MHN Executive Council: Are You Underprepared When It Comes to Managing Your Team?
Our experts share where today's multifamily executives have some gaps in their leadership—and how they can fix it.
There’s always room for improvement when it comes to managing a team, especially in the apartment industry. This month, the MHN Executive Council shares where they feel multifamily need to step up their game.
Translate Expectations
Today’s multifamily leaders aren’t underprepared in effort—they’re underprepared in translating expectations into performance in real time.
Leaders set goals around service, accountability and resident experience, but those priorities often don’t translate into clear, repeatable behaviors at the site level. Without that clarity, execution becomes inconsistent and performance follows.
The gap also shows up in timing. Many leaders step in after results decline instead of intervening early. High-performing teams are coached in the moment, not after the fact.
Pressure compounds the issue. In fast-paced environments, leaders who lack control of tone, focus and priorities create reactivity across the team, weakening execution.
The opportunity isn’t more effort. It’s building the discipline to consistently translate expectations into performance—every day, in real time. —Maria Pietroforte, President, Maria Pietroforte Consulting
Develop Skills
Many leaders advance because they excel operationally, but they don’t always have the opportunity to develop the skills needed to lead people effectively.
That’s one of the reasons many of The REMM Group’s leaders are promoted from within. We’ve built an integrated leadership training and mentoring approach that allows promising team members to learn how we navigate challenges while developing the skills needed to lead teams effectively.
Our culture is rooted in going beyond creating value—not just for our clients, but for one another. We focus on helping each other rise, sharing knowledge, and building leaders who are invested in the success of their teams.
In today’s environment, that approach matters. Strong leadership isn’t just about performance—it’s about developing people, fostering collaboration, and creating a culture where teams can thrive. —Susan McPeak, Corporate Ambassador, The REMM Group
It’s the Little Things
Too many leaders still think management is defined by the big moments such as kickoff meetings, major deadlines, grand openings and milestone decisions. But in reality, effective management in multifamily happens in the in-between.
It’s the daily interactions that keep teams aligned, informed, and moving in the same direction. It’s how expectations are clarified in real time, how priorities are reinforced without a formal meeting, and how communication is adjusted based on constantly shifting conditions.
This industry doesn’t operate in a fixed environment. Markets evolve. Demographics shift. Project goals refine over time. And within that, leaders are managing a complex matrix of stakeholders including residents, clients, owners, operators, and internal teams, each carrying different perspectives and facing different pressures.
The leaders who stand out aren’t just strong in the big moments. They’re exceptional at navigating the hundreds of micro-decisions that happen every day. They know when to zoom out and reinforce the larger vision, and when to zoom in to recalibrate a detail that could derail alignment. They understand that how something is communicated is often just as important as what is communicated. And they recognize that consistency in these small interactions is what ultimately drives execution.
Motivated multifamily leaders can improve preparedness, and effectiveness, by first recognizing the weight of those in-between moments and then building the discipline to manage them intentionally. —Josh Kassing, SVP, Mary Cook Associates
Keep Secure
Multifamily leaders are driving the boundaries between virtual and physical living spaces. While resident portals, smart building solutions and connected living is beneficial for residents and operational improvements, new levels of technology increase cybersecurity risks.
When managing teams at multifamily communities, there is a need for better focus on cybersecurity training initiatives. These teams need to be prepared for the ever-changing challenges, including training to mitigate risks around AI-powered phishing, deepfake fraud videos and calls, insurance obstacles and more. This puts resident data at risk and potential monetary losses for the property.
This is evolving from being an IT issue or a checkbox exercise to being crucial for resident safety, trust-building and continuity of operations. —Sandy Jack, Vice President of Strategic Relations, Multifamily at Vingcard/Nomadix
Coaching Opportunities
Many multifamily leaders are underprepared when it comes to coaching their teams and that’s a very different skill than training. While most organizations provide training to check a box or deliver information, coaching is where the real impact happens. It’s ongoing. It’s situational. It’s about reinforcing the right behaviors, giving real-time feedback and actually helping people grow—not just hoping the training “sticks.”
Too often, leaders are promoted for being strong operators, but they’re not always set up to develop others. And that’s where things start to break down; performance becomes inconsistent, engagement dips and turnover follows. The opportunity right now is to shift the mindset from one-and-done training to continuous coaching. Because when leaders truly invest in their people, not just their processes, that’s when you start to see meaningful, lasting results. —Stephanie Anderson, Senior Director, Grace Hill
Interested in joining the MHN Executive Council and sharing your insights? Email Jessica Fiur.
