From the moment we are born, dad guides us through the world in a leadership role like no other. And for some, dad’s guidance extends into their professional lives through the family business where his advice creates a legacy of leadership.

This Father’s Day, three ERA Real Estate brokers reflect on leadership lessons they learned from their dads, who also helped them steer their way through successful real estate careers.

Lead by Example

“My father instilled in me that your reputation and your credit are the two most important things in your professional life,” said broker / owner Gus Grizzard of ERA Tom Grizzard, Inc.. in Leesburg, Fla. “As my father, Tom Grizzard, pointed out, both take a lifetime to build and both can be destroyed in the blink of an eye so be mindful of your actions. In addition, when leading a company, be prepared to do things that no one else wants to do with little to no recognition for doing those things. Your actions lead the way to the kind of reputation you will have and will also inspire others.”

Take Care of Your Customer First

“My dad had been a broker for thirty years and my dad’s philosophy was always ‘take care of the customer first,’ said broker/owner Bill Aboumrad of Legacy Real Estate & Associates ERA Powered in Fremont, Calif. “And what he always imparted onto me was our customers are our agents, or our employees. So take care of the agent first and if you take care of the agent, they’ll take care of you. We live by that philosophy.”

Be Patient and Kind

“I watched as my father negotiated slowly and on purpose,” said Jennifer Darby Metzger of ERA Justin Realty Co. in Rutherford, N.J. “Do not go back to the table too fast to make any deal. Rather, take your time because there is always another way to look at a situation in order to make it work. And, always be kind to all from the top to the bottom. The energy you give out in life is what you receive back.”

Practice Philanthropy

“One of my favorite lessons that I earned early on was how to give back to others,” said Darby Metzger. “When I was eight, my dad, Ron Darby, had me call into the MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) telethon to make a donation. I was scared to talk to the ‘grown-ups’ on the other end of the phone but it was a great lesson in doing for others as well as being confident in talking with adults. We watched the rest of the telethon to see how every little bit helped to reach a goal. It was a great life lesson!”

This Father’s Day, think back to your own leadership gems that came courtesy of dad and please share them with us in the comment section below. Your experience could be invaluable advice to someone else so in honor of dad, pay it forward and share the wealth.

photo credit: Manue@PrettyKiku via photopin cc