The lead carpenter is the company in the eyes of the client. You need someone whose presence promotes confidence in those he works with. You don’t want a cowboy. What does the ideal LC look like?

Of course you need someone with good technical, project management, and communication skills. Absent these, a good craftsman will be taken advantage of by trade contractors, suppliers, and clients and will ultimately cost the company money. If, when interviewing a candidate, he doesn’t make you feel that your well-being is important to him, then be careful. To find the right person, the DISC personality assessment is helpful.

Cult of Personality

The D(ominant) I(nfluencer) S(upporter) C(ompliant) personality profile is best seen as a four-column graph. Columns are labeled D, I, S, C. If the person is high-D then a graph point would be near the top of the column under the letter “D.” If he or she is low-D then the point on the graph would be nearer to the bottom of the column, and so on.

DOMINANCE: An LC is likely to be low-D, meaning he is able to take direction from others and isn’t overly aggressive. The downside is that he won’t be comfortable with conflict.

INFLUENCE: The “I” (sometimes written as “inducement”) relates to social situations and communication. A higher-I usually talks more — he might make more mistakes and not take direction well.

SUPPORT: As a high-S, the LC wants the approval of co-workers and will place their needs above his own. One risk is that this LC may do additional work for clients without addressing cost because he wants clients to like him better.

COMPLIANCE: “C” refers to a person’s desire to follow the rules. If the LC’s C is low, he won’t follow company rules; if too high, he will get stuck trying to figure out solutions to inconsequential problems.

—Paul Winans sold the 30-year-old remodeling business he owned with his wife, Nina, and is now a consultant and facilitator for Remodelers Advantage. [email protected]

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