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How to Build Great Team Leaders (Because You Won’t Find Them) with Marty Grunder

📅 August 3, 2026 ⏱️ 23:11 🎤 Marty Grunder

Chapters

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  • 0:00
    Great vs. Poor Leaders
    Marty Grunder introduces the concept that great team leaders anticipate and prevent problems, unlike poor leaders who constantly react.
  • 0:32
    The Importance of Team Leaders
    Marty emphasizes the critical role of team leaders who physically execute the work and the challenge of finding them, suggesting they must be developed internally.
  • 5:20
    Developing Great Team Leaders
    Marty shares that the best team leaders think and plan smarter, focusing on creating productive, safe, organized, and profitable days.
  • 9:47
    Great Day Starts Day Before
    The first key framework for development is that a great day for a team leader begins the afternoon prior, with thorough planning and problem anticipation.
  • 16:58
    Own the Morning
    The second framework highlights the importance of team leaders arriving early, organized, and prepared to ensure a smooth and efficient start to the day.
  • 23:19
    Safety Before Production
    Marty discusses the critical third point: prioritizing safety over speed, using a real-world example of a near-miss incident to underscore the importance of safety protocols.
  • 26:06
    Lead People, Not Just Jobs
    The fourth point emphasizes that a team leader's true job is developing their crew members, not just completing tasks, by coaching, teaching, and asking questions.
  • 27:59
    Think Like an Owner
    Great team leaders understand profit by minimizing waste and protecting assets, acting as if the business were their own.
  • 31:42
    Pre-plan, Coach, Review
    Marty summarizes the three essential habits for team leaders: pre-planning, coaching daily, and reviewing every day for continuous improvement.

Speakers

M
Marty Grunder
Host — Grunder Landscaping Company on the Grow Group

Key Takeaways

✦

You won't find great team leaders; you must develop them by investing in training and mentoring programs within your company.

✦

Teach your team leaders to plan for tomorrow today by reviewing work tickets, verifying materials, equipment, and permits, and identifying potential problems the day before.

✦

Emphasize safety above all else; ensure daily safety checks, reminders, and a culture where near-misses are teaching opportunities, not just lucky escapes.

✦

Train team leaders to lead people, not just jobs, by coaching, teaching, and asking questions to foster team development and problem-solving skills.

✦

Cultivate an 'owner's mindset' in your team leaders, encouraging them to understand profit, minimize waste, care for equipment, and protect customer property.

✦

Implement daily practices for team leaders to own the morning by arriving early, ensuring trucks and equipment are ready, and reviewing the daily plan with the crew.

✦

Stress the importance of professional job closeouts, where team leaders walk the site, ensure quality, take photos, and plan for any necessary follow-up before leaving.

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