By ERIC WADE
Business Led with
Heart
On a
frigid December morning, snow lightly floats to the ground. Thirty feet down on
one side and 20 on the other, Kevin Gurski stands on a five-inch wall waiting
for the next roof truss to drop into place—it’s not the long fall that bothers
Gurski, but having the fate of 20 lives in his hands.
At 32,
Gurski is a young carpenter and businessman, younger than most of the men that
work for him, but to him, age is only a number. Gurski merits skill and loyalty
more than age and it shows by the respect he gets back from his skilled carpenters.
"Measured not by what you do but by the company you keep," is a motto that
rings true with Gurski, and he admits that without the people around him, his
company would fall apart. At the same time, people in his company depend on
him.
On
that cold December morning, Gurski had to make a decision that would affect
four lives poorly, but if he didn’t, more lives could suffer. Four men hired
onto his crew a week earlier. Some represented themselves for what they
weren’t, and they were getting paid beyond their grade, putting the rest of the
company at jeopardy by taking up funds and not performing.
The
choice was agony for Gurski. He wasn’t happy having to let people go. It was
difficult, but he had to protect the livelihood of many by cutting loose a few—the
four lied and wouldn’t take less money to do the same work.
To
lead is to put aside feelings and do what’s best for the group. Even at 32
Gurski knows what it’s like to have to do that. It’s not a long fall that
scares Gurski, but letting down the men who depend on him.
