Bringing Out the Best: Leadership That Elevates

By J. Wickham Zimmerman, CEO 

Leading in a Design/Build World 

If you think leading a design/build firm is all about blueprints, budgets, and a perfect cup of coffee (though that helps), think again. Leadership lives in the trenches – in the late-night calls, the napkin sketches, and the occasional “wait… is that edge crooked?” moment. That’s where the real magic – and the occasional chaos – happens. 

Here’s what I’ve learned about bringing out the best in a team that juggles deadlines, design changes, and more moving parts than a fountain-control system: 

1. Listen. Really listen.
The best ideas rarely come from the person with the fancy title. They usually come from the one sketching quietly in the corner. Give people space to share, and don’t just hear them – really listen. Sometimes the intern’s rock-garden idea is miles ahead of my 12-slide PowerPoint.

2. Set goals, not checkpoints. 
Micromanagement is the fastest way to kill creativity. Define the goal, express expectations clearly, confirm alignment, then hand over the tools and step back. Let people do what they do best. Trust me, no one ever designed a jaw-dropping landscape with a manager hovering over their shoulder and a stopwatch in hand. 

3. Celebrate; don’t just survive.
Projects can feel like a sprint with no finish line. That’s why it’s important to pause. Celebrate. Whether it’s completing a tricky rain chain installation, debugging a stubborn software glitch, or watching the jets of a fountain dance for the first time – those wins keep morale high. Caffeine helps, but celebration is what keeps people coming back.

4. Mistakes are learning opportunities.
Mistakes happen. Tiles break. Permits run late. Designs don’t always match reality – and sometimes reality doesn’t even match reality. Blame breeds fear, but curiosity sparks solutions. Encourage people to learn from mistakes, theirs and others’. Some of the most creative solutions I’ve seen came from problem-solving after a misstep.

5. Lead with humanity (and humor).
Your team isn’t a robot army. They don’t respond to command lines, error codes, or the dreaded “synergy” speech. They’re people – with lives, stressors, and the occasional “oops” moment. Show empathy. Crack a joke when the pressure’s high. Be the leader people want to work with, not just work for. Humanity and humor go further than authority ever will.

The bottom line
Leadership in a design/build world is messy, loud, and wonderfully human. It’s about sparking creativity, celebrating wins, learning from missteps, and yes, keeping the coffee flowing. Do this, and your team won’t just succeed – they’ll thrive. And the best part? The biggest ideas will always have their fingerprints on them.