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Leadership can take many forms in the business of landscaping

Leadership is the foundation for operating a successful company, the CEO of a Toronto-based landscaping company said in January at Landscape Ontario’s Congress trade show and conference in Toronto.

Peter Guinane, who co-founded Oriole Landscaping in 1986, said leadership is the key to being able to operate a business efficiently and being freed up to tackle other tasks. 

“Leadership is about trust and teaching,” he said, adding there are several forms or styles of leadership that can be adopted. “You have to know the right one to have at the right time.”

If a company owner has quality staff who have had the “destination” described clearly to them, they should be able to “drive the truck” without the owner managing every turn. The last thing a leader should be doing is “sitting in the truck with the driver” and telling him where to turn and when to speed up or slow down, Guinane said.

“Managing your staff like that will drive them crazy and they will quit.”

As a business grows, its style of leadership may change along the way. Leadership involves setting a direction and creating an inspiring vision, Guinane said, adding the means to communicate effectively is vital and is mostly about listening. Effectively communicating with staff enables employees to share the same journey the leader wishes to take.

“What leadership is not is about being the boss.”

Micromanaging is an ineffective style of leadership in the long run, Guinane said, adding effective leadership involves practice and forming good habits. A company owner may not excel at a particular skill, but it can be developed with practice, especially when communicating with those who have that skill. 

“Having an open mind is perhaps one of the most important steps in your business journey,” he said, noting it’s equally important to be around others whose minds are open. “If I want my staff to be open minded, I also have to be open-minded.”

Guinane said he has had staff come on board who are scared to make suggestions, fearing they’ll either be perceived as insubordinate or lacking intelligence. He emphasized the importance of creating a culture where discussions or the sharing of ideas is free.

“The easiest way to establish that culture is to ask for suggestions and to act on those suggestions.”

A coach, as opposed to a boss, is there to encourage, he said. A company might have a good “driver,” but he can be coached to “use his brakes more efficiently” or to find ways for the life of his “tires” to be extended.

“Coaches are there to answer questions. They are there to make sure we maintain our target on the final destination of vision you have for the company.”

There are many styles of leadership, but at its core must be trust and teaching.
Photo: Business Pics/Adobe Stock

Styles of leadership

Guinane outlined 12 different styles –or skills – of leadership, outlining their pros and cons.

Visionary: The visionary leader is one who can see the “destination.” Guinane said staff should be able to understand the leader’s vision and be able to communicate it with others.

“Visionary is a very specific skill that has a specific application at the right time and the right place. Your vision should be part of your public brand – where you want your company to be.”

Democratic: Every decision a company makes cannot be put to a vote, Guinane said, suggesting that would make it counterproductive. He noted it’s difficult to run a business when always asking for opinions and having to change direction.

“But there are times when the input from your staff is going to be helpful.”

Such decisions would include the best time for a crew to take a coffee break. It would be a democratic decision made by the team.

“A democratic leader is respectful in that way.”

The democratic style of leadership, however, isn’t effective in all situations, Guinane said.

Transactional: The transactional leader is someone who won’t do anything for someone else unless they get something for it, he said.

“I need you to do this and I’m paying you for it.”

Transactional leaders have removed a level of trust that they’ll do something for someone yet not expect anything in return.

“Your staff won’t do anything for you unless you give them something in return. This is the lesson you’re teaching them.”

Guinane said there are times when the transactional style of leadership might be appropriate, but he warned it shouldn’t form the basis of one’s leadership style.

“You want to base your leadership on trust.”

Charismatic: Charismatic leaders are inspiring, Guinane said, and the style of leadership is particularly effective when there is substance behind the vision. He said the reason these types of leaders are successful is because they can project a vision. Charismatic leadership can be effective and have potential, but there must be substance behind it. A job might be sold, but if it can’t be followed through on the construction side, it could lead to a short-lived company.

Coach: The coaching style of leadership might be the most familiar, Guinane said. A coach is someone who guides and corrects others and is there to support them. He stays in the background while supporting his team and is much like a kindergarten teacher who refrains from yelling at her students or forcing them to do things in a certain way.

“It’s about encouraging you to express your creativity, to learn how to act in a certain way, to learn new skills…”

The coach encourages his charges to go the next level.

“If you’re not that teacher in your company, you have to find that person in your company that is. You can’t run a company without somebody who’s mentoring, teaching and coaching. You need to have that personality somewhere in your company.”

Guinane admitted he’s not the teacher within his company, but said there is someone at Oriole Landscaping who is much more adept at teaching, guiding and cultivating those coaching skills.

Servant: Guinane said the servant style of leadership is the one he practises at Oriole, noting it’s perhaps the most popular form of leadership. He said his role as CEO is to ensure his managers have what they need to do their job.

“My job is to support my leadership team. Their job is to support the crew leaders and the operations of the company. The crew leaders’ job is to make sure that the workforce has what they need,” such as skills, materials, knowledge and information.

Servant leaders empower others, he said.

“Having multiple leadership skills is an asset,” Guinane said, adding it’s especially true when the leader has a small company without “a deep bench.”

Bureaucratic: A bureaucratic type of leader is effective in such areas as health and safety, bookkeeping and human resources. Guinane said he’s not suited for such functions but has a staff member who is well qualified. It’s a style of leadership that may not be ideal for every situation, he said, but there are components associated with it that are beneficial to a company.

Commanding: Most of the time, a commanding style of leadership is ineffective, Guinane said. If someone is doing something that could pose an imminent risk of an accident or damage, “you have to stop it immediately, you have to raise your voice and command instructions.”

He warned, however, that leading this way repeatedly will result in the loss of staff. The need to command doesn’t present itself often, he said, but must be done when necessary.

Pacesetting: If the leader sets a pace and the team can’t keep up, it often transforms into commander mode, Guinane said, but it’s meant as a team improvement tactic.

Transformational: A transformational style of leadership can be an ideal skill to have sometimes, he said. If an owner is always transforming his business into something new or is creating a new division within his company, “you’re going to leave your staff dizzy if you don’t stick to your vision.”

Occasionally, the owner may have to erase his vision and start over or may have employees who don’t have the company’s best interests at heart, prompting the need to “clean house. You’re not going to lead that misfit crew of underperformers.”

Guinane said a transformational style of leadership may be good for a short while.

Laissez faire: This form of leadership gives a sense of autonomy to team members who can make decisions on their own. Owners who buy into a laissez fair style of leadership are mainly concerned that their business turns a profit. Guinane warned, though, that most companies can’t afford to be laissez faire.

Autocratic: The autocratic leader is the opposite of one who’s style is laissez faire. He wants to be able to control everything, and feels if he loses control, he loses power. Guinane said the autocratic leader figures the only way he can run a business is to have complete control over everything.

The form of leadership a business owner chooses may be contingent on where his company’s growth is positioned. One type of leadership may be preferred over another when a company is starting out and may change as the company grows. Guinane said the laissez faire style of leadership is apt to be the worst skill set to have when starting out, but it could be the best option if the company becomes massive.

“All of those different leadership skills are appropriate at different points of that trek.”

The business owner must be able to identify his strengths and weaknesses, he said.

“You have to know what you’re good at. You have to know what you’re not good at. If you’re not good at it, you have to fake it until you learn how to do it or you get someone to help you with it.”

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