How to Improve Your Leadership Skills and Empower Your Teams

Jeff Plant’s rise to key managerial positions in the trades was not without missteps. After connecting the dots between mistakes and lessons learned along the way, he realized he was well-suited to become a business coach for the trades.

The team leader and trainer at Business Development Resources (BDR) now helps equip team leaders and their teams with the skills for personal and professional growth.

Plant says one of the first steps in becoming a leader involves trust. “You have to earn the trust of the team, [and] you have to earn the permission of the team to be their leader,” he says.

That’s not a situation you can create with the snap of your fingers, Plant adds. “It’s not just an overnight relationship,” he says. “It’s a long-standing relationship.”

And it’s a crucial step. “Everything rises and falls on leadership,” Plant says.

He teaches that a leader needs to be a listener, as well as open and honest about the notion that anyone who’s in charge doesn’t necessarily have all the answers to every issue.

“Be open to input,” Plant says. “And be open to the fact that you’re not the smartest person in the room. If you are, as the old saying goes, you’re probably in the wrong room.”

One of Plant’s biggest keys to becoming a strong and effective leader is being communicative and receptive to other people’s ideas. Even to the point of giving others credit for ideas that you may have coached them toward.

“It’s not that you’re thinking less of yourself,” he says. “It’s thinking of yourself less.”

Jeff Plant recently joined ServiceTitan’s Jackie Aubel on the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included Plant’s thoughts on:

• 08:15 – The five levels of successful leadership
• 13:05 – Giving teams permission to make mistakes
• 21:17 – If you’re lonely at the top, you did it wrong
• 22:54 – The eight core connectors for leaders
• 35:32 – How to build disciples in your business

About the Host

Jackie Aubel

Jackie is the senior content marketing manager at ServiceTitan. She hosts the company’s podcast, Toolbox for the Trades, which shares top tricks, tips, and tactics for service professionals worldwide. She also hosts most of ServiceTitan’s webinars, which cover a wide range of topics, from hiring tech to SEO to increasing average ticket prices. Jackie’s been at ServiceTitan for over seven years and is passionate about celebrating and promoting the incredible men and women of the traits.

Listen to the podcast featuring BDR Lead Head Coach & Trainer Jeff Plant on Toolbox for the Trades!