In business, fixing and building are similar yet distinctive skills. A \"fixer\" can look at a business and identify what’s wrong, then implement changes to turn it around. A \"builder,\" on the other hand, can start a company from scratch, providing a strong foundation for growth.
\r\nNot every leader is capable of both, but in my experience, it certainly helps.
\r\nParents and young adults who have seen the kids’ show “Bob the Builder” over the course of its 20-year tenure may be familiar with the animated building contractor’s claim to fame. “Can we fix it?” the theme song chimes, followed by a chorus of “yes we can!” The show revolves around Bob and his crew performing renovations, construction and repairs as needed, providing fun and instructional episodes for kids.
\r\nContractors like Bob, whether fictional or real, can fix and build. When entrepreneurs use their fixing skills to build and vice versa, they are better equipped to handle some of the challenges that come with leadership in all stages.
\r\nAs someone who has transitioned from a fixer into a builder, I should know. Toward the beginning of my career, I earned a reputation for coming into broken businesses — in this case, nursing homes — and turning them around. I would look at their financial and clinical situations and implement new operations and procedures to improve them for staff and patients alike. When I left these buildings, they were running smoothly and yielding positive surveys, a noteworthy transformation.
\r\nNow I understand that something doesn’t need to be broken first in order to be made right. Whether you enter at the ground floor or the roof, a talent for fixing can strengthen the entire structure and make for a better company.
\r\nThe intersection of these skills, I’ve found, is at the heart of transformational leadership. Here’s how fixing a business can inform building one, and vice versa.
\r\nFew things are built in a day, but most things are decided in one. Neither Rome nor careers or reputations manifest without years of work first. I didn’t transition from fixing to building in a day either, but the decision to do so was far quicker.
\r\nIn 2012, I was approached by a headhunter who had heard of my track record in the healthcare industry. “You have a reputation for fixing things,” he said. “Can you create things too?”
I responded with something along the lines of, “Why not? After all, it’s the same thing, but backwards.”
That was just a guess, but in hindsight I think I hit the metaphorical nail on the head. When I started at what is now The Allure Group, I was one of just several employees including the CEO, Joel Landau. We had one home at the time, but Joel had great ideas about the model they wanted to create. They needed an operations person to start the company and turn it into something bigger, which is where I agreed to come in.
\r\nIt was totally new, but the experience was, as I initially surmised, like working backwards. Instead of fixing something by finding mistakes in the existing blueprint, I was able to co-write the blueprint to incorporate the very same strategies and processes I’d use to turn other establishments around.
\r\nLong story short, knowing how to fix businesses made me a better builder and leader capable of weaving a moral compass into our model from the start. I think this is true for everyone, whether you work in operations or accounting, or as a CEO. A leader that has learned from their mistakes (or those of others) has the perspective needed to avoid common pitfalls, or a faulty foundation.
\r\nNot all leaders start out as fixers; in fact, it’s more of an untraditional career path for some executives, namely entrepreneurs. MBAs often demonstrate a “planning mindset” that, while not harmful, plans to achieve success from the onset without experimenting along the way. As it turns out, founders who are willing to make and fix mistakes through experimentation will be better equipped to solve \"unknown problems\" of the future.
\r\nCEOs are often brought into ailing companies not to build, but to fix. Take Ford’s former-CEO Alan Mulally, who came to the company in bankruptcy and left it the best in the business, or Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz who redefined the brand “experience” that makes the company so special. Both built out existing companies by identifying and solving problems.
\r\nSome of the best leaders accomplish more by fixing than building — in fact, they are likely sought after for their ability to implement trepairs as stepping stones to growth. If we continue to fetishize the idea that leaders only create, putting entrepreneurship above other important skills like pivoting or rebranding, we fail to fully empower and equip leaders of the future. Where’s the joy — or purpose — in building something anyway if you aren’t able to fix it when it breaks?
\r\nAs a fixer-turned-creator, I build things all the time, admire what I’ve built and can mend what breaks when mistakes happen. My background helps, but any builder can adopt a fixer’s mindset, just as any fixer can go forth and create.
\r\nTo all of the career \"fixers\" out there, I implore that you give yourself credit for the creativity the job demands every single day. Know that it can be applied elsewhere if you want to take what you know and get in at the ground floor of another venture. Want to build something new? Find a business partner that excites and compliments your skills, then reverse-fix to plan, experiment and scale your model.
\r\nAs for self-proclaimed business “builders,” most good ones already know that that fixing is just as important as creating, and that the two skills feed each other constantly when you’re in a position of authority. Without making both priorities, a leader is like Bob without a toolbox: unable to do much but stack wood.
