Ramirez

Yeah, and then you’ve got a client saying, “Where’s my crew?” You know how hard it is to sell a “Hey, we forgot” apology? -- it’s impossible.

Mike Johnson

And that’s why proactive leadership trickles down. It's not just about saving face with the client—it's about creating a rhythm for the team. Systems over stress, Jake. Systems over stress.

Jake Ramirez

Hey, I like that. Put it on a shirt or something. Or, you know, maybe tattoo it on Joey’s arm right next to “Don’t pack shovels for tree work.”

Mike Johnson

Well, you can joke, but you’re onto something. Systems like checklists, prep huddles, clear instructions—these are the ‘tattoos’ that ensure your crew doesn’t repeat mistakes. Repetition builds culture, and culture builds results.

Jake Ramirez

And results build—

Mike Johnson

Don’t say it, Jake.

Jake Ramirez

Respect. I wasn’t gonna say respect. Well…okay, maybe I was.

Mike Johnson

Sure, sure. But for real, building that proactive lens into operations—fieldwork, hiring, training—that’s what separates the amateurs from the pros. And trust me, if you’ve ever stood in front of a frustrated client or crew, you know firsthand how expensive it is to be reactive.

Jake Ramirez

Expensive? Try painful, Mike. But hey, we gotta give folks some strategies to handle that proactivity training, right?

Mike Johnson

Nice setup Jake—let’s dive into the real backbone of proactive leadership: systems. Weekly evaluations, playbooks, and training—they’re not just tools. They’re the foundation of sanity in this business.

Jake Ramirez

Right, but “sanity” might be asking too much some days. I mean, playbooks sound fancy, but isn’t it really just a checklist with a cooler name?

Mike Johnson

Basically, yeah. But it’s a checklist with depth. It’s the difference between remembering to bring the workorder notes, and why those notes prevent five crew hours of rework. It’s about walking into Monday already armed with a game plan, not scrambling to figure one out.

Jake Ramirez

Okay, step one: arm yourself with a game plan. Step two: make sure Joey’s not driving the bus again.

Mike Johnson

Ha, fair, but I want to dig deeper into the idea of weekly evaluations. Every Friday, you’re sitting down and asking yourself, "What messed us up this week? Where should we have seen it coming?" Then, you document those answers. Because when you see patterns, but don’t fix them, you’re inviting the same problem back next week.

Jake Ramirez

Yeah, like when the mulch delivery is always late, because—shocker—we never check inventory till we’re out and we’re over budget because the crew is in a truck waiting to get mulch at the supplier's yard.

Mike Johnson

Exactly! That’s why it’s so important to create those guidrails—playbooks being one, training being another. Look at Jenna, for instance. Do you think she magically rescheduled all those rain-day jobs? No way. She had systems. She had backup plans. And, she had a team she taught to expect pivots without panic.

Jake Ramirez

And honestly, that’s a good way to lead. Because if panic’s your Plan B, uh, it’s not gonna end great. You spend less time fixing mistakes when you actually plan for stuff to go wrong.

Mike Johnson

No kidding. Jenna’s story proves it. She didn’t let rain ruin her week -because she was proactive—not just reactive. And you know what? That saved her time and money, and it showed her team what’s possible when you’re ready for curveballs.

Jake Ramirez

Plus, her clients were probably thrilled she didn’t just ghost them till Thursday. I mean, you keep showing up like that and suddenly, people trust you. That kind of loyalty doesn’t just grow on trees, Mike. Well—unless you’re, you know, planting tree.

Jake Ramirez

I see what you did there. But seriously, loyalty is a byproduct of preparedness. And when you take time to train your team—weekly, not just when someone screws up—those mistakes stop happening. Or at least, they stop being the same ones everyone rolls their eyes at.

Jake Ramirez

Oof, the eye-roll mistakes. Like, “Oh look, another irrigation line got cut because no one marked it again. Classic.”

Mike Johnson

And that’s where playbooks save you. A quick preseason review: What’s the checklist for planting? It includes irrigation marking. Boom. No excuses. Proactive systems create rhythm. When your team follows rhythm, they’re calmer, they’re confident, and yeah, they actually trust you more.

