Ep 33 - Career Moments (Part 1)
- Chad Lingafelt
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
Every successful entrepreneur has pivotal moments that define their journey. In a recent episode of the "Unlocked" podcast, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe, Tony from Assured Security, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security shared their top career successes, offering valuable lessons for anyone in the security industry or business in general.
Tony's Journey to Control Tony's first impactful career moment stemmed from a desire for more control over his own destiny. Working in a large organization, he realized his contributions, while significant, felt diluted. The move to a smaller, more agile company offered the ability to directly impact outcomes and shape his own path. This highlights a common entrepreneurial drive: the yearning for autonomy and direct influence on success. For those feeling constrained in larger structures, seeking roles or ventures where individual impact is more visible can be a powerful motivator.
Chad's "Turn the Ship Around" Moment Chad's pivotal moment was inspired by David Marquet's book, "Turn the Ship Around". This philosophy, centered on intention-based leadership, transformed his approach to decision-making. Instead of his team asking "Can I do this?", the shift to "I intend to do this" empowered individuals to take ownership and make informed decisions. This delegation of authority, rather than burdening the leader with every decision, is crucial for scaling a business, particularly beyond 12-17 employees. It frees up the leader to focus on higher-level strategic thinking.
Lars and the Power of Peer Groups Lars identified the formation of industry peer groups as a game-changer. Initially connected through the MSC network, a program for larger locksmith companies in North America, he and his co-hosts, along with other business owners, began sharing financial benchmarks and operational insights. This collaboration, especially during the uncertainty of COVID-19, provided invaluable perspective and a sense of shared challenge, moving away from an isolated "fight in the world" mindset. The revelation that diverse security businesses had remarkably similar financial ratios underscored the universal applicability of these shared learnings.
The "PIGS" and Tough Accountability Expanding on the peer group concept, Lars also highlighted his "PIGS" (Peer Innovation Group). This group, comprised of friends from diverse industries, offered a unique blend of trust and radical candor. A particularly impactful moment involved the group's firm but caring challenge to Lars about his dissatisfaction with his business partners. Their blunt question – "Are you going to do something about this, or just shut up?" – forced a critical decision that ultimately led to his partners' amicable exit. This illustrates the immense value of an external, trusted accountability system, especially when navigating emotionally charged business decisions.
These career moments underscore several universal truths in entrepreneurship: the drive for impact, the necessity of empowering teams, the power of collaborative learning, and the importance of courageous decision-making guided by trusted advisors.
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