Leonard Kubanek: Charles Barkley on the Prologis team
Leonard Kubanek has been involved in construction for 20 years and knows all its faces. He has worked for the designer, general contractor, agent and now developer. Thanks to such rich experience, he feels like a fish in water at every stage of the investment process.
At Prologis, Leonard is the leader and director of the Project Management department.
He started his professional career as a specialist in CAD / CAM systems at Ewatroniks in Gliwice. Then he worked at SMI Metal Bau in Germany. In the following years, he was the project manager in the Mexem design studio and the inspector of steel structures supervision at the construction of Glassworks in Dąbrowa Górnicza. He also gained experience in a company dealing with general contracting CFE, he was the director of the industrial department at Tebodin, and then at CBRE.
It's not easy to find it on social media. He does not like "clicking" and paperwork, but he works well in action - he talks to people, solves problems, creates new projects and builds. She loves challenges. - When we sit down to the table with a client and there is a white sheet in the middle, I know that we are just starting to create something special. And when, after a few or a dozen or so months, we put the building into operation, we can smile and shake hands, because both parties know that this is what we meant - says Leonard.
He also loves negotiation. - It's like a game. I like to achieve the desired effect, but not at any cost. I am much more satisfied when we meet halfway or at any other time that satisfies both parties. I am honest and it works much better in business than forcing your concept - he adds. His colleagues say that he is able to get along with everyone and on any topic. How it's possible? - Lively temperament, but an open head and great respect for people and the fact that they may have a different opinion. If he had to choose a profession again, it is possible that he would become a mediator ...
He is the boss, but at work he prefers colleagues from his subordinates, because, as he says, respect must be earned. He is an exceptional leader. She adheres to the principle: support, not dictatorship. - We do not act as I want, but as we want. I'm not an omnibus and I don't want to be. I am always happy if I can learn something new from my colleagues. I am also not afraid of constructive criticism, and even demand it - says Leonard.
In everyday work, he trusts specialists in their profession. Leonardo's saying is legendary. When asked by designers about the style of the building, he replies: "If I could draw a circle right away, I would be an architect".
He also perversely claims that his key to success is ... confusion. However, he explains what he means. - The construction process is very dynamic, something is constantly changing here and it is difficult to plan everything from A to Z in advance. I like to work in chaos, I feel at home in it and this skill helps me a lot on the construction site. Few things surprise me, because somewhere in the back of my head I just expect them. I often tell my employees that there are no easy topics here, because if they were, we would be unnecessary. And I'm not saying that we at Prologis have a prescription for everything, but we definitely find answers and solve our clients' problems.
Leonardo's Day even starts at 4 a.m. Lives fast, is often on the way. And although work is one of the most important parts of his life, he always tries to spend the evenings at home - with his wife and children. They are the most important. An interesting fact is that Leonard comes from a family of builders - his mother, dad, uncles and grandfather worked in the industry. However, as she emphasizes, you never talk about work at the Sunday lunch or Christmas Eve table.
What does he value? - Teamwork. Maybe because he has been training basketball since elementary school. He is associated with Bielsko-Biała and the Hustlerzy Andrychów club. He plays in the position of a strong winger, and his colleagues, jokingly, sometimes compare him to Charles Barkley. "Like him, I am determined and do everything with hard work," comments Leonard.