These are the most important qualities that decide who gets to move up as firm leaders, managers, and future owners.
Anyone who knows me can tell you I have been working with owners of AEC businesses and other businesses throughout my entire professional career.
The individual decisions firm owners make on a daily basis of who to move up and who not to affect their companies and every single one of the people who work in their firms. I personally had to make these kinds of decisions in every business I ever owned or ran. These decisions get even more difficult if you are trying to decide who you will let buy into your business.
These are the qualities I look for in people I am going to depend on to be leaders, managers, and future owners:
- Character. Does the person try to do the right thing? Do they pay their bills on time? Are they ethical? Any evidence that they are “ethically challenged” is a huge problem for me. It’s bound to cause problems later if someone doesn’t know right from wrong. Even the smallest indication of lying or cheating in even a small way is a problem. For example, more than once I have had people tell me about a car they owned that I know never existed (like a “Ferrari 304,” or a Chrysler product with a “427 Hemi”), and I know I am dealing with someone who is a liar.
- Respect for other people’s time. People who are routinely late for meetings or appointments and don’t mind keeping other people waiting show a lack of respect for other people’s time. That’s unacceptable. I vastly prefer those who get there early and are prepared and don’t keep other people waiting.