More than a business owner: Be a bold leader

By Dani Sheehan. 

Understand how employer-employee relationships improve sustainability and what it means to be a great leader. 

Sustainability is a big trend within the roofing industry this year. But sustainability takes many forms, and it can sometimes be challenging – and not to mention, scary – to scale your business and take risks as a small business owner. In Season 1, Episode 30 of MetalCast™, Heidi J. Ellsworth met with MCS Influencer Bobby Mesmer, a driving force behind RMG Erectors & Constructors, RMG Aviation, Iron Will Racing and RMG Luxury Services. From growing your business sustainably to fostering meaningful employee-employer relationships, Bobby offered a unique perspective on thinking out of the box and how to ensure success along the way. 

One part of growing your business sustainably that is often overlooked is a company’s investment in their employees. Bob lamented that it’s hard to find good employees. He expanded, “I just had a conversation with somebody about a friend of theirs who owns a company and the way they treat their employees. I find it interesting because there’s a lot of people that are like this company – they act like the employment they give to their employees is a favor to that employee... And you must keep in mind as a business owner, it is a two-way street.” 

He makes a conscious effort to use “we” when speaking with his employees and says it really has improved his company’s culture over time. He went on, “It’s about respect and making the employees feel like they’re part of what we’re doing and that’s what it is. The buy-in that you’ll get and the support that you’ll get... What happens is you get production out of them too, and it’s not forced production.” Happy employees that want to come to work every day are more efficient and typically stay longer in their positions than employees that don’t feel valued. 

As a business owner, you don’t just want to have a successful business, you also want to be the best leader you can be. Bobby distinguished a great leader from a good leader, saying, “[Inspire] the people around you. I always go back to the biggest thing, which is integrity. You can’t ever take that away from somebody... It’s about being honest consistently, about doing everything that you say you’re going to do. And when you do that, people look at you differently, and people will follow you and they will believe in you.” 

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast episode or Watch the webinar to hear more about growing your business in the face of adversity.