Congratulations to our CEO / President, Tino McFarland, for being recognized as one of the Most Admired CEOs by the Charlotte Business Journal for the 2nd consecutive year. Thank you for continuing to inspire and elevate our team through your leadership.
Below is Tino’s full interview with the Charlotte Business Journal:
Describe your leadership style and how you put it into action within your organization.
My leadership style is grounded in people and process. McFarland Construction promotes forward-thinking, systems-oriented individuals. Within the organization, I foster a culture that promotes collaboration and open communication, listening to and valuing the diverse perspectives of others, aspiring for continuous improvement and providing the necessary support to succeed.
What role should a CEO have in the community?
To hire, develop and promote teams that are diverse. A CEO should use the strength of the organization to make positive contributions to the community through leading by example and encouraging employees to serve, engage and contribute in ways that leave the community better than they found it.
Describe the hardest decision you made as the leader of your company over the past year and how it impacted the business.
My toughest decisions over the past year have been people related. Making strategic decisions on internal teams, channel partners and clients ultimately come down to people and calculating the likelihood for alignment. Getting this right promotes a more transparent and collaborative environment, one in which employees recruit their trusted colleagues, friends and family to work for or support our business.
Describe your top accomplishment of the past year.
Assisting other African American entrepreneurs with organizing, funding, and promoting newly formed businesses.
What is your best advice for young executives?
People are diverse and therefore possess a unique set of experiences and perspectives. There are often many ways to solve a problem and to achieve a positive outcome. Absent of doing anything immoral or illegal — learn to balance the continuum of “being right and being effective.
One of the best books you’ve read recently, and why?
Who Owns the Ice House by Clifton Taulbert and Gary Schoeniger: The book conveys the story of an African American entrepreneur in a setting where systems and odds were not exactly in his favor. The book provides several lessons on behaviors, stewardship, and the spirit and power of entrepreneurship that resonated with me.
Published: May 1, 2022
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