When I think about what has shaped me as a leader, I always come back to one truth. There is no classroom, boardroom, or seminar that can replace the lessons learned from actually being in the field. Leadership is not just about strategy or numbers; it is about understanding the work, the people, and the challenges at every level of your business. For me, growing up in a family business like Knox Pest Control, hands-on experience has been the foundation for every decision I make and every goal I set.
Starting From the Ground Up
My introduction to the business was not behind a desk. I started in the field, learning the ropes on termite jobs and customer service calls. I helped my father and brother with tasks that may have seemed small at the time but were critical to understanding our operations. Every job, every visit to a customer’s home, and every interaction with our team taught me something about what works and what does not. It is one thing to read about leadership in a book, but it is entirely different to experience it firsthand.
Being in the field allows you to see the realities of your business in a way that cannot be captured in reports or meetings. You see the challenges your team faces, the questions customers ask, and the opportunities for improvement. It also teaches humility. No matter how much education or training you have, there is nothing like rolling up your sleeves and tackling the work yourself to gain perspective and respect for the people who do it every day.
Building Empathy and Understanding
One of the most important lessons I have learned from hands-on experience is the value of empathy. When you work alongside your team, you begin to understand their struggles and their motivations. You recognize the importance of clear communication, proper tools, and supportive leadership. This perspective shapes how you manage, how you train, and how you set expectations. Employees respond to leaders who understand their work, and customers respond to companies that genuinely care about their experience.
Empathy also informs your vision for the business. When you have walked in the shoes of your employees and seen the challenges your customers face, you are better equipped to make decisions that balance growth with quality. This understanding keeps a business grounded, ensuring that as it expands, it does not lose sight of its mission or values.
Learning Through Mistakes
Hands-on experience also teaches you lessons you cannot learn anywhere else: the lessons of failure. I have made mistakes in the field. I have underestimated a job, misjudged a situation, or missed an opportunity to better serve a customer. Each mistake has been an invaluable learning opportunity. They teach you how to anticipate problems, adapt quickly, and develop solutions that improve operations and customer satisfaction.
These lessons are magnified when you consider a growing business. As Knox Pest Control expanded from one office to eighteen, the experiences we gathered in the field became the blueprint for scaling responsibly. Every new location, new hire, or service offering benefited from the insights we gained by being directly involved in the work at the ground level.
Translating Field Experience Into Vision
Field experience shapes vision by keeping it practical and actionable. It ensures that strategies are rooted in reality rather than theory. At Knox, we use the lessons learned in the field to guide our decisions about technology, training, and customer service. By staying connected to the day-to-day work, I can make choices that support our employees, meet customer needs, and drive sustainable growth.
It also informs long-term planning. Seeing firsthand what works and what challenges exist allows you to anticipate trends, identify opportunities, and prepare for changes in the industry. Leadership is about creating a vision that others can believe in, and that vision is far stronger when it is grounded in real-world experience.
A Leadership Philosophy Built on Action
Ultimately, my philosophy of leadership comes down to one principle. Lead by doing. Be willing to step into the trenches, understand the work, and support your team in practical ways. Leadership is not about giving orders from above. It is about understanding, guiding, and empowering others to do their best work.
Hands-on experience has taught me lessons in humility, empathy, problem-solving, and vision. It has helped me build a business culture that values service, integrity, and collaboration. It has shaped the way we train our employees, interact with our customers, and grow our company while staying true to our family values.
The Takeaway
For anyone in business, whether running a family company or leading a large organization, the field is one of the most powerful classrooms available. The lessons you learn by being present, observing, and participating are lessons you carry for a lifetime. They help you understand your business, your team, and your customers in ways that theory alone never can.
At Knox Pest Control, I am proud to carry forward a legacy built on service and hard work. That legacy is not just in our policies or mission statement—it is in the experience of every employee, every customer interaction, and every day spent in the field. Hands-on experience shapes leaders. It shapes business vision. And it ensures that as a company grows, it never loses sight of what matters most.