Lead With Honesty
Ever since he was in high school, James has been a self-described nerdy, geeky kind of guy. He’s always been able to build computers and earned a degree in computer networking, graduating second in his class. He worked in the computer networking field for several years where he was successful but realized that fixing other people’s computer problems all day wasn’t as much fun as he thought it would be. So, James jumped around a bit, working as a contractor to build hardware and software for everything from the military to private jets and counterintelligence.
How and why did he get into the recycling industry? The opportunity to become a manager and lead a team was the big attraction, he said. James is a quick learner and although he continues to learn something new every day, he quickly felt comfortable in the MRF environment.
“In each of my past jobs, everything relied on production,” James said. “At Leadpoint, it’s the same thing. We’re producing material in bale form. The key here is making sure people do the job safely and produce a high-quality bale.”
As James hones his managerial skills, he says his leadership style is direct and honest. “I believe that when you’re honest with people, they’ll be honest back,” he says.
Away from the MRF, James is still the same nerdy guy he was in high school. He still messes with building computers and plays video games, only now it’s to decompress after a tough day at the MRF.