Authentic Leadership
A Leaders Team Case Study: Authentic Leadership at Ford’s Experience
Justin Ford is the founder of Ford’s Experience, an ultra-high-end residential construction company in Naples, Florida.
The company works with people who are typically billionaires or close to that level of wealth. As of 2023, Justin has been leading the company for five years, demonstrating the principles of authentic leadership. Justin and his company have been featured in many prominent publications, including Build Magazine, which targets the global construction and property industry.
How Authentic Leadership Transformed Ford’s Experience
Justin was initially referred to Leaders Team by a business coach friend. “At first I didn’t take it all that seriously. There are many people who are business coaches. I looked Kelly up and saw she had an incredible resume and was likely exceptionally good at what she does.”
Justin had just taken on 100% ownership of his company after a dispute with his former partner. He was in his late 20s.
“Our company had been featured in several magazines, including the cover of one. We were getting a lot of good press, and some great things were happening. The foundation was in Naples, but the end goal was always to make a significant impact on the industry and branch into different cities.”
Justin realized that scaling the company required not just tactical improvements but also a commitment to authentic leadership, ensuring his actions aligned with his vision and values.
Coaching with Leaders Team: Authentic Leadership in Action
“Anything we did, my first question was, can we support 200 people? Some of my first questions, when I began coaching with Kelly and Leaders Team, were about the size of teams they had worked with and those types of concerns. I could see they were going to be a good fit for us and could envision them being a key part of the trajectory to where I wanted the company to go in the future.”
“There were many strategic and tactical things which changed and improved in working with them. Kelly focuses on the mental aspect of being a leader with Jon focusing on the implementing side.”
“Leaders Team was able to really help us on the tactical side with rebuilding the company systems, all these different things, and ensuring that we continue to execute on our word; continue to execute on our vision. They helped us to ensure our decision-making aligns with our vision, that what we are doing is working towards building what they call at Leaders Team, our ‘seemingly impossible future’ for Ford’s. This approach is deeply rooted in what Leaders Team teaches as authentic leadership, which Justin embodies as he drives his team forward.”
Authentic Leadership and Communication: A Game Changer
Justin participated in our Cracking the Code program. He says today the program gave him the confidence to realize he had control.
“Before that, I didn’t understand how to communicate what I believed. The program helped me to speak about it in a way that stuck with me and enabled us as a company to execute significant changes.”
“I’m a pretty extreme person. The Leaders Team Work helped me to be more consistent and to experience less emotional turmoil. Now, I’m able to have more open, more direct conversations with team members and clients. I’m living more authentically. The Work I’ve done with Kelly removed a great deal of stress because I was forcing myself into situations. I never wanted to fail and before this, I wouldn’t communicate. I was driving the people around me so hard I was hurting them. Now I am able to communicate who I am; my thinking is clearer and I can express things in a way that connects with people. This clarity and authenticity are key to the authentic leadership I strive for daily.”
Leadership Accountability and Authenticity
Authentic leadership is not just about vision but also about accountability. Leaders Team emphasizes the importance of accountability in leadership. To delve deeper into this topic, check out our blog post on Leadership Accountability: Having Your Word Prevail. It explores how maintaining accountability and honoring commitments can enhance leadership effectiveness.
In 2023, Ford’s Experience opened its second office in Sarasota, Florida. Justin’s goal is to scale the company to many major cities.
We consider potential clients from the perspective of who we want to work with. We assess if they will be a good fit and will it work. What’s amazing about Justin is that he is only 30 years old and is demonstrating this type of leadership. One of the things we saw with Justin right away is that he was already running what we would consider to be a You and Me business model which is, of course, what we advocate. Justin wants his customers to win; he wants his subcontractors to win; he wants his employees to win. And, of course, he wants to win. It’s a You and Me business model at every level, and it reflects the principles of authentic leadership that Leaders Team emphasizes.