Always watch for Learning Moments | Principal Level Involvement

Talking with a buddy of mine about our businesses. He and I first met 37 years ago on a 54-story project in downtown Dallas Texas, so we have had many conversations over the years. I loved his thoughts and usage of Principal Level Involvement that came up during our latest conversation.  

He became President of his company at the beginning of 2024. His first year he had a list of things he wanted to address. All of them related to accountability to follow and execute the 12 pages of SOPs he had spent years developing and refining. SOPs that increased the profitability of the company by 3x in 2024 with the same gross revenue. Profit that produced the most profitable year in the 60-year history of the company. 

I knew he had achieved everything on his list for 2024, so I asked him what his focus for 2025 is. He said Principal Level Involvement at every level of the company. Like me, he doesn’t believe titles provide clarity. He focuses on roles and responsibilities. He believes that the team member assigned roles and responsibilities is the principal for those roles and responsibilities. His goal is to teach all team members their roles and responsibilities, then hold them accountable as the principal for their roles and responsibilities.  

The company is an ESOP, so every employee knows the company had a record year in 2024 and that his leadership and SOPs were the only change made at the company that led to record profitability.  

He is frustrated that team members and team leaders are not consistently following the processes set up in the SOPs that have been proven to yield tremendous results that financially help every team member that takes part in the ESOP.  

His focus for 2025 is for every team member and team leader to understand they are the principal responsible for their roles and responsibilities.  

The company’s success is dependent on team members and team leaders staying consistently engaged and involved in executing and managing their roles and responsibilities within written and proven processes of the company’s SOPs.  

He is relentless when focused on a goal. I promise every team member will find embracing principal level involvement much easier than CEO level involvement.  

Professional and Professional Takeaways 

• Important personal and professional relationships developed on projects can last a lifetime. | Always be professional and respectful while on a job site even if others are not. Provide a positive example to young people just being introduced to a great industry. The industry needs more quality people to sustain growth, and you will benefit greatly personally and professionally over the years from these relationships.  

• Human nature will not keep people on proven paths of success. | This will be a source of extreme frustration to leaders. Remember leaders get paid to do what others will not do. Stay on point, disciplined and compassionate when frustrated.