Leadership Lessons That Apply at Every Level

There is no single path to leadership in the PHCP-PVF industry. Sometimes it starts in a warehouse. Sometimes it requires leaving a company where you are comfortable. Sometimes it grows through industry involvement, an unexpected opportunity or simply learning how to bring out the best in the people around you.

Those themes surfaced during a special Emerging Leaders edition of the ASA Town Hall Interview, hosted by ASA VP of Sales & Operations Mike Miazga with 2026 ASA Chairman Dave Poteete, owner of Tri-Star Pipe & Supply, and Greg Eynon, executive vice president at Bradford White. The conversation explored the pivotal moments that changed the trajectory of their careers, leadership lessons learned along the way, the advice that shaped them and the skills they believe are essential for continued growth in the industry.

While much of the discussion centered on building a career and preparing for leadership, the lessons extend well beyond emerging leaders. Poteete and Eynon also offered perspective on how leadership develops, how experienced leaders can recognize potential in others and what it takes to create opportunities for the next generation.

Both careers have been shaped by a willingness to step beyond what was comfortable.

Eynon shared that one of the most important decisions of his career was leaving his first employer for Bradford White.

“It was going from a small pond into a much bigger pond almost overnight,” he said, adding that the move made him realize “how much you don’t know yet about the industry.”

Poteete’s turning point came through industry involvement. After working his way from the warehouse to general manager, he volunteered for what was then the MwDA (current-day ASA Central) board. That experience expanded his network, exposed him to new opportunities and eventually helped him see business ownership as something attainable.

“I never saw business ownership as part of my career path,” Poteete said. “It was beyond my wildest dreams.”

As he became more involved in the association and met more people across the industry, that changed. “ASA was the catalyst for all that for me,” he said.

Leadership means creating other leaders

Eynon drew an important distinction between transactional and transformational leadership.

“Always resist being transactional,” he said. “Instead, leaders should focus on always giving to others and empowering employees to make decisions themselves.”

That requires more than delegating work. It means giving people room to make decisions, allowing them to learn from the outcome and coaching them along the way.

“If you’re a leader and you’re empowering your people to do a great job and they get the credit, you’re doing your job,” Eynon said.

It is a lesson with implications for leaders at every level. Developing the next generation of talent requires creating opportunities for people to take ownership before they necessarily have the title that comes with it.

Poteete applies a similar philosophy to customer relationships. One of his most effective sales strategies, he said, is often not asking for the order.

Rather than approaching every interaction as a transaction, he focuses on asking questions, building relationships, and understanding how Tri-Star can help. The same principle applies internally. Strong relationships are built through consistency and trust, not simply through the immediate result.

Future leaders often reveal themselves before the promotion

When the conversation turned to what separates someone who is truly ready for leadership from someone who simply believes they are ready, both men pointed to behavior rather than ambition.

Eynon pays attention to something he calls unsolicited positive feedback, which is when customers, colleagues or other industry professionals independently begin talking about the value someone brings.

“People notice things,” he said. “People notice how you act, how you carry yourself and your attitude. People are paying attention.”

Poteete put it even more simply: “Leaders are chosen by the followers.”

When a crisis hits or the workload increases, he watches for the people who naturally step forward.

“The future leaders just naturally rise to the top and step in and make things happen,” he said.

Those moments can be important indicators of where future leadership already exists within the organization. Leadership potential is not always revealed through a résumé or a request for promotion. Often, it shows up in how someone responds when something needs to be done.

Poteete’s most straightforward advice is to show up early, be ready to work and act with integrity.

“Do the right thing when no one’s watching,” he said. “You’d be amazed how much people see that you’re doing that you don’t realize.”

Create opportunities without rushing the process

Both leaders encouraged professionals to take calculated risks and remain open to opportunities they may not have originally envisioned.

But Eynon also offered an important reminder about ambition. Growth should not come at the expense of fully experiencing  and learning from  the role someone already has.

“My favorite job in my career, hands down, was being out in the field every single day,” he said, recalling the years he spent problem-solving with customers and contractors. “So, I hope that younger people really take the time to enjoy the moment.”

That message applies on both sides of the leadership equation.

Employees need opportunities to stretch, take ownership and prepare for what comes next. Experienced leaders need to create those opportunities without rushing people through the experiences that will ultimately make them stronger leaders.

The men agreed that leadership develops long before a new title appears on an organizational chart. It grows through experience, trust, relationships and the willingness to give people room to step up, take ownership and prepare for what comes next.

Listen to the full podcast episode here.