As part of the 2025 Leading Women in Property Management program (LWPM), each honoree answered a questionnaire covering a wide range of topics. We noticed that despite coming from different generations and backgrounds, they share remarkably similar experiences and perspectives.
This series explores those common threads and shares what it takes to become a leader in property management 💪
In the 5th episode of this series, we shared 9 high-impact leadership principles we learned from the Leading Women in Property Management. Each principle was developed by years of first-hand experience in property management… and plenty of lessons learned.
For our final episode of this series, we studied those lessons and compiled 5 big leadership DONT’s. These are the traps they fell for, the things they got wrong, and the mistakes they’d unmake if they could:
- DON’T go in with your mind made up. For property management leaders, chaos is the status quo. Minds change. Roles change. Teams change. Markets change. When that happens, it’s wise to confront it with little to no expectations, because they’ll probably be wrong, which will only lead to frustration on your end. The Stoics believed that expectations are a primary source of suffering.
Kelli Segretto recalls confronting every major change with an open mind early in her career. This practice made rolling with the punches easier and allowed her to learn more, faster. In contrast, Jennifer Ruelens expected her first direct reports to match her style and energy, which she says was a “crash course in leadership.”
- DON’T try to do everything yourself. This was a very common response from the Leading Women, and it’s something every leader does early on in their career. People who gravitate toward leadership positions often have a “if you want it done right you have to do it yourself” mindset. This quickly leads to burnout. Instead, Kellie Tollifson suggests documenting all of the simple but mundane and repetitive tasks, and then hiring for or delegating those duties asap. That way you can focus on the best use for your time.
- DON’T try to make everyone happy. This is a timeless lesson that applies to way more than just business. We think that if everyone likes us or our ideas, then we must be doing something right. But in reality, this belief leads to counterproductive people pleasing, not good decision making.
Bess Wozniak and Melissa Sharone both learned this lesson early on in their leadership journey, and they say to lead with respect and focus on solutions instead. So long as you treat your team with respect and can make a good case for the course of action you chose, it’s ok if they’re unhappy or disagree with your decision.
- DON’T be afraid to get to know your team. Ashley Andreoni-Romo says that to “truly be a leader, you have to get to know them as individuals.” How else can you learn what makes them tick, motivates them, or how to communicate with them? This is a tough one for many leaders because it can be difficult to walk the boss/friend line (which is where really strong leaders shine).
- DON’T take things personally. Another great DON’T from Ashley Andreoni-Romo. When she became Co-Director of Property Management, she was shocked by how often clients, vendors, or agents would assume she was her counterpart’s assistant, or make jokes about her being younger than them. Rather than a sign of aptitude, her age was seen as a weakness. But Ashley quickly realized those perceived limitations weren’t her problem. They lived in the other person’s head and aren’t true if she doesn’t want them to be. She says this is an “underrated” skill in residential property management.
About Blanket
Blanket is transforming the property management industry with its innovative platform that helps property managers grow their portfolios and retain owners. By combining AI-powered insights, automated lead generation, and seamless integration with existing property management software, Blanket provides property managers with the tools they need to succeed. Blanket is backed by leading Venture Capital Funds like Foundation Capital, Symbol, Operator Partners, RE Angels, and industry-leading Angel investors. Together, we’re shaping the future of property management.