\n","docType":"article","guid":"articles_3e54d6f05eed3bfc1506d57547d3302c","lastModified":"2018-04-30T15:10:00.000Z","published":"2018-04-30T15:10:00.000Z","structuredData":null,"subtitle":"Fixing and building are similar, but distinctive skills. A good leader needs both.","template":"legacy","title":"Transformational Leadership Requires Someone Who Can 'Fix' and 'Build'","type":"article","author":{"avatar":null,"bio":"Melissa Powell is the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of The Allure Group. A dedicated healthcare professional, hands-on leader, and consummate innovator, Melissa has nearly 20 years of experience coordinating, assessing, and improving senior care in New Jersey and New York City.","name":"Melissa Powell","image":null,"slug":null,"social":{"facebook":"https://www.facebook.com/thealluregroup/","linkedin":"http://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-powell-00b47846/","twitter":"https://twitter.com/thealluregroup","website":"http://allurecare.com"},"status":"enabled","title":null,"type":"New BDC Member","user":{"imagePath":"https://staging.business.com/images/uploads/user/profile/ab941ac7e273fe253e2572d9098b8b48e05a2.jpg","profile":{"company":"The Allure Group","jobTitle":"COO","website":"http://allurecare.com"}}},"breadcrumbs":null,"channels":{"primary":{"name":"Human Resources","slug":"human-resources"},"sub":{"name":"HR Solutions","slug":"hr-solutions"}},"meta":{"robots":"index, follow","description":"Fixing and building are similar, but distinctive skills. A truly transformational leader needs both.","title":"Why Transformational Leaders Need to Fix and Build - business.com"},"parsedContent":{"toc":[{"id":"the-same-thing,-but-backwards","title":"The same thing, but backwards"},{"id":"building-through-fixing","title":"Building through fixing "},{"id":"can-we-fix-it","title":"Can we fix it? "}],"json":[{"component":"p","children":["In business, fixing and building are similar yet distinctive skills. A \"fixer\" can look at a business and identify what’s wrong, then implement changes to turn it around. A \"builder,\" on the other hand, can start a company from scratch, providing a strong foundation for growth. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Not every leader is capable of both, but in my experience, it certainly helps."]},{"component":"p","children":["Parents and young adults who have seen the kids’ show “Bob the Builder” over the course of its 20-year tenure may be familiar with the animated building contractor’s claim to fame. “Can we fix it?” the theme song chimes, followed by a chorus of “yes we can!” The show revolves around Bob and his crew performing renovations, construction and repairs as needed, providing fun and instructional episodes for kids. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Contractors like Bob, whether fictional or real, can fix and build. When entrepreneurs use their fixing skills to build and vice versa, they are better equipped to handle some of the challenges that come with leadership in all stages. "]},{"component":"p","children":["As someone who has transitioned from a fixer into a builder, I should know. Toward the beginning of my career, I earned a reputation for coming into broken businesses — in this case, nursing homes — and turning them around. I would look at their financial and clinical situations and implement new operations and procedures to improve them for staff and patients alike. When I left these buildings, they were running smoothly and yielding positive surveys, a noteworthy transformation. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Now I understand that something doesn’t need to be broken first in order to be made right. Whether you enter at the ground floor or the roof, a talent for fixing can strengthen the entire structure and make for a better company. "]},{"component":"p","children":["The intersection of these skills, I’ve found, is at the heart of transformational leadership. Here’s how fixing a business can inform building one, and vice versa. "]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"the-same-thing,-but-backwards"},"children":["The same thing, but backwards"]},{"component":"p","children":["Few things are built in a day, but most things are decided in one. Neither Rome nor careers or reputations manifest without years of work first. I didn’t transition from fixing to building in a day either, but the decision to do so was far quicker. "]},{"component":"p","children":["In 2012, I was approached by a headhunter who had heard of my track record in the healthcare industry. “You have a reputation for fixing things,” he said. “Can you create things too?”",{"component":"br"},{"component":"br"}," I responded with something along the lines of, “Why not? After all, it’s the same thing, but backwards.” "]},{"component":"p","children":["That was just a guess, but in hindsight I think I hit the metaphorical nail on the head. When I started at what is now ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.allurecare.com/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["The Allure Group"]},", I was one of just several employees including the CEO, Joel Landau. We had one home at the time, but Joel had great ideas about the model they wanted to create. They needed an operations person to start the company and turn it into something bigger, which is where I agreed to come in. "]},{"component":"p","children":["It was totally new, but the experience was, as I initially surmised, like working backwards. Instead of fixing something by finding mistakes in the existing blueprint, I was able to co-write the blueprint to incorporate the very same strategies and processes I’d use to turn other establishments around. