8 things that have never changed about landscaping

One of the defining moments in our industry’s history came in 1998, during an unprecedented wave of consolidations. I was among several executives whose companies were entertaining options and was interviewed by this magazine for an exclusive report.

When I coach business leaders, we talk about moments that define us — the ones that change how we think and operate. For landscape executives in the 90s, that moment arrived with two multi-million deals everyone was watching.

Nearly 30 years later, perspective is both a privilege and a teacher. You start to see patterns and progress, and the cycles that come and go. What’s most remarkable, though, is how much hasn’t changed at all: despite our industry’s explosive growth, the principles that drive lasting success still hold — a valuable reminder that the best lessons aren’t always new ones.

Here are eight that have never let me down:

1. Culture is everything. “You can’t just consolidate a bunch of different companies and put them together and instantly have a successful organization. The value of a healthy business and a healthy culture can’t be overlooked.” This is what I said about rollups back in 1998. Today, I’d add that merging diverse brands and cultures into one cohesive enterprise will continue to remain a challenge.

Many acquisitions retain their original names and lack operational consistency. The companies that overcome this will be the ones that reset the bar.

2. Be the partner your clients can’t imagine succeeding without. I used to call this, “crawl behind the eyes of your customer”— but understanding your customer’s point of view alone doesn’t go far enough. In truth, real relationships only happen when you move past transactions into partnerships built on trust and shared goals. When you make relationship-building and networking an organization-wide discipline, invest in customer surveys, and include long-term strategies around customer experience, you’ll find better retention, deeper loyalty and relationships that endure long after the contract is signed.

3. Build company-wide literacy. Financial literacy matters more than ever. Demystify how your company works so your employees know how their individual actions create value.

When you give your employees relevant financial knowledge and the tools to make smarter decisions, along with solid financial leadership at the top, you help your whole organization move toward growth that matters most.

4. Embrace risk and the lessons that come with it. Growth is always about risk and leverage — a balancing act between making a move and understanding what the move entails. Instead of acting blindly, learn to think in probabilities, not guarantees.

Good decisions can have bad outcomes, and bad decisions can sometimes pay off — but consistent, smart decision-making delivers better results over time.

5. Nothing’s smarter than a smart team. Real competitive advantage will always come from your company’s collective intelligence, and your team’s ability to outlearn and outperform your competition. Invest in opportunities for your employees to grow personally and professionally at every level and make learning and reinvention a companywide habit.

6. There is no silver bullet. Long-term growth depends on systems that are not susceptible to short-term fads. Build your business on a foundation of shared principles and core values — a people-first culture, a high-performing mindset and an organization rooted in care and trust.

7. Dream big. Every success story begins with a leader willing to give their teams the freedom to dream big and the courage to green light an idea. Follow Google’s 20% rule — a policy allows employees to dedicate 20% of their time to work on ideas that could benefit the company.

By giving people the freedom to explore their creative instincts, you’ll create an environment where innovation thrives and fuels the kind of growth only imagination can unlock.

8. Master the art of mentoring. When business feels like its moving too fast, it’s human nature to want to hold on tighter. But the best leaders do the opposite — they mentor, delegate and create space for others to grow.

Mentoring is one of the most meaningful ways to pay leadership forward. Hire people you respect and give them the trust and guidance to find their own way. As Warren Buffett said, “hire for integrity, intelligence and energy. If they don’t have the first one, the second two don’t matter.”

A final thought…

For anyone wanting to understand our industry, there is an invaluable lesson on the importance of who you know, how relationships can often reshape success and how networking can end up playing a pivotal role in your career journey.

Finding your passion matters just as much as finding your people — the colleagues and mentors who inspire you, the wing team that has your back and the people you meet along the way who become lifelong friends.

When you discover that — the company, the industry or a role where you can genuinely make a difference in someone else’s life — the long hours, the deadlines and even the worry that comes with caring deeply are all worth it.

This is my final Words of Wilson column for Lawn & Landscape, a publication that has honored me with this space and with their trust for many years.

My heartfelt thanks to all the readers of this column — to my colleagues around the country who have made me a better leader and a better human, and to the editorial teams at GIE Media.

Thank you for lifting up the industry, for being part of its defining moments, and reminding us that the best way forward always makes room for what’s next.

Words of Wilson features a rotating panel of consultants from Wilson360, a landscape consulting firm. Bruce Wilson is founder and chairman of Wilson360 (formerly Bruce Wilson & Co.) He can be reached at bruce@wilson-360.com