…What Your Company Should Be Thinking About

The lawn, landscape, and tree care industry is entering a period of rapid change—driven by demographics, shifting customer expectations, labor shortages, the growing complexity of operations and rapidly evolving technology. While much attention is given to the shortage of field labor, an equally serious challenge is emerging higher up the organizational ladder: a looming shortage of middle-level managers.

Industry leaders widely acknowledge that experienced Account Managers, Production Managers, and Operations Managers are getting harder to find and even harder to keep. As older managers retire or shift careers, the pipeline of ready replacements is shrinking. Many companies are discovering that the individuals who should be preparing to step into these roles simply aren’t there. And because these management positions are the backbone of day-to-day performance, customer retention, and operational efficiency, the consequences of a talent gap can be severe.

Forward-thinking companies are recognizing the warning signs. The landscape industry has grown more professionalized and more competitive, but leadership development has not kept pace. Middle-level managers today must understand customer relationships, production planning, scheduling, contract management, safety, financial performance, utilization of technology, and people leadership—all while managing crews under tight labor constraints.

These responsibilities require thoughtful training, intentional development, and structured progression.

This is where the concept of a leadership pipeline becomes particularly relevant. Leadership does not develop in a single step; it develops in stages. The individuals who will be your strongest managers three to five years from now are already working somewhere inside your organization today—often as crew leaders, assistant account managers, or field supervisors.

If your pipeline is thin now, it will be even thinner in the future unless you start developing talent deliberately.

1. Assess the Strength of Your Current Pipeline

Begin with a realistic assessment of your organization’s future bench strength. Ask yourself:

  • Do we have emerging leaders at the crew leader or field supervisor level who can grow into Account Manager or Production Manager roles?
  • Do we promote based purely on technical ability, or are we identifying people with genuine leadership traits—communication, planning, conflict resolution, and customer focus?
  • Do we have clear expectations and development plans -a people plan- for those who show potential?

Many green industry companies promote quickly out of necessity, only to find that the person is unprepared for the demands of client communication, job costing, scheduling, team leadership, or problem-solving.

Recognizing these gaps early is the first step toward correcting them.

2. Build Intentional Development Pathways

Once gaps are identified, companies must create structured development experiences that match the realities of the industry. Strong middle-level managers benefit from:

  • Exposure to customer meetings and contract discussions
  • Hands-on experience with scheduling and logistics
  • Budgeting and job-costing training
  • Safety and compliance education
  • Immersion into operational technology tools
  • Leadership coaching and communication skills development

Job rotations, ride-along experiences, mentorship, and small-scale leadership assignments can all accelerate a future or existing manager’s development. Engaging industry consultants to provide targeted coaching, skill assessments, and real-world problem-solving sessions can further strengthen development. Classroom learning—whether through industry associations, management programs, or consultant-led workshops—has the greatest impact when it is paired with hands-on, practical application in the field.

3. Broaden the Talent Lens

Landscaping companies often limit their talent search to narrow paths—typically promoting only from field positions or hiring externally from competitors. But many capable leaders may be overlooked. For example, expanding the age or background requirements for management candidates can open the door to experienced individuals from related service industries—hospitality, construction, grounds management, or facilities services.

Similarly, making a deliberate effort to attract and develop women in leadership—still underrepresented in the green industry—can significantly expand the available talent pool.

4. Treat Leadership as Your Competitive Advantage

When the economy strengthens or competition intensifies, companies with strong Account Managers, Production Managers, and Operations Managers will be positioned to take market share. Those without a trained and capable leadership team will struggle with customer churn, low productivity, and inconsistent job quality.

The lawn, landscape, and tree care industry will always face external pressures—weather, labor shortages, material costs…

The companies that invest today in building a deep, diverse, and well-prepared leadership pipeline will outperform those that continue to rely on luck or last-minute hiring.

The leadership shortage is real and growing…

…The companies that start preparing now will be the ones that thrive in the years ahead.

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Fred