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Leadership Lessons from Leading Giants by Dave Durand

Great leaders aren’t born; they are built through experience, strategy, and a commitment to growth. In Leading Giants, Dave Durand unpacks what it takes to lead with impact, providing timeless principles that apply to executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals at all levels. His insights hit home for those in the multifamily industry and beyond, proving that leadership isn’t about authority—it’s about influence, vision, and creating a lasting impact.

The Difference Between Leaders and Giants

Durand makes a crucial distinction between traditional leaders and true Giants. While many leaders operate as managers with authority, Giants stand apart through their exceptional character, relentless pursuit of self-improvement, deep commitment to truth, and an innate desire to elevate others. In essence, Giants don’t just manage teams—they inspire movements.

Four Daily Habits That Separate Giants from the Pack

Durand highlights four daily habits that define true Giants and set them apart from ineffective leaders. These habits provide a roadmap for individuals looking to maximize their leadership potential:

Bring Your Thoughts to Life with Action

• Great ideas are meaningless without execution. Giants take decisive action instead of overthinking or waiting for perfect conditions. In multifamily, this means implementing innovative leasing strategies instead of endlessly discussing them in meetings. Leaders take the leap, knowing that success is built on movement, not just ideas.

Find Concrete Reasons to Believe

• Giants actively build conviction in their mission. They don’t just set goals—they establish solid reasons for why they can and should achieve them. In business, this means hiring talent based on belief in their potential rather than just their resume. Many of the most successful entrepreneurs lacked formal qualifications but thrived due to their relentless belief in themselves and their mission.

Break Your Morning into Three Daily Tasks

• Giants simplify their focus by identifying three key tasks every day. Durand suggests that these tasks include:

1. Getting your head right – Removing distractions and mentally preparing for the day.
2. Guarding the culture – Being a driving force behind a positive, engaged work environment.
3. Doing what moves the needle most – Prioritizing the most impactful work over less critical tasks. In the multifamily industry, this could mean prioritizing key leasing appointments over administrative work, ensuring team morale remains strong, and focusing on resident satisfaction.

Keep Primary Responsibilities Primary

• Giants don’t let secondary tasks distract them from their core mission. They focus on their primary responsibilities and resist the urge to busy themselves with less impactful work. A leasing agent’s main role is to lease apartments—not get bogged down in excessive paperwork. A CEO’s primary responsibility is strategic leadership—not drowning in emails.

Applying Leading Giants to Multifamily and Business Growth

Whether you’re leading a multifamily portfolio, running a startup, or scaling an established business, Leading Giants offers a game plan for sustainable success. The best leaders aren’t afraid to shake things up, invest in people, and lead with intention.

At Here2elevate, we embody these principles in our approach to fractional leadership, consultancy, and advisory support. The lessons from Leading Giants align perfectly with our mission—helping businesses and teams elevate their success through strategic leadership and meaningful connections.

The Takeaway

Leadership isn’t about being in charge—it’s about showing up, making tough calls, and bringing people along for the ride. Whether you’re leading a team, a company, or an entire industry shift, the principles in Leading Giants remind us that true leadership is about influence, integrity, and impact.

So, what’s your Leading Giants moment? Where have you stepped up, taken a leap, or empowered those around you to thrive? Let’s talk about it!

Source: Adapted from Leading Giants: A Leader’s Guide to Maximum Influence by Dave Durand. Excerpted from his article, "Four Daily Habits That Separate Giants from the Pack" (SmartBrief, February 12, 2025).