The more things change.....

As someone who has now worked in the Multifamily world for north of 30 years I have seen so many changes.

Yet for all the things that have changed or evolved, the core of the Multifamily industry remains the same. As operators we are in the service industry. We are in business to grow companies, but we are also in the business of developing people. We are accountable for many lives, families and every single day, we make decisions that can change lives up or down. 

But it’s not just Multifamily. It’s with whatever business we do. It’s on the entrepreneurial side, the manufacturing side, the sales side. It’s everywhere. And it’s critical. We have a tremendous responsibility to be at our best for ourselves, our companies, our teammates, our families.

So with the goal of being all we can be every single day and making a life changing impact in a positive way for the many people we come in contact with, I offer these few brief reminders.

We control our emotions. Don’t let them get the worst of you so you make bad choices or give bad guidance. Take deep breaths and think before you act.

We never know what is happening in the lives of the many people we lead or service. There could be triumph or tragedy, wealth or financial concerns, joy or fear . With this in mind, be kind, be patient, and be a source of inspiration to others

You can't truly change the culture of anything unless you make that change in your heart first. Make sure that you can be what you expect others to be

Being a leader is a privilege and not a right. Behave in a manner that motivates others. I've said this many times, respect is often given to positions people hold. However, the individuals who hold those positions need to know how to earn it.

Listen. A lot. Don’t presume to know everything. If you do all the talking, you never learn anything and you never grow.

Don’t brag about yourself to others. Humble yourself for others. Humility is inspiring.

Ask a lot of questions of the people you lead. Learn about them. Know what makes them the individuals they are. You will get a lot of answers and what you do with this information can guide you to a better future as a leader.

Help people. Be someone people can count on. That will make your life rewarding.

Don’t be “The Boss”. Be the BASE that people can build upon. 

Give back. Don't just take from the world. Become a mentor and you will build a lasting legacy.

So when I sat down to write this short article, my goal was to offer something new, something different. In my 30+ years in the industry I’ve seen a lot of changes.

What has not changed and will never change is that we are also in the service business as well as the business of developing people. Make lives better by being better. It’s not something new. It’s something that is tried and true. Happy 2021. Let’s have a big year.

As Ferris Bueller once said, life moves pretty fast...if you don't look around once in a while, you could miss it.

-David R Bales