In roofing, most assume the toughest work happens on the roof, which it undoubtedly does in the Florida sun. However, anyone who has guided a growing business knows the real challenge comes long before boots hit the ladder. It lives in the planning, the coordination, and the execution behind the scenes.

My foundation comes from the U.S. Air Force, where I served as a nuclear security officer. There, I learned to safeguard critical assets, lead under pressure, and operate as part of a team where precision meant survival. At the time, I didn’t realize how much those lessons would shape my leadership in civilian life.

Today, as director of operations at Roman Roofing in Cape Coral, Fla., I draw on that same playbook to build teams that perform with purpose and consistency.

Here’s the truth: a roofing company can run like a special operations unit. Different tools, different missions, but the same fundamentals apply — crystal-clear objectives, empowered leaders, structured communication, and unwavering discipline.

Mission First

In the military, nothing starts without a defined mission. You don’t just “go out and try,” you know exactly what success looks like, why it matters, and what role each person plays.

Roofing companies often skip this, as crews are tossed into projects with vague directions. Office staff and field teams sometimes chase different priorities. The result? Confusion instead of cohesion.

At Roman Roofing, we treat every project as a mission. Each one begins with a clear outcome: standards for quality, timelines, client experience, and communication. Project managers are mission leaders. Coordinators align resources. Crews execute with precision. When everyone understands the mission, ownership becomes second nature, and decision-making gets easier.

Plans Matter: Until They Don’t

Dwight D. Eisenhower famously said, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” The act of preparing, mapping out challenges, anticipating roadblocks, and assigning resources builds readiness, not rigid scripts.

Because things will go wrong. Weather shifts. Materials arrive late. Homeowners change their minds. The office may hit staffing gaps or tech failures. But if the team has rehearsed contingencies and understands intent, they adapt without panic.

That’s why pre-job planning is non-negotiable for us. We require digital audit “pre-briefs” before every project:

• What’s the scope?
• What’s the roof layout and access?
• What materials or roofing system are we using?
• Who’s the point of contact and what’s the communication chain if something breaks down?

When the unexpected happens, the blueprint gives us direction but not limitation. The goal is agility, not rigidity.

Leaders At Every Level

One of the most powerful concepts I’ve carried over is decentralized command. Jocko Willink, in “Extreme Ownership,” calls it empowering leaders at every tier. The idea is simple: give people the tools, intent, and authority to make real-time decisions.

Too many roofing companies rely on micromanagement, field crews waiting on office staff for approval, and managers bogged down in bottlenecks. It’s a slow, frustrating way to work.

At Roman, foremen aren’t just crew leads; they’re tactical leaders who make calls on-site, handle client questions, and adjust to conditions. Mistakes happen, but instead of stripping authority, we use those moments as learning opportunities.

This empowerment extends to the office. Coordinators and managers are encouraged to solve problems directly, not push everything upward. Senior leadership’s role is support, not control. When everyone leads, performance accelerates.

Communication As a Force Multiplier

Special operations units drill communication until it becomes second nature. Every phrase, every pause matters, because sloppy communication costs lives. In roofing, the consequences may not be life or death, but the damage of missed deadlines, unhappy clients, and costly mistakes can still be devastating.

We treat communication like a weapon system: structured, disciplined, and clear.

• Defined terms:No guessing what “final-walkthrough” or “punch-out” means.
• Clear chains: Everyone knows who to contact and when.
• Briefs and debriefs: Every project starts with alignment and ends with reflection.

We’ve also centralized communication tools so updates, photos, and notes live in one system. The payoff? Less chaos, stronger trust, and crews who know they’re operating with reliable intel.

Discipline Creates Freedom

It may sound like a paradox, but discipline is what creates flexibility. Without it, teams fall into chaos; with it, they gain the freedom to focus on problem-solving and innovation. This is not another new concept, yet a mere recount from Willink.

In roofing, discipline looks like this:

• Morning planning routines that never slip
• Sales-to-production handoffs that are seamless
• Trucks stocked and ready
• Jobs walkthroughs within 24 hours of completion
• Punch-out work completed within 48 hours of completion.

When teams let the “little things” slide, disorganization snowballs into bigger failures. But when discipline is consistent, teams stop firefighting and start leading.

The Power Of The Debrief

Finishing a job isn’t the end of the process. High-performance teams always stop to ask: What did we learn?

In the military, we called this the After-Action Review. At Roman, we’ve adopted structured debriefs for crews, departments, and leadership alike:

• What was the mission?
• What actually happened?
• What worked?
• What didn’t?
• What will we change next time?

This cycle of reflection and improvement fuels growth faster than any marketing tool or software investment. Teams that learn quickly, win quickly.

Leadership As Service

Running a roofing company like a high-performance team isn’t about being rigid or militaristic; it’s about being deliberate. Leadership is not a title; it’s a service. My role is to create clarity, reinforce discipline, and build other leaders, not just issue orders.

We’re not just installing roofs. We’re building systems, developing people, and shaping a culture where high standards are the norm. That’s how we grow. That’s how we win.

Roofing doesn’t have to be ordinary. It can operate like a special operations unit — precise, disciplined, and relentless in execution. The question is: are you willing to run your team that way?