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Long story short, knowing how to fix businesses made me a better builder and leader capable of weaving a moral compass into our model from the start. I think this is true for everyone, whether you work in operations or accounting, or as a CEO. A leader that has learned from their mistakes (or those of others) has the perspective needed to avoid common pitfalls, or a faulty foundation. "]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"building-through-fixing"},"children":["Building through fixing "]},{"component":"p","children":["Not all leaders start out as fixers; in fact, it’s more of an untraditional career path for some executives, namely entrepreneurs. ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanfurr/2011/04/27/why-kindergartners-make-better-entrepreneurs-than-mbas-and-how-to-fix-it/#57601cd21394","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["MBAs often demonstrate a “planning mindset”"]}," that, while not harmful, plans to achieve success from the onset without experimenting along the way. As it turns out, founders who are willing to make and fix mistakes through experimentation will be better equipped to solve \"unknown problems\" of the future. "]},{"component":"p","children":["CEOs are often brought into ailing companies not to build, but to fix. Take ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://qz.com/431078/how-ford-ceo-alan-mullaly-turned-a-broken-company-into-the-industrys-comeback-kid/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["Ford’s former-CEO Alan Mulally"]},", who came to the company in bankruptcy and left it the best in the business, or Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz who redefined the brand “experience” that makes the company so special. Both built out existing companies by identifying and solving problems. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Some of the best leaders accomplish more by fixing than building — in fact, they are likely sought after for their ability to implement trepairs as stepping stones to growth. If we continue to fetishize the idea that leaders only create, putting entrepreneurship above other important skills like pivoting or rebranding, we fail to fully empower and equip leaders of the future. Where’s the joy — or purpose — in building something anyway if you aren’t able to fix it when it breaks? "]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"can-we-fix-it"},"children":["Can we fix it? "]},{"component":"p","children":["As a fixer-turned-creator, I build things all the time, admire what I’ve built and can mend what breaks when mistakes happen. My background helps, but any builder can adopt a fixer’s mindset, just as any fixer can go forth and create. "]},{"component":"p","children":["To all of the career \"fixers\" out there, I implore that you give yourself credit for the creativity the job demands every single day. Know that it can be applied elsewhere if you want to take what you know and get in at the ground floor of another venture. Want to build something new? Find a business partner that excites and compliments your skills, then reverse-fix to plan, experiment and scale your model. "]},{"component":"p","children":["As for self-proclaimed business “builders,” most good ones already know that that fixing is just as important as creating, and that the two skills feed each other constantly when you’re in a position of authority. Without making both priorities, a leader is like Bob without a toolbox: unable to do much but stack wood."]}]},"resource":null,"sponsorship":null,"thumbnail":{"path":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/5ae/7154751ee47e1238b4575/1500-0-","caption":"lOve lOve/Shutterstock","isBlurred":true},"bestPicks":null},"related":{"relatedArticles":[{"title":"Using Lean Strategies to Achieve Team Synergy and Efficiency","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/lean-strategies-team-efficiency/","slug":"lean-strategies-team-efficiency","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5be/480e49c658a51108b458c/1500-0-","dek":"Learn more about lean manufacturing strategies and how to implement them in your business.","lastModified":"2018-11-08T08:00:00Z","published":"2018-11-08T08:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"From COVID-19 to Hurricane Season: Disaster Preparedness for Small Business","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/business-disaster-prep/","slug":"business-disaster-prep","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5e7/a495e5a215eb11d8b4569/1500-0-","dek":"Natural disasters – whether a hurricane, tornado or outbreak like COVID-19 – can have a disastrous effect on small businesses, but they don't have to. Here's how to weather a disaster successfully.","lastModified":"2020-03-25T15:19:00Z","published":"2018-09-26T07:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"How to Hire for Your Business","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/how-to-staff-business/","slug":"how-to-staff-business","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5ea/9c8bb9c658aee018b456c/1500-0-","dek":"Sterling Staffing Solutions CEO Stephen Carter shares his tips on staffing your business.","lastModified":"2020-07-31T15:00:00Z","published":"2018-08-16T12:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"How to Reach Your Customers Through Data-Driven Marketing Campaigns","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/reaching-customers-through-data-driven-marketing/","slug":"reaching-customers-through-data-driven-marketing","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5b7/f3f3b92a3a446278b4571/1500-0-","dek":"Follow these steps