December 23, 2013DeWayne Adamson is featured on ShopTalk Evolution with Grace
DeWayne Adamson, President and CEO of Pantera Global Technology, recently sat down with Grace Daly of ShopTalk Evolution, a weekly podcast dedicated to retail development, to discuss a broad range of topics ranging from leadership, the direction of retail development, and the role of technology in the industry. The interview, which can be found here, was full of insight and provided stimulating conversation on many of the issues facing construction development today.
The conversation begins with a look at DeWayne’s nearly 30 years of experience in the Retail sector. Having seen the industry from many different vantage points, as a subcontractor, general contractor, even as a retail owner; DeWayne speaks from a multi-faceted paradigm, providing insight that can only be learned through years of hard work, with many successes and failures along the way. When asked about his favorite area of retail development DeWayne was quick to say “construction”, mentioning that “Being a General Contractor you really get all of the emotions involved.”
Grace Daly, a luminary in the retail development industry, displays her keen aptitude as an interviewer asking probing questions that give full breadth to the story. As the interview routes into discussing DeWayne’s current position as the President of Pantera Global Technology, they chat about the role that technology plays in the industry. Mentioning that “Contractors are generally late adopters to new technologies” DeWayne articulates that the recent shift to online plan rooms acts as a gateway to other cloud-based technologies that will really help streamline their efficiency. “These same contractors who are getting their feet wet with these technologies are seeing that this is really cool and helps save time and money… and that’s where the opportunity is right now with project management tools.”
As the interview tacks to more of a leadership focus, they discuss the role leader’s play in shaping the industry, their abundance, and the qualities that make strong leaders. When Grace asks what quality is essential to good leadership, DeWayne returns with an unexpected answer “Empathy.” Generally when people think “Leader” they will be quick to remark about the importance of time and resource management, or the vision required to align an organizations strengths with a competitive advantage. But the ability to empathize, to put yourself in the shoes of your clients, to see what it is that they truly want, that provides a tremendously valuable insight.
To listen to the full podcast please visit, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shoptalk-evolution-december/id616726403?i=268575714&mt=2
