Whether you’re managing a high-end design-build firm or a fast-growing landscape maintenance business, the pressure in 2025 is the same: deliver stunning work, manage tight timelines, retain skilled labor, and scale your operations, all while navigating unpredictable weather, rising costs, labor shortages, and changing client expectations.
The landscaping and landscape architecture industry has long relied on craftsmanship and hustle. But as the business grows more complex, so do the leadership demands. Now, companies need more than strong project managers or skilled crew leads—they need a leadership system that creates alignment, agility, and sustainability across every team and job site.
This is where Lead With Purpose comes in.
Challenges Facing the Landscaping Industry Today
Labor Shortages and High Turnover
Finding and keeping skilled workers is one of the biggest challenges in the green industry. According to the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), nearly 70% of landscape businesses report labor shortages as their top barrier to growth. The seasonal nature of the work, combined with increasing competition from other trades, means companies must lead in ways that attract, retain, and empower team members long term, all while balancing costs.
Project and Client Complexity
Clients are no longer looking for “just maintenance” or “just a design.” They expect eco-conscious solutions, integrated outdoor living spaces, stormwater management, and full-service maintenance, often with tight deadlines and custom requirements. Leaders must ensure that designers, field crews, estimators, and client-facing teams are aligned and able to execute at a high level.
Margin Pressure and Material Volatility
From rising fuel and labor costs to unpredictable material pricing and lead times, many landscaping businesses are operating with razor-thin margins. Mistakes, delays, and miscommunication are costly. Leaders must make fast, smart decisions—and ensure that every team member knows how to do the same.
Scaling Without Losing Culture
As landscape businesses grow, systems that worked in the early days often break down. Leadership bottlenecks form. Culture erodes. And the founder or owner ends up stuck in the weeds. Without a clear leadership system in place, companies struggle to scale sustainably.
How Lead With Purpose Helps Landscape Professionals Navigate These Challenges
Aligning Your Business with the One Page Purpose Plan™
One of the most powerful tools in the Lead With Purpose system is the One Page Purpose Plan™. This simple, visual framework helps landscape leaders clarify their company mission, core values, priorities, and performance metrics—all in one place.
For landscape companies, this plan ensures that:
- Crew members, project managers, and designers understand how their daily work connects to company goals.
- Sales and operations teams are aligned on what’s promised and what’s possible.
- Everyone knows the direction the company is heading and how to contribute.
When everyone sees the same plan, they can move in the same direction.
Building Agility on the Job and in the Office
In landscaping, no two days look alike. Weather changes, client requests shift, and material deliveries fall through. That’s why agility is essential.
Lead With Purpose equips landscape leaders with tools to:
- Make fast decisions using the 40–70 Rule, so projects keep moving.
- Solve problems quickly by assembling “Jam Dives”—short, focused working groups that cut through silos.
- Empower foremen, designers, and managers to take action without waiting for top-down direction.
Agile teams are productive, confident, and responsive—qualities that today’s clients and employees both value.
Developing Leaders at Every Level—Not Just the Owner
Too many landscaping businesses revolve around one or two key people—usually the founder or owner. That’s a bottleneck.
Lead With Purpose helps companies build a culture of leadership by:
- Coaching crew leads and project managers on how to guide teams, manage conflict, and make decisions.
- Teaching office staff and salespeople how to work with purpose, not just urgency.
- Establishing rhythms of communication (like daily huddles and weekly team meetings) that support accountability and momentum.
With leadership spread across the team, the business becomes scalable, sustainable, and less dependent on a single person.
Reducing Turnover with Recognition and Mission
People want more than a paycheck. They want to feel valued.
Lead With Purpose integrates recognition into your company culture through our Bravo Zulu framework, helping you:
- Recognize crew members and staff for living your core values.
- Tell impactful, repeatable stories that inspire performance and pride.
- Build team loyalty through mission-driven leadership—not micromanagement.
When your team feels appreciated and aligned with a greater purpose, they’re more likely to stay and grow.
C-Suite and Leadership Advisory Services for Growing Landscape Firms
As landscape companies expand into multiple service lines, teams, or geographic regions, leadership needs evolve fast.
Lead With Purpose offers tailored C-Suite Advisory services for owners, partners, and leadership teams to help:
- Align growth goals with operational capacity through the One Page Purpose Plan™.
- Develop next-level leaders across design, construction, and maintenance divisions.
- Implement systems that replace chaos with consistency—without stifling innovation.
- Strengthen culture and communication during periods of rapid hiring or change.
Marc Koehler’s background in leading high-pressure teams—first as a U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer and later as a Turnaround CEO—makes him uniquely qualified to help industry leaders build organizations that thrive in chaos without burning out.
Conclusion: Leading with Purpose from the Field to the Final Walkthrough
The landscaping industry is growing fast, but only the best-led businesses will be able to scale, innovate, and retain their people in the long run.
By adopting the Lead With Purpose framework, landscaping and landscape architecture leaders can create alignment across teams, make faster decisions, and build a culture of leadership and loyalty that grows alongside the business.
With simple tools like the One Page Purpose Plan™, field-proven leadership habits, and C-Suite Advisory support, Lead With Purpose helps landscape professionals build not just beautiful spaces—but thriving companies.
To learn more about how Lead With Purpose can support your landscaping business, design-build firm, or landscape architecture studio, reach out to [email protected] for a complimentary consultation.
Cited Sources:
- National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP): 2024 Industry Trends Report
- Lawn & Landscape Magazine: “Labor Shortage Is Still the #1 Challenge in Green Industry”
- McKinsey: “Why Leadership Agility Is the Key to Business Growth”
- Landscape Architecture Foundation: “The Evolving Role of the Landscape Architect in a Climate-Resilient World”