Why The Best CEOs Stay Close To The Front Lines

Undercover Boss gave us plenty of feel-good TV moments—executives in disguise flipping burgers or mopping floors, only to reveal themselves at the end with a big check and a hug. But as the CEO of BELFOR Property Restoration, that moment wasn’t a gimmick for me. Long before the cameras (and long after), I was proudly in the trenches hauling supplies, navigating disasters and showing up for my people.

While many CEOs pride themselves on “thinking big,” I built a multibillion-dollar company by thinking close. My leadership model offers something deceptively simple: Don’t just drop in—dig in. At a time when strategic detachment is common, I believe that this approach makes a compelling case for staying connected.

Below, I’ll explore why, no matter how packed the calendar, CEOs who engage with day-to-day operations are often more grounded, efficient and trusted.

The Leadership Gap: Strategy vs. Reality

When leaders drift too far from the front lines, efficiency and morale suffer.

A PwC survey shows a clear shift in what effective leadership now demands: not only strategic foresight, but also real-time connection to frontline realities. As CEOs face mounting pressure to reinvent organizations and boost productivity, those who stay close to operations are better positioned to stay nimble, retain top talent and drive meaningful results.

Without authentic connections to employees and customers, strategy becomes theoretical. Operational blind spots grow. Morale dips as teams perceive leadership as detached. And growth without a foundation of care, concern and real connections is ultimately unsustainable.

Boots on the Ground: Wisdom Earned, Not Taught

The road to effective leadership starts where the work actually happens. My journey didn’t begin in a corner office. When I joined BELFOR, I set out to learn every aspect of the business—estimating property damage, hauling debris, coordinating teams across time zones, etc. That immersion shaped a leadership style that’s intended to be grounded in care, concern and connections.

Even after BELFOR scaled globally, I made sure to not retreat to the boardroom. I continued showing up at disaster zones, listening to crews and learning directly from the field. Appearing on Undercover Boss wasn’t a detour; it was simply how I always led.

Take it from me: The moment you stop learning from your people is the moment you stop leading them. Great leaders get their hands dirty because trust and respect start there. When leaders engage directly with employees, it affirms their value. Yet Gallup research shows U.S. employee engagement has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, with only 31 percent of workers engaged—a steep decline since 2020. The drop is sharpest among younger employees, underscoring the urgency for leaders to build stronger connections with the very people who represent the future of their organizations.

Operational inefficiencies rarely reveal themselves in spreadsheets. On the floor—talking with technicians, listening to call center reps, walking job sites—is where CEOs hear the real truth. At BELFOR, these conversations have fueled continuous improvements in safety protocols, client communication, training, and our commitment to Service Excellence. These changes were sparked not by data dashboards alone, but by in-person dialogue and observation.

Inspiring Engagement From the Top Down

Care is contagious. When a CEO demonstrates presence, empathy and urgency, the effect ripples. Research shows CEOs who stay closely attuned to frontline work make sharper decisions, inspire stronger commitment and adapt more quickly to disruption.

And there’s another benefit: time. When trust runs up and down the organization, teams move forward faster. Alignment replaces hesitation, and the entire business marches in the same direction with greater speed and efficiency.

Immersive leadership—spending time with employees, listening directly to concerns and observing operations firsthand—is no longer optional. It’s essential for sustainable success.

Turning Insight Into Instant Action

Leaders who are fluent in their operations can mobilize faster in a crisis.

During back-to-back Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, and again in the tragic 2025 California wildfires, BELFOR deployed thousands of personnel at a moment’s notice. I’d like to think that my ability to cut red tape and act decisively stemmed not from my title, but from hard-earned operational fluency.

Presence doesn’t mean micromanagement. It means intentional visibility. Here are simple ways CEOs can engage meaningfully without overstepping:

1. Walk the floor regularly, not just during PR-friendly visits. You can’t lead from behind a desk. The real heartbeat of our company is out in the field and on the floors of our offices. When I walk those spaces, I’m reminded that our success is built by one job, one person, one handshake at a time. I don’t show up to check a box…I show up because I learn something every single time I listen to our people.

2. Attend onboarding or training sessions to hear directly from new hires and frontline staff. Our newest team members often see things with the clearest eyes! Sitting in onboarding or training isn’t just symbolic. It’s a chance to hear what’s working, what’s confusing and what inspires them. It reminds me how important it is that we never lose that sense of purpose and excitement that brings people to the company in the first place.

3. Create informal feedback loops: unfiltered surveys, anonymous Q&A or casual one-on-ones. People need to know they can speak freely. Not just when things are going well, but especially when they’re not. I’ve learned that the most valuable feedback often comes in the most unexpected moments—a casual chat in the hallway, a note from someone on the job site or a question that’s tough to hear but necessary. Honest voices keep us honest leaders.

4. Be genuinely curious and supportive. Ask about employees’ lives as well as their work. Try to show up at weddings, funerals, sweet 16s, graduations and non-company events. BELFOR is a company built on relationships, not transactions. When someone invites me to a family event, it’s not a formality; it’s an honor. Life doesn’t stop when the workday ends, and neither should our care for one another. Showing up for people in their personal moments, good and bad, is what makes us more than a company. It makes us a family.

5. Use real frontline stories in executive meetings to tie strategy back to people and outcomes. Behind every decision we make at the leadership table is a real person, a real story, a real moment that matters. I make it a point to bring those stories into the room. From the technician who stayed overnight to get a school reopened, to the team who rebuilt a hospital wing after a flood. Numbers tell part of the story, but people bring it to life.

Where Culture Fuels Resilience

In high-stakes industries like disaster recovery, success isn’t just technical. It’s cultural. Our BELFOR crews enter homes and businesses during people’s worst moments. Speed matters, yes, but so do empathy, unity and trust.

When a flash flood swept through Bannack State Park, BELFOR arrived within 48 hours to begin recovery. The team brought in incident management personnel, specialized equipment and restoration crews to protect and repair more than 80 historic buildings. That level of response was possible because of a deeply rooted culture of trust, communication and preparedness. Leaders who stay close to their teams foster the kind of relationships that turn coordination into action when it matters most.

Great leadership doesn’t happen from a distance. It happens in proximity to the work, to the people and to the everyday details that shape a company.

As I like to say often: “I’d rather have a friend before I need a friend.” Relationships built proactively in the small, everyday moments are the foundation that allows leaders and teams to weather big challenges together.

If you want to lead a business that thrives, close the gap. Get close to your people. Learn from your teams. Build your culture in the trenches. That’s where resilience and lasting success begin.