Business acumen and leadership can come from any walk of life. It’s precisely the range of experiences that empowers an entrepreneur to solve a problem. Without a new generation of leaders, any industry can become stale and prone to stagnation. That’s where the visionaries of the business world come in.
Joshua Shull comes from real estate but has the innovative mindset of a full-fledged business strategist. Building Shull Homes to become a growth-oriented company with a strong value proposition has been no joke. Now, as he casts his eyes over the broader worlds of marketing, investment, and consultancy, he’s set to affirm his position as one of the top problem-solvers to watch.
“I’m not afraid to fail,” the entrepreneur says. “If you take the easy route, you might get where you’re going, but did you learn anything? When building a business, I find a fundamental flaw in the root of things and address it as I grow the company.”
Challenging convention
Joshua Shull’s brand of problem-solving isn’t the typical small-scale ‘make people’s lives marginally easier’ type. The real estate broker looks at complex issues deep within the industry, long-standing practices, and mindsets that don’t cut it for today’s clients.
Real estate, in particular, really needs entrepreneurs willing to challenge the status quo. The industry is full of brokers who make problems, such as trust, worse rather than better. Their focus isn’t on providing value for their team, clients, and themselves but on adding zeros to their bottom lines.
“My competitors are teaching their people how to sell,” Shull states. “They’re not teaching them how to properly conduct a transaction that gives the client the best result. Clients should be able to trust their broker because of what they stand for.”
Innovating and inspiring
And what Joshua Shull, the entrepreneur, stands for is creative leadership. All problems that arrive on his desk are his to tackle. He believes the value of learning about a problem and devising a disruptive solution is immeasurable for building a business.
Though an innovator, Shull is very much a team player. He provides the environment and all the tools for like-minded individuals to thrive. He doesn’t even mind if they establish their own business. Instead, he judges people on their mindset and compatibility with his entrepreneurial spirit. Whether they stick the landing or not is up to them.
“I can do what fulfills my purpose while helping others fulfill theirs without telling them what to do,” he says. “If you set a bar, they’ll never hit their ceiling.”
Lifting all leaders
His approach, therefore, is unique even among entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship, to Joshua Shull, means encouraging those around you to reach their business potential. Yes, there’s a risk that they abandon your mission altogether. But Shull is the kind of leader you don’t forget about.
“As a leader, you should never reassure people,” he continues. “If you have to reinforce their confidence, you’ve already failed. If they’re not following you, you’re not a leader—just someone they’re watching.”
This belief in his leadership enables Shull to treat his people as ‘partners,’ not employees. He doesn’t want to be anybody’s boss—a key differentiator from other business owners. The thinking is that nobody gives your business the energy you do, so let them build their own in partnership with yours.
Joshua Shull’s entrepreneurial spirit manifests itself differently from that of another leader. An instinctive need to solve deep-rooted problems drives him. But the business owner’s ‘playground of fulfillment’ philosophy encourages his partners to challenge conventions too. That, in itself, is one of Shull’s solutions to the problems of real estate today.
Written in partnership with Ascend
Entrepreneur
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