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In this episode of the Action Lab Leadership Podcast, Danny sits down with Jeremy Hoyum, an industry veteran and Urban Air franchise owner, to discuss the profound shift from “robot management” to a leadership style rooted in human connection. Jeremy shares how his experience in the military and years in the service industry taught him that while management handles tasks, leadership is about getting results through people.
The Relationship Equity Bank
One of Jeremy’s core philosophies is the concept of Relationship Equity. He explains that in every interaction, you are either depositing equity into a person or making a withdrawal.
- Continuous Deposits: Leaders must constantly invest in their team members through genuine care and guidance.
- Strategic Withdrawals: During difficult business seasons or “fires,” a leader will inevitably need to make a big withdrawal.
- Avoiding Bankruptcy: If you haven’t put in the equity beforehand, the relationship will fail when you try to pull from an empty account.
Core Values as a Daily Language
Jeremy argues that core values often fail because they are treated as aspirational wall-hangings rather than operational standards. At his organizations, values like “Assume the best and choose not to be offended” are used every day.
- Removing Gray Areas: Using consistent language ensures the entire team is on the same page and reduces misalignment.
- Accountability: Values should be integrated into hiring, coaching, and even termination decisions.
- Assuming Positive Intent: By assuming the best of guests and team members, leaders can reduce internal friction and emotional burnout.
The Blacksmith’s Fire
Using a powerful blacksmithing metaphor, Jeremy describes how leadership is forged. He explains that a dirty old tool must go through the “fire” and then endure “pounding” on the anvil to become something beautiful and functional again.
- Reframing Hardship: Challenging seasons in business are the fire that makes growth possible.
- The Power of Reflection: Growth doesn’t happen just by being in the fire; it happens through the work and reflection you do afterward.
Closing the Problem-Solving Gap
Jeremy highlights that critical thinking is becoming a lost art in a generation raised on instant search results.
- The Search Trap: When answers are always available with a supercomputer in our pockets, we lose the habit of pivoting and problem-solving.
- Teaching the Process: Leaders must resist the urge to just give the answer and instead guide their team through the mental path of solving it themselves.
