From New Hire to Right-Hand: How to Grow Leaders

Introduction: The Rookie Who Became a Rock

I remember hiring a kid straight out of school. He barely knew which end of the rod was up, and he was so nervous during his first week he called me "sir" more times than I’ve heard in my whole career. But five years later, that same kid was running a field crew, smoothing over a client mess I would’ve dreaded, and mentoring other rookies like a pro.

That’s what this post is about—growing leaders. Not just in the field, but in the office, at the desk, on the phone, behind the CAD station. Because when you grow your people, you grow your business.

Spotting Potential Early

Leadership doesn’t always show up wearing a name badge or holding a clipboard. Sometimes it’s the quiet one who double-checks the boundary calls without being told. Or the admin who spots a problem on a plat before it leaves the office.

True leadership often shows up in the unnoticed moments—a team member quietly verifying instrument settings on a rainy Friday, a crew chief reviewing field notes long after sunset, or a project coordinator catching a permit issue before it delays a client’s job. In our industry, it’s not always about being loud or out front. It’s about being accountable, sharp-eyed, and invested in the team’s success.

From what I’ve seen, potential doesn’t announce itself. It’s there in the employee who asks not just “what,” but “why”—in the tech who follows up on a snagged benchmark with a solution instead of an excuse. It’s the person who takes feedback seriously, keeps promises even when no one’s watching, and is willing to speak up or dig deeper when the easy path is to walk on by.

Curiosity drives those team members to keep learning and ask smart questions that move projects (and the company) forward. Consistency shows up when someone owns their tasks, meets deadlines, and becomes the person others rely on—whether it’s updating field records or managing CAD changes late in the day. And courage is found in the willingness to care about the quality of the outcome, not just the time on the clock.

Look for the people raising their hands to learn new tech, volunteering to troubleshoot a field hiccup, or suggesting a better way to process site data. They’re building habits that set the foundation for leadership—one decision, one detail, one conversation at a time.

Give ‘Em Room to Grow (And Stumble)

If you want leaders, you’ve got to stop guarding the controls like a flight simulator. Let people try. Let them stumble. Let them figure it out with a safety net, not a leash. After all, nobody ever became a great pilot just by riding in first class and criticizing the turbulence. Sometimes you have to let someone else grab the yoke—even if they come in for a bumpy landing now and then.

That means shifting from micromanaging every detail to building a framework where your team can exercise judgment and take ownership. Is it nerve-wracking? Absolutely. You might feel like you’re watching someone defuse a bomb with oven mitts. But if the only way someone can learn is by shadowing or repeating instructions, you’ll never discover their true capability—or their hidden talent for solving problems you didn’t even know existed. You’ve got to be intentional about giving up some control, even when it feels as unnatural as decaf at a surveyors’ coffee break. The goal isn’t chaos—it’s structured autonomy. You keep the safety net in place, but you let them walk the wire, helmet hair and all.

I started by handing off small but meaningful responsibilities—calling in utility locates, managing jobsite prep, organizing field books. Each task was chosen for its real impact, not just as busywork. When someone schedules a utility locate or manages CAD file submissions, their work directly affects field efficiency and client satisfaction. Those opportunities let each person see where their decisions fit into the broader workflow. Plus, it saves you from running back and forth like you’re the only one with opposable thumbs in the entire operation. When they owned it, they grew—not just in technical skill, but in professional confidence. And when they messed up, we didn’t just hand down criticism like a vending machine spitting out “better luck next time.” We pulled up the details, reviewed what happened, learned where the process or communication broke down, and moved forward together. Every shortfall was reframed as a lesson, not a verdict.

It’s hard to watch people fumble, but it’s the only way they learn to grip the baton. You can offer advice, but eventually you have to let go and hope nobody tries to hand the baton back while it’s on fire. The ones who trip early but get up again are the ones who become resilient and resourceful leaders later. The process is never perfect. Mistakes will happen—on the jobsite, in billing, or during project handoffs. But every stumble is a chance to reinforce accountability and creative problem-solving. And if nothing else, you’ll collect enough stories for the next holiday party. Over time, those early learning moments create a stronger, more adaptable team, and that investment pays off project after project.

Stretch Assignments That Build Confidence

You don’t grow by doing the same thing over and over. You grow when you stretch—just enough to feel the pull. Progress rarely happens on autopilot; you have to dial up the difficulty and trust your team to rise to the challenge, even if there are a few wobbly steps along the way.

So I started stacking the deck just enough to build muscle—tight timelines, unpredictable client issues, even the occasional staff dispute that showed up with perfect Monday morning timing. I wasn’t throwing people to the wolves, just sending them out with a longer leash and a radio. I kept a safety net ready, but I let them run the play.

I’ll never forget the day a rookie called a meeting to fix a scheduling mess. They didn’t ask for permission. They didn’t wait until things fell apart. They saw a problem, stepped up, and owned the fix. My only job was to stay out of the way—well, that and quietly celebrate with a second cup of coffee.

Give your people chances to solve problems before you step in. Let them take on the thorny call with the client, or make the call on whether to break a large job into sprints. They might sweat it the first time and you might sweat it from the sidelines, but that’s where confidence is born—in the messy, unpredictable space where new skills meet real stakes. The more they’re trusted to handle the unexpected, the faster they grow into someone the whole team can rely on.

Keep the Ladder Visible

One of the biggest motivators? Knowing there’s somewhere to climb.

If you want people to grow, you’ve got to show them there’s a path. For field techs, that might mean moving toward crew chief, project coordinator, or even operations lead. For office folks, it could be billing manager, CAD supervisor, or PM.

Have that conversation early and revisit it often. “Where do you want to go? What can we work on together to get you there?”

Conclusion: Leadership Isn’t a Title—It’s a Trust

Growing leaders isn’t about crowns and titles—it’s about trust. It’s about seeing someone’s potential, giving them the space to stretch, and walking alongside them when they fall short.

Every business needs more leaders—not just one boss calling all the shots. When your people grow, your business grows. Your stress drops. Your culture strengthens. And one day, you’ll look around and realize you’re not holding everything together anymore.

You’re building something that can hold itself.

And that’s the goal, right?