Into The Storm Leaders Podcast | Episode 13

In this episode of Into The Storm Leaders, we connect with Harrison O’Connor, an incredibly interesting human being who happens to also be the successful business owner and the leader of Legacy Tree Company in Albuquerque, NM. After spending time at a 350-year-old Rinzai Zen Buddhist Monastery in Japan, Harrison followed a passion for botany by starting a tree care business. He shares his perspective on leadership, the importance of a healthy network, and how disciplines around mindfulness have enabled him to ditch the 9-5 job that so many of us feel stuck in. Despite the unique origins, Harrison’s wisdom and focus on people-first leadership are applicable to all. Tune in to gain valuable insights and strengthen your own leadership skills. Who knows, you might even pick up some helpful meditation practices or insights on men’s spirituality and rites of passage.

Links & Resources

1. Legacy Tree Company Website
2. Harrison O’Connor on LinkedIn
3. Business Network International
4. Tree Care Industry Association

Quoteworthy Moments

– 00:08:19 – “I realized that I love to learn, and I think that’s something that all entrepreneurs they have a craving or an addiction or they just want stimulation and learning and discovery.”
– 00:11:10 – “You don’t know shit about tree pruning.”
– 00:21:23 – “Seeking out opportunities to increase our self-awareness to better understand ourselves and our emotions to better communicate with others and as leaders.”
– 00:24:08 – “That’s literally what I do on a daily basis is I get in conflict with my employee and then I just seek to understand and hear them, learn more.”
– 00:26:33 – “Somebody once said that to me about business, like business is less strategy and more street fight.”
– 00:29:19 – “Everyone’s got a good plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
– 00:31:53 – “I’ve noticed that the more happy I am with myself, that tends to be the better I show up in conflicts because I don’t show up insecure and I don’t show up with a lot of ego.”
– 00:35:33 – “And it’s probably the only reason that my business is still in operation, because it’s my go-to every time, just like you’re saying, Joe, you know, it’s like a SWAT team or SEALs team, like they just go back to their training.”
– 00:36:35 – “And at the heart of it for us, I think it’s human to human connection, right?”
– 00:43:52 – “My business changed when I hired or fired and rewarded based on core values.”
– 00:45:48 – “because we believe courageous leadership is at the center of a healthy culture and that leaders who do the uncomfortable things, the things that are seemingly more painful but resulting in a better outcome faster instead of kicking the can down the road, is vital to success.”
– 00:49:41 – “A lot of people would be inclined to take the path of least resistance there and be like, I don’t want to lose somebody over this.”
– 00:50:23 – “You know, attacking the problem, not the person.”
– 01:01:43 – “And so by putting them in touch with that opportunity, kind of go through this natural cycle of spiritual Rubicon where they come into touch with the wounds of their early life as a young man and turn them into a blessing and really have a healthy relationship.”
– 01:06:01 – “If I want that, I’m going to have to compromise on some of my values and I’m not willing to do that.”