Why Landscaping Business Leadership Starts With Grit
If you’re growing a service business and wondering how to step out of day-to-day chaos, this episode is for you. In this conversation on Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, we dive into the heart of landscaping business leadership with Derek Taussig, founder of Taussig Landscape.
From combat medic in the Army to CEO of a full-service landscape company in Manhattan, Kansas, Derek shares how systems, team development, and emotional resilience transformed his solo hustle into a thriving, mission-driven company.
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Building a Landscaping Business from the Ground Up
Derek’s business story began the old-fashioned way—pushing a mower and hustling to buy his first bike. As a teen entrepreneur, he had help from his parents to build a business plan, get a small bank loan, and turn mowing into momentum.
Later, after serving in the U.S. Army as a combat medic on multiple tours in the Middle East, Derek came home and reignited his love for landscaping—this time with a broader vision and a deep commitment to purpose.
“I wanted to create the kind of culture I’d seen in my best Army units—brotherhood, trust, and accountability.”
What Military Service Taught Him About Leadership
Unlike most formal business programs, Derek’s leadership development happened in the trenches—literally.
He explains how both good and bad leadership in the Army influenced how he leads today. The goal? A values-driven company that respects its people and sets high expectations.
“The military taught me what real leadership looks like—and what it doesn’t.”
That foundation became a cornerstone of his landscaping business leadership approach.
From Owner-Operator to CEO: The Power of Systems
Like many service business owners, Derek started doing it all—sales, design, project management, installation. But growth demanded change.
The turning point came through an executive development course at Kansas State University, where he learned the importance of:
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Professional development
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Scalable systems
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Employee handbooks
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Long-term problem-solving
“I thought I was out of the business, but I was still its bottleneck.”
His company now runs on clear roles, documented processes, and tools like Landscape Management Network (LMN) to track projects from design to delivery.
Practical Landscaping Business Leadership in Action
Derek laid out his three keys to leadership in the landscaping industry:
1. Hire for the Right Seat
Define the job clearly and find people with the right skills for it.
2. Train With Intention
Most of his best employees started as laborers and grew through hands-on, long-term training.
3. Build Trust
“We’re not doing brain surgery. If it’s not right, we fix it, coach the team, and do it better next time.”
With clear expectations, trust can thrive—and business owners can finally step back.
The Realities of Business Ownership
Derek gets raw and honest about the emotional weight of building a business:
“There were Fridays I came home and told my wife, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’”
He almost sold his company more than once—but stuck with it.
“Grit. That’s what it takes. The hard days are just part of it.”
This is the kind of business ownership story that rarely gets told on highlight reels.
Final Thoughts on Landscaping Business Leadership
Derek’s story is the definition of landscaping business leadership in the real world:
Built on values.
Fueled by grit.
Held together by systems and trust.
Whether you’re in the trades or leading a growing team in any industry, the lessons from this episode apply:
Create structure. Empower your people. Keep going when it’s hard.
Want more inspiration like this? Subscribe to Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes and check out our recent episode on leadership systems.
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