Jake Ramirez

Confidence, calm, and trust. Sounds like we’re building a spa, not a construction crew.

Mike Johnson

Hey, you laugh, but teams thrive when the chaos is removed from their day-to-day. Systems make that possible. Teach leaders to build them, and you’ll see the payoff. In time, money, and a team that actually feels good about Mondays.

Mike Johnson

So, speaking of calm, confidence, and trust—if you want your team to feel that rhythm, it starts with you as the leader. You’re the one setting the tone. Your team is always watching—are you showing them how to prep for problems, or are you just reacting after the fact?

Jake Ramirez

Yeah man. It’s like being the crew chef. You don’t roll up to the job site and say, “Who’s got ingredients?” You show up with the recipe, the tools, the whole plan. Otherwise? It’s chaos burgers, served-cold.

Mike Johnson

Ha, chaos burgers. I’ll pass, thanks. But for real, your team notices everything. You handle stuff ahead of time, they’ll start thinking the same way. It’s like building muscle memory. You don’t just react to problems—you prevent 'em.

Jake Ramirez

Right. And the trust factor, too. Because let's face it, no one likes working on a team where the leader’s always making it up as they go. You gotta show you’ve got it together, or people start checking out—mentally and professionally.

Mike Johnson

Exactly. Building trust through consistency is key. And recruitment? That’s a big part of it. You’ve gotta hire before you’re desperate. Keep that bench full, always be scouting talent—referrals, LinkedIn, even the person who always has a great attitude at your local coffee shop.

Jake Ramirez

Dude, yes. I hired our best guy after chatting at a gas station. He overheard me griping about a late delivery and said, “I could’ve handled that better.” Bold move—so I gave him a shot. Now he’s running circles around my old crew leads.

Mike Johnson

That’s a perfect example. Recruitment doesn’t stop when you’re comfortable. And once you’ve got the right people, train them—don’t just assume they know everything. Let’s role-play this real quick. Say someone keeps missing a detail on jobs—like not marking hazards before digging. How do you address it?

Jake Ramirez

Easy. First, you pull them aside and ask, “Hey, walk me through your prep steps. Anything feel unclear or rushed?” Then—boom—figure out what’s missing. Maybe they didn’t know there was a checklist. Maybe we never showed ’em the proper marking process. Then you train it. Problem solved.

Mike Johnson

Spot on. You investigate, you teach, and most importantly, you empower them to do better. The goal is to fix the root cause, not just the surface issue. That shows you’re investing in their success, which builds trust. And trust? It boosts morale exponentially.

Jake Ramirez

Big time. People wanna work where they feel valued, not blamed. Like, if I called out Joey every time he forgot something, we’d all quit—me included. It’s about helping the team learn, not keeping score.

Mike Johnson

Absolutely. Helping them learn, plus creating systems they can rely on. Weekly training sessions, regular check-ins, even quick huddles at the start of each day—these build confidence. And confident teams don’t panic when things go sideways.

Jake Ramirez

And don’t forget celebrating those “caught it early” moments. It’s a vibe changer when you’re like, “Hey, great catch on spotting that issue before it blew up. Nice work!” Keeps people engaged.

Mike Johnson

Couldn’t agree more. That kind of recognition reinforces the culture you’re trying to build. Culture is like a garden—you’ve gotta water it, pull weeds, and take care of it every single day. That’s how you grow a proactive team.

Jake Ramirez

Alright, Mike, so what’s our final challenge for the listeners? You always leave ’em with homework.

Mike Johnson

You know it. Okay, here’s your challenge: Look at one recurring issue in your company this week. Document it. Create a basic system to prevent it. And then, teach your team that system. One step at a time, you’re building a proactive culture.

Jake Ramirez

Nice. Simple, but effective. And listen, folks—proactivity might sound like an uphill climb, but trust us, it’s worth it. Less stress. More wins.

Mike Johnson

That’s right. When you lead proactively, you’re not just running a team—you’re empowering them. And that creates trust, morale, and results. So go lead like it matters—because it does.

Jake Ramirez

And on that note, don’t forget to be kind to yourselves, too. You earned it.

Mike Johnson

We’ll catch you next time. Keep leading and keep building.