Lead with Empathy Growing People, Then Performance with Jim Robinson

In this episode of People-First Builders, host Fletcher Wimbush sits down with Jim Robinson, President & CEO of CGP Maintenance & Construction Services, leadership coach, and soon-to-be author of Lead With Empathy (co-written with Chris Voss).

With 40 years in business, Jim has grown CGP into a people-first organization known for unmatched employee loyalty, multi-decade tenure, and an education-driven culture. His approach is simple but rare in the trades: grow the person first — and performance will follow.

What You’ll Learn from Jim in This Episode:

• How leading with empathy builds long-term loyalty
Jim shares how early experiences serving others shaped his leadership philosophy and taught him to meet people where they are — whether they want slow growth or rapid acceleration.

• Why CGP trains not just employees, but their spouses
You’ll hear how CGP discovered that growing an employee too quickly without involving their partner created conflict at home — and how including significant others in conferences and education transformed entire families.

• The power of structured education and the “law of anticipation”
Jim explains CGP’s multi-year training journey, weekly assessments, and how always giving employees something to look forward to keeps them engaged, hungry, and committed.

• Why hiring for character beats hiring for skill
CGP hires tradespeople based on empathy, urgency, energy, and values — not technical ability — because skills can be taught, but character can’t.

• How CGP fills leadership roles exclusively from within
You’ll learn why Jim avoids hiring competitors’ employees, why the company never rehires people who leave, and how internal promotion protects culture.

• CGP’s lightning-fast “application to offer in 8 hours” process
Jim breaks down how they evaluate values alignment, involve supervisors immediately, and create a high-urgency experience that mirrors what’s expected on the job.

• How CGP runs 24/7 operations with cross-trained teams
Hear how they prepare people for multi-disciplinary work across nights, days, and three construction shifts — and why it creates pride, mastery, and team connection.

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