Barry Wurzel Of Wurzel Builders: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Sara Connell
Own your mistakes. I think being accountable is an act of courage. It’s not easy to admit that you’ve made a mistake so as a leader, doing this will reinforce the message that at the end of the day, we’re all human, and while we want to avoid mistakes, we can collectively work together to recover and find a solution.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Barry Wurzel.
Commercial builder and general contractor Barry Wurzel is a strategist with a passion for the big picture. He charts the course for his companies, Wurzel Builders, Ltd and Southern Cutting & Coring, LLC. He mentors and develops employees, and intentionally crafts the company culture. He’s known for his hands-on approach and open communication style in everything he does, and he’s a problem solver who values moving forward and overlooking back.
Barry brings 37 years of construction management experience to his work. He spent fifteen years working with excellent companies like The Target Corporation and CF Jordan before forming Wurzel Builders in 1998. Over the years, they’ve worked with numerous companies, including HEB, Walmart, Starbucks, Target, CVS Pharmacy, and Charles Schwab.
While it takes a lot to put a building together, Barry has learned over the years that it’s just as important to pull together a team and to orchestrate the personalities toward reaching a common goal. Wurzel Builders is a casual workplace, but expectations are high. The company has a culture that requires character, gumption, and a desire to learn and grow; taking the time and intentionality to find the best candidates is always worth it. By offering constant development to fellow coworkers, Barry is confident that not only will the company be able to offer clients the best quality of work, but also offer coworkers an exciting environment of growth and opportunity.
Barry and his wife Robin live in Spicewood, Texas just outside of Austin, and enjoy traveling anywhere new and exploring the outdoors, especially with their three grown children.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
Early on in my childhood, I found myself always building things. I had a natural eye for piecing things together and creating new “projects.” Just barely a teenager, I created a three-story fort in my backyard, exposing my passion for building. Today, 37 years into my career, I still find myself channeling that young boy who simply loved the art of construction.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
It’s hard to identify a funny mistake because, in my line of work, mistakes cost time and/or money. However, when I have made a mistake, each time it gives me more clarity to sneak further down the road to help eliminate future mistakes.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
In total, I have considered three people as my mentors: my wife and two colleagues. Starting with my wife Robin as she’s the reason I am where I am today. Since 1998, which is when she encouraged me to start my own business, Robin has graciously supported me throughout my journey and has served as a sounding board for my questions, what if’s, doubts, and challenges. She pushes me to be the best version of myself, which translates into the leader that I have become today. I’m proud to have her by my side and couldn’t do it without her!
As for my other two mentors, I keep in touch with them often. After meeting them both early on in my career, I seek wisdom and guidance from them when needed. I find myself always reaching out to them, regardless of the situation. Whether I’m faced with a challenge and need a solution, need assurance or confirmation that something’s being done correctly, or a second opinion to a business development opportunity, I greatly value their insights into any situation at hand. I trust them and am very grateful for their mentorship over the years.
Lastly, another important influence of mine is my faith as it’s a source of strength and confidence for me. I view it as a shield that protects me against evil and in challenging times, I turn to it to help me make decisions with confidence.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose-driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
At heart, I am a true builder and I have known that since I was a kid. Very early on, I understood the art of putting things together and the art of working with people. Although the construction industry has been around for thousands of years, my purpose when I first started was simple: to do better.
After college and prior to starting Wurzel Builders, I was working for a general contractor who had an EVP that had the mentality of “being tough is an easier way to do business” but I completely disagree. By working with him, I quickly identified how I didn’t want to treat people. Quite the opposite, my mindset is, “you can get more with sugar than you do with vinegar.” I believe that when you solve problems with people in a kind way, it gives this industry a personal touch and intentional attention.
The builder and engineer in me sees things at a three-dimensional level. For example, you have a keyboard and rather than seeing it at face value, I see the external keys, the springs below the keys, and the electric connection that is channeling back and forth between it and the computer. Rather than seeing people at face value, it’s important to understand there’s more than what meets the eye. There’s an art to working with people, especially when it comes to problem-solving. In a larger part of always wanting to do better, I always strive to bring people together to foster healthy working relationships and solve problems cohesively.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
The key to leading a team during an uncertain or difficult time is to be transparent and honest. It’s that simple. Beating around the bush and not being true to your team can lead to a negative work environment. In my experience, people trust you more when you’re honest with them; it’s an act of respect.
Along with being transparent and honest with my team, I always help others understand the problem and then discuss how we can fix it together. As a leader, I feel that it’s important to help my team overcome challenges rather than leaving it up to them to “figure it out,” as many leaders believe. Additionally, I think there’s a beauty to those who are vulnerable enough to ask for help. No one is above asking for help — I ask for help all the time.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
I hate to admit it but just five years into starting Wurzel Builders, things almost came to a screeching halt. In 2003, a former client of ours nearly put us out of business — it was my first experience of dealing with a bad apple. After months of legal action and unnecessary drama that was caused by this client, we were able to come out on top. Luckily, we continued to acquire new business and kept the ship moving, but prior to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I contemplated going to law school to become a construction attorney. However, despite feeling so low, I knew in my heart that I couldn’t abandon the company I worked so hard to build. Although I’d stay within the industry, switching careers felt as if I was giving up and I couldn’t bring myself to do it. After realizing this, I became the “ever ready battery bunny” and never gave up on anything.