to learn more about your customers and connect with them.","lastModified":"2018-08-23T07:00:00Z","published":"2018-08-23T07:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Drinking on the Job: Small Business Guide to Creating an Office Policy","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/set-office-alcohol-policy/","slug":"set-office-alcohol-policy","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5b6/a27bf92a3a414438b457f/1500-0-","dek":"Serving alcohol in the office can be a nice perk, but there's a lot to consider first.","lastModified":"2018-08-27T15:23:00Z","published":"2018-08-27T15:23:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"The Entrepreneur's Road Map: 11 Steps to Success","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/entrepreneur-road-to-success/","slug":"entrepreneur-road-to-success","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5d1/52bd39c658a99508b457a/1500-0-","dek":"So you've decided to start a business. What exactly do you need to do?","lastModified":"2018-08-09T07:00:00Z","published":"2018-08-09T07:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Resources for Veteran-Owned Businesses","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/resources-veteran-owned-business/","slug":"resources-veteran-owned-business","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5b7/425da51ee47e7568b458a/1500-0-","dek":"How to start a business, find funding and gain customers as a veteran business owner.","lastModified":"2018-08-15T12:01:00Z","published":"2018-08-15T12:01:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"PowerShell: Everything You Need to Know","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/powershell-everything-you-need-to-know/","slug":"powershell-everything-you-need-to-know","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5b8/998581039eb8f738b457b/1500-0-","dek":"What you need to know to unlock Microsoft PowerShell's full capabilities.","lastModified":"2018-09-05T17:00:00Z","published":"2018-09-05T17:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Is Your Offshore Software Developer Trying to Trap You?","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/offshore-software-developer-tactics/","slug":"offshore-software-developer-tactics","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5b0/da70351ee47861b8b4592/1500-0-","dek":"Spot the five warning signs of an unscrupulous operation.","lastModified":"2018-05-29T07:00:00Z","published":"2018-05-29T07:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Make Your First Trade Show a Success","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/first-trade-show-checklist/","slug":"first-trade-show-checklist","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5ac/ffbf651ee47e0158b4587/1500-0-","dek":"This checklist of 22 essential elements will help you pull off a successful event.","lastModified":"2018-04-12T07:00:00Z","published":"2018-04-12T07:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"6 Things Entrepreneurs Should Know When Acquiring Clients","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/entrepreneurs-acquiring-customers/","slug":"entrepreneurs-acquiring-customers","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5b5/9d6ee51ee47370c8b457b/1500-0-","dek":"Learn how to create and build relationships with customers.","lastModified":"2018-07-26T14:31:00Z","published":"2018-07-26T14:31:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"The 5 Biggest Financial Mistakes Small Business Owners Make (and How to Avoid Them)","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/smb-financial-mistakes/","slug":"smb-financial-mistakes","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5bd/b58b37b43742e228b4588/1500-0-","dek":"These mistakes can sink your business, but they're easy to avoid.","lastModified":"2018-11-01T07:00:00Z","published":"2018-11-01T07:00:00Z","sponsored":false}],"relatedReviews":[{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5e00ccda9c658a423d8b4569/HR_People_fizkes_Getty.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/best-peo-services/","title":"The Best PEO Service Providers of 2021","dek":"Professional employer organization services can simplify your human resource responsibilities. Learn about the best PEOs available for your small business.","slug":"best-peo-services","lastModified":"2021-03-23T19:45:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5dfbca819c658adc118b4568/Payroll_AndreyPopov_Getty.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/online-payroll-services/","title":"The Best Online Payroll Services of 2021","dek":"Our team has compared the best online payroll services for 2021. See up-to-date reviews and costs for the top services.","slug":"online-payroll-services","lastModified":"2021-03-19T20:05:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5d85356c7b43745d448b458d/hroutsourcing_fizkes.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/best-hr-outsourcing-services/","title":"The Best HR Outsourcing Services of 2021","dek":"Human resource outsourcing services can simplify your human resource responsibilities. Learn about the best HROs available for your small business.","slug":"best-hr-outsourcing-services","lastModified":"2021-03-11T17:15:00Z"}],"relatedSponsoredArticles":null}},"pageContext":{"displayModified":"2018-04-30T15:10:00.000Z","template":"legacy","title":"Transformational Leadership Requires Someone Who Can 'Fix' and 'Build'","meta":{"robots":"index, follow"},"docType":"articles","slug":"transformational-leadership-fixer-and-builder","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/transformational-leadership-fixer-and-builder/","skipTOC":false}},"staticQueryHashes":[]}