31/07/2026
“You’ve got it easy, sitting at a desk.”
That’s what my 15-year-old son said to me after spending a day working with one of our teams.
To be fair, he’d just spent the day dragging branches in this summer heat to earn some money towards a new bike. I did chuckle to myself.
Then I asked him,
“Do you know how long I’ve spent doing what you’ve done for one day?”
The answer is 25 years.
I didn’t start behind a desk.
I started exactly where many people in this industry do. Dragging branches. Footing ladders. Fueling saws. Working through freezing winters, wet days and scorching summers. Early starts. Late finishes.
Like many young lads, I worked with people who knew I wouldn’t say no. I carried more than my fair share some days. Other people took the time to teach me properly, and those lessons became the foundations of everything I know today.
Those years weren’t just about learning how to climb trees.
They taught me how to work hard. How to solve problems. How to lead people.
How to stay calm under pressure (or try).
Today I spend more time in the office than I'd like.
But the responsibility is different.
Making decisions that affect the team. Looking after clients. Winning work. Paying wages. Solving problems that nobody else sees.
The physical graft has been replaced by mental pressure.
Neither is easy.
The lesson I wanted my son to take away wasn’t that hard work builds character.
It was this...
There aren’t many real shortcuts.
Experience is earned. Good leadership starts by understanding the job from the ground up. The years you spend learning the craft are what prepare you for the responsibility that comes later.
Do you think the best leaders are the ones who’ve done the job themselves?
