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Lessons in Leadership with Alex O’Brien, CEO Cardinal Group

Summary

Alex O'Brien co-founded Cardinal Group 20 years ago and just crossed 110,000+ beds under management in student housing. He sits down with host Jacob Kosior to talk about why this might be the hardest time to be a leader in multifamily, a concept he calls "before the comma," and what he's learned about recruiting, communicating with your team, and taking care of yourself when the job never lets up.

I didn't grow up with any business connection. My dad worked at the post office. But I think in a lot of ways that's probably shaped who I am today.

In This Episode

Takeaways

  • Your title has two parts. The part before the comma, the leadership, matters more right now than the technical skill that comes after it. Most people were promoted for technical abilities, but the job demands leadership at every level.
  • The worst time to start recruiting is when you have an open role. Alex compares his approach to a sports GM: always assessing talent, building relationships, and keeping people in your orbit long before you need to fill a seat.
  • Direct communication only works when your team trusts that you care. Alex credits Kim Scott's Radical Candor for shaping how he thinks about pairing directness with personal care.
  • Taking care of your mental and physical health isn't a reward for getting through the hard stretch. It's how you get through it. Alex talks about actively working on balance and avoiding burnout after 20 years of building Cardinal Group.