The Village Green CEO talks with Denile Doyle about discomfort, tough decisions and bold leadership.
Welcome back to Management Diaries. In this episode, I sit down with Village Green CEO Diane Batayeh to talk about leading a 106-year-old company while balancing the needs of investors, residents and employees.
Originally planning to pursue law and community service, Batayeh took a job as a part-time leasing specialist at a Village Green property while attending the University of Michigan. She never looked back, and more than 40 years later, she’s leading one of the most respected firms in multifamily.
Our conversation goes beyond operations, diving into lessons from Batayeh’s decades-long career, including getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, learning from “fresh mistakes” and mentoring the next generation of leaders.
She talks about the risks and tough decisions that come with leadership and her role as a steward for investors. And as markets shift, Batayeh still believes authentic experiences matter most.
Here are some highlights from this episode:
- (5:04) Early lessons that taught Batayeh how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable
- (11:34) Why intentional reputation management matters in today’s social media environment
- (15:30) How defining what’s urgent vs. what’s lasting to investors leads to better decisions and ROI
- (22:30) The unusual move that proved Village Green’s long-term commitment
- (27:16) The risk property managers underestimate the most
- (32:20) How investors’ mindset has shifted from five years ago