Having gone through the adversity of this situation, I now feel privileged to share this experience as a learning experience, and I hope this sliver of my story can continue to inspire others to also never give up on their dreams and aspirations.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
When times are tough, people often look at the leader for direction and clarity so it’s important that those who are within leadership roles are clear, confident, and decisive. Being vulnerable is another important element that allows you to be transparent, honest, and real with your team; it’s an opportunity to build trust within the organization. When you balance these characteristics while creating and implementing a plan with your team, solutions will quickly emerge.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
In my opinion, the best way to boost morale is to guide them to achieve success. Take intentional time to meet with each individual to help them see their strengths and weaknesses. If they lack confidence in what their strengths are, help them understand what they may be. When doing this, employees can cultivate their strengths in a way that helps them forge their path to success.
As for someone’s weaknesses, it’s important leaders do not shame people but rather help them identify opportunities where they can improve and grow within the weakness. Within these conversations, good leaders may show vulnerability by sharing a personal example of how they’ve grown from recent or previous a weakness. By doing this, the employee is reminded that everyone is human and we’re all growing.
Another great way to inspire, motivate and engage the team is by investing in their growth and development. When business leaders invest in their employees, they’re ultimately investing in their company as they will then better serve others externally, too! For example, we like to provide our team with professional development opportunities, and recently, we hosted a communications workshop that allowed our staff to not only collaborate, but also listen to each other’s needs.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
I’m a firm believer in delivering bad news first and doing so fast — just tell it like it is without the drama. The faster you share, the faster you can identify a solution. With that being said, be prepared with a number of options that serve as solutions and when doing so, guide them to choosing the best option for them and the situation at hand. Encourage collaboration rather than leaving it up to the team or one person to identify a solution.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
You can still somewhat plan, regardless of the unpredictability of life. Be ready to pivot during the unpredictability and take previous lessons that you’ve learned into account in new situations. My son, who is in the U.S. Marines Corps always says, “You gotta keep moving. Whether you go left, right, or straight, always make decisions — don’t stop.” If you become stagnant, you won’t grow or find solutions in challenging times. Be optimistic because there’s always a solution… you just have to find it!
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Always practice the fundamentals and be disciplined when doing so. You’ll see professional athletes practice the fundamentals in practice, despite them being the best of the best. When doing so, they’re disciplined which makes them a stronger, more competitive athlete, and I believe this can translate into the workplace. By practicing the fundamentals and being disciplined within your job, you’ll grow professionally within your role. It will shape you into a professional that understands how to navigate the ups and downs of turbulent times.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
When turbulent times come, it’s common for our industry to cut back on marketing efforts, however, I think doing this can actually hurt a business more. Rather than pausing these services, work with your experts whether they are internal or a third party to come up with a game plan that makes sense for you. You worked so hard to build brand awareness so rather than going dark — which is where people forget about you — pace yourself differently to still take advantage of strategic marketing initiatives.
Additionally, I see people not having a business development department. Wurzel Builders has recently invested in this department and it’s positively impacted our business. By investing in a business development department, it allows us to continue nurturing the relationships that we’ve cultivated and avoid needing to hustle. We’re seeing that we’re able to keep topping off as we expand and build our relationships. We’re also able to use this opportunity to cultivate intentional relationships within our community and industry.
Lastly, in the course of my career, I’ve experienced many leaders who have had a tunnel vision mentality. Those who are closed off to new ideas or the evolution of the industry will simply get surpassed by their competitors. As long as you keep the course while having an open heart and mind, you’ll see a payoff; even in a tough economy. The last two years have been a great example of this lesson.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
A simple lesson I live by is if you don’t change anything, you simply won’t see change.
As mentioned in the last question, we recently invested in a business development department and it’s now led us to have the most robust pipeline in the company’s history. Additionally, our team has invested more dollars into marketing and public relations efforts to help build brand awareness. There’s no shame in asking for help — it’s actually more efficient when you do so!
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
- Be transparent.
I think there are a lot of benefits people can gain when being transparent. I once read a book that further supported this as it explained the impact of leaders leading in a way that shows others they’re an open book. When doing this, it reinforces to your team that you’re all on the same team and welcomes their transparency too.
2. Be honest.
When you’re honest with yourself, internally with your team, and externally with your partners, you foster a culture of collaboration. You can’t make good decisions together without having a hand in both, your successes and failures, and the way you can do this is by being honest with everyone involved. Additionally, I’m a firm believer in sharing bad news first before good news, and any time there’s bad news, it’s important to provide options to serve as solutions.
3. Own your mistakes.
I think being accountable is an act of courage. It’s not easy to admit that you’ve made a mistake so as a leader, doing this will reinforce the message that at the end of the day, we’re all human, and while we want to avoid mistakes, we can collectively work together to recover and find a solution.
4. Include the team in evaluating and decision making.
Woodrow Wilson once said, “I use all of the brains I have and all those I can borrow” and I think there’s a lot of truth to that. I believe there’s power in numbers and I think it’s important to involve others as they may have a specific set of skills that make the company better.
5. Encourage and mentor others to harness strengths to move forward.
I recently hosted a coaching review and within that review, the employee was discouraged in his performance. Within this moment, it was important for me to reinforce the progression he’s made. I identified examples of his creativity and mastery and reminded him of the steps he’s accomplished along the way. By taking the time to do this, I helped remind this employee of not only how far he’s come, but also that he’s capable of accomplishing his goals. I think it’s gestures like these that really make an impact and difference within the workplace, and leaders can encourage a culture like such by taking time to have intentional conversations with their employees.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Givers Gain” means those who gain will eventually gain, too. However, I think it’s important to have the pay-it-forward mentality rather than giving with the expectation that there will be a personal gain. In my experience, people want to work with people who are there to help and in return, you naturally want to return the favor.
“If nothing changes, nothing changes” means having the courage to take the risk and change the course a little bit. You simply cannot do the same thing but expect a different outcome. It’s not possible.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wurzelbuildersltd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wurzel-builders-ltd/
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
