GPS guides engineering firm owners through a simple but proven process: fix the people systems, grow with intention, and Double Your Value.
When I first began working exclusively with engineering firms in the fall of 2001, most of our work focused on helping fast-growing firms scale through organic growth and acquisitions. Over time, I discovered something interesting about the firms that achieved hyper growth.
There were two types of engineering firms that broke through:
1️⃣ – The Unicorn-Led Firm
This type is led by a true outlier – charismatic, articulate, emotionally intelligent, and naturally gifted at people leadership. These firms grow because their leader is magnetic. Clients love them, employees follow them, and they are able to will a business to grow through sheer force of personality.
But there’s a problem: unicorns are rare. Their firms are difficult to replicate, and when the leader steps away, much of the value walks out the door.
2️⃣ – The System-Driven Firm (Our Favorite)
This second group builds value through systems of leadership, communication, compensation, and culture.
These owners aren’t necessarily extroverts – they’re builders. They recognize that the most scalable advantage isn’t personality… it’s process.
At GPS, we’ve spent more than two decades helping firms engineer these four systems – and the result has consistently been a doubling (or more) of enterprise value.
Let’s break them down:
1. Leadership: From “Family” to “Team”
Many engineering firm leaders confuse “family” with “leadership.”
Team-building events and Friday socials are nice, but they don’t replace clarity, accountability, and coaching.
A business isn’t a family – it’s a team. And teams thrive when every player knows their role, their metrics, and their growth path.
At GPS, we find most firms are not structurally aligned from interview to retirement. Employees often lack defined goals, measurable feedback, and transparent expectations.
Fix that, and leadership transforms from “managing personalities” to developing professionals.
2. Communication: Beyond the Surface
In too many firms, communication is polite but superficial.
Leaders assume silence equals satisfaction – “if no one’s complaining, everyone must be happy.”
In reality…it’s usually the opposite.
When your people don’t have a roadmap – personally or professionally – they disengage.
We help firms install clear communication systems that align individual goals with company goals, creating a shared sense of direction and ownership.
3. Compensation: Aligning Rewards With Results
Bonuses seem simple, but they’re often one of the most misaligned systems in a firm.
Who gets rewarded? For what behaviors? How do those rewards drive firm-wide performance rather than individual silos?
Our compensation frameworks connect performance metrics to strategic priorities – creating a pay structure that rewards what builds value, not just what’s easy to measure.
4. Culture: Not “Friendly,” But “High-Performing”
When most leaders talk about culture, they think “friendly.”
That’s fine if you want to be average – but not if you want to attract high achievers.
Great cultures aren’t built on comfort; they’re built on clarity, trust, and accountability.
They set high standards, reward growth, and foster purpose.
At GPS, we help engineering firms design cultures that retain top performers and repel mediocrity.
The GPS Impact
We don’t create growth by accident – we engineer it.
By systematically addressing leadership, communication, compensation, and culture, our clients consistently double their firm’s value.