Aaron Regev, the sales manager of Total Home Protection, one of the fastest home warranty companies in the United States, recently sat down for an interview with Tricitydaily.com, an Internet news entity focused on keeping the news simple and understandable. In the interview, Regev discussed leadership and the importance of having purpose-driven company values.
Regev began the interview by discussing how the pandemic has affected his life. While the effect on his personal life has been just as intense as the rest of the world has experienced, the effect on the company was mostly positive. As an online company, Total Home Protection was already positioned to continue online business during shutdowns. They were able to show positive growth and help customers who were worried about expenses, affordability, and things in the home breaking down.
How Leadership is Critical
Regev said that his leadership style was derived from the way he was raised. His parents, immigrants from the Middle East, taught him tough love from a young age, but also instilled in him the values of hard work and perseverance. He described his leadership style as tough but fair.
“I’m a firm believer that, sometimes, people need to hear what they don’t want to hear — and sometimes, that means that I have to be a little stern to make sure that the message comes across in the right way,” Regev said.
He stressed the importance of respecting employees to earn their respect. He lets his team know when they have done something badly or incorrectly. He makes sure to let his displeasure show when explaining what went wrong. However, he states that his team loves and respects him, and he loves and respects them back.
Regev also discussed delegation. He said that leaders should not be afraid to roll their sleeves up and get their hands dirty. He knows that anything his managers can do, he can do as well. He strives to work with his team instead of sitting in silence and passing down directions to guide the team through daily responsibilities.
Regev also stressed the importance of an open-door policy. He makes sure that his office is always open and regularly reminds his team they can interrupt him at any time. He is available to help if they are struggling.
Purpose-Driven Company Values
At Total Home Protection, values are the most importan. Regev said in the home warranty business, you have to have strong values. The value held by Total Home Protection is to assist customers 100 percent of the time. The company has the vision of reimagining the home warranty industry, making life easier for their customers. Regev’s personal mission is to instill the company values in his team so they can support customers and help them in every way possible.
The Worst Advice
Regev said that the worst advice he has received came from an older mentor. His advice was, “screw the next guy.” Regev said the strategy may have worked for his mentor, but it did not work for him. He believes the tactic will cause trouble and so never listened to the advice. He recommended the same for readers.
“Instead of worrying about other people, concentrate on yourself. Build yourself up because breaking people down isn’t going to actually help you get any better,” Regev said.
The Best Advice
Regev offered some good advice to readers as well. He suggested that the best way to get on the path to success is through education. He recommended learning the industry you want to have a career in as well as the business world in general. He stressed that many things can’t be learned from classes or books, so people should learn as much as they can from the beginning to achieve success in the real world with real people to become great entrepreneurs.
Regev said, “It can be a bit scary to branch out and learn things on your own, but get it done anyway because it is the entrepreneurs that start off as the most indispensable that achieve the most success.”