Under the leadership of CEO Chris McAree, LeafTech Consulting LLC saw significant change during 2021. The company moved into a new office and introduced a hybrid work schedule. McAree worked to buy out his business partner, at the partner’s request. The company hired its first sales executive, revamped its website, developed new marketing materials, corporate branding and business cards, overhauled its company core values and increased its hourly billable rate by more than 10%, among other initiatives.
McAree also implemented monthly, 30-minute, one-on-one meetings with each person on his team. The first 10 minutes are for discussion about life outside work, then 10 minutes on their performance at work, and the last 10 minutes focus on how McAree can help his employees be better and more effective.
“I feel getting to know my employees on a deeper level, personally and professionally, is key to their personal and professional success and happiness and ultimately benefits LeafTech long-term,” McAree said. “Employees don’t leave companies, they leave their managers — bad managers. My goal is to lead and develop my employees to achieve their absolute best, which will lead to happy customers, leading to an incredibly successful business.”
Since 2020, LeafTech has experienced yearly double-digit revenue growth, increased its employee headcount by roughly 50% while adding a COO position and expanding its engineering team. Looking ahead, McAree said his goal remains to lead and disrupt Colorado’s IT and managed services space.
McAree focused on personal and professional growth during the last 12 months as well. He joined a group of other titan CEOs, sharing ideas and learning from one another. “Sitting down with these unbelievably talented and caring CEOs and leaders every month has opened my eyes to new concepts, ideas, thoughts, feelings, and emotions I never even considered as a company CEO,” he said.
McAree was named a titan for the first time in 2020. “Winning the 2020 Titan 100 award was mindblowing — the single greatest business accomplishment of my career,” McAree said. “I love attending networking events with such amazing and talented people, listening to their stories, imbibing their wisdom, absorbing experience, and taking the opportunity to learn what comprises authentic leadership in today’s landscape.”
