LEADING WITH PURPOSE
Explosive ‘C4’ Principles Redefine Customer-Driven Business Philosophy
by Erica Bender T
hese days when you’re looking for a company to handle your building and construction needs, some
of the most common elevator pitches you hear involve phrases like “we care about our customers” or “we deliver quality” or “we provide the best ser- vices and tools.” Promises like these fall flat in explaining how or why a business is different from others in the competitor pool.
But there’s one construction company owner who doesn’t have a problem delivering a purpose-packed spiel. Five years ago, John Glover, the Senior Vice President of Alliance Construction Management LLC (Alliance CM), adopted a dynamite set of business principles to reshape the bedrock of his customer-driven construction management practices.
Today, the company’s focus on four guiding principles—calling, character, capability and commissioning (C4)— has been met with success in gener- ating lasting relationships with staff, business partners and customers. But for John, it was the road to redemp- tion in his personal life that gave his company a clearer direction.
AIMLESS WANDERER TURNED AMBITIOUS ENTREPRENEUR
Born in Irving, Texas, John comes from a family with a long history in construc- tion. His grandfather was a carpenter and his father a carpenter and builder by trade. John, though, didn’t have any real aspirations in his early life, partly because he was raised in a family frac- tured by divorce.
“When I was young, I had no real focus, no direction. I didn’t dream of being anything—it was like I was just on pause,” recalls John.
Despite his troubled childhood, John’s parents were important role models in his life. “My mother gave me a spirit of perseverance, and my father gave me a heart of excellence. I wouldn’t be here without them,” he says.
It was his mother’s exceptional work ethic and his father’s passion for high standards that taught John the value of hard work. “My siblings and I didn’t grow up in a home where things were given to us. If we wanted something, we had to go get it,” re- members John.
At 17, John struck out on his own; at 19, he got married. The not-so-studi- ous teenager opted to skip college and instead immersed himself right away into the commercial construc- tion industry—learning valuable skills through real-world experiences rather than textbooks.
“Just starting out, I installed windows and doors, and did selling and servic- ing. I was always in an arena filled with people older, wiser, and more experi- enced than me,” shares John. “My main goal was to let these people teach me, or just listen and ask questions. I re- alized that I didn’t have to know ev- erything. For instance, when you flip a switch and the lights go on, you don’t have to know immediately all about the current and circuitries—you gain that experience over time. You just have to know who to call, who to ask.”
One of the most useful lessons that he learned is to look at services and goods from the customer’s point of view, and to treat others fairly and respectfully.
“This is a very difficult industry, but you’ll knock out 95 percent of your competition just by showing up on time, doing what you say you’re going
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