How to Identify, Develop and Support the Crew Leaders Who Keep Your Teams Moving Forward

The Sam Hill Tree Care crew practicing aerial rescue. All photos courtesy of the author.

The title of this article, as you may have noticed, echoes “Saving Private Ryan.” In the film, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) leads a squad through war-torn France on a mission to find Private James Ryan. Along the way, they face danger, setbacks and loss – at one point even locating the wrong Private Ryan – before finally finding the right one, who ultimately refuses to abandon his unit during a pivotal battle.

Ryan’s technical skills weren’t exceptional. He wasn’t the strongest or the most trained. But he had loyalty, resolve and a willingness to stand with his crew – qualities that matter just as much in tree care as they do in a military unit. In that spirit, this column explores what it takes to find your own Crew Leader Ryan: the attributes to look for, the job expectations to define and the training and support required to help them succeed.

What makes a good crew leader?
To understand how the role is viewed in the field, I interviewed several crew leaders from TCIA-accredited companies and asked them the same question:
“What makes a good crew leader?”
Their answers were remarkably consistent.

• Someone who keeps the crew safe.
• Someone who sets the tone and expectations.
• Someone who communicates clearly.
• Someone who guides the day’s workflow.
• Someone the crew trusts when stakes are high.

A crew leader is not just a skilled arborist – they’re an anchor. When the jobsite becomes chaotic, they provide focus. When a new employee struggles, they coach. When a client has concerns, they step forward with professionalism.

The evolution of the CLQ Program
I had the privilege of serving on the original committee that developed the first version of the Crew Leader Qualification (CLQ) program in 2017. At that time, the program existed only in a traditional classroom format. Under the guidance of Sharon Lilly, our volunteer committee evaluated content, refined delivery and assessed each other as instructors.

Since then, TCIA has modernized and expanded the program in ways our committee could only imagine. With leadership from Ginni Gregoire, TCIA vice president of training and credentialing, and curriculum development by Robin Kennedy, both the Crew Leader Specialist course and the CLQ have been refreshed, updated and made more accessible. Crew Leader Specialist is now available in Spanish, with CLQ soon to follow. TCIA is also seeking Spanish-speaking Qualified Trainers to bring this program to more companies than ever before. If you’re interested in becoming a qualified trainer, click here.

The Townsend Tree Service crew conducting a prejob briefing.

Why crew leader training matters
The CLQ is designed for new and experienced crew leaders who want to strengthen their leadership, communication and operational planning skills. Through a combination of online coursework and a highly interactive one-day virtual workshop, participants learn to:

• Communicate professionally with clients, the public and co-workers.
• Build and maintain crew professionalism.
• Evaluate, train and motivate crew members.
• Correct unsafe or inefficient behaviors.
• Manage conflicts with both clients and staff.
• Protect profitability through safer, more efficient operations and the smart use of technology.

The curriculum goes beyond what to do – it explains why it matters and how to model those standards for others.

CLQ learners earn 16.25 CTSP and ISA CEUs, and both the Crew Leader Specialist and Crew Leader Qualification courses include an appendix with more than 20 downloadable documents; a training checklist, job briefing, employee safety improvement and daily work task are just a few of the resources available through the program.

The next CLQ programs are scheduled for February and April of 2026. David Leinbach will lead a cohort with a program on Friday, February 13, and Monika Buczko will lead the program on Monday, April 20.

Crew leaders and the path to mastery
For many new hires, the first day on a tree crew is a shock – they’ve unknowingly stepped into one of the most dangerous professions. This is where the long road to mastery begins.

The well-known 10,000-hour rule is often misunderstood as simply “the time it takes to become an expert.” In reality, it represents something deeper: deliberate, structured, feedback-driven practice.

Skill development is not linear. It involves rapid progress, frustrating plateaus and countless repetitions that slowly build competence. Crew leaders are the ones guiding this process. They provide real-time feedback, correct unsafe techniques, document improvement and challenge each employee to grow.

Arbor Masters Tree Service, a TCIA-accredited company, displays a career-progression banner in every branch showing the time requirement for each career track. The company has three levels of crew leader, each requiring a specific time investment:

Crew Leader 1: 30 to 36 months
Crew Leader 2: 36 to 48 months
Crew Leader 3: 48 to 60 months

Crew leaders are the on-site mentors taking each new hire under their wing and shaping them into a confident, capable and professional arborist.

Why “no talent” may be exactly what you want
Many crew leaders start with employees who are truly green – no experience, no tree knowledge and sometimes no related background at all. Increasingly, companies prefer it. They’re looking for the qualities that Take No Talent (TNT):

• Being on time.
• Work ethic.
• Effort.
• Energy.
• Positive body language.
• Good attitude.
• Passion.
• Coachability.
• Doing extra.
• Being prepared.

Technical skills can be taught. Character cannot. A sharp crew leader quickly identifies these foundational traits and nurtures them, often turning a “no-
talent” hire into a standout performer who excels both on the job and within the company culture.

The “bee aware” stickers are applied to the hard hats of Xylem Tree Experts employees who have diagnosed allergies to bee stings. The other crew leader chevrons are used to identify the crew leader in the field.

Crew leaders: The bridge between management and the field
In “Saving Private Ryan,” Captain Miller reminds his squad that “gripes go up.” Crew leaders live in that same space between frontline workers and management. They communicate expectations from leadership while advocating for the crew’s needs and concerns.

Often, a crew leader is promoted simply because they excel technically, work well with customers or complete paperwork accurately. But without leadership training, even the strongest individual contributor can struggle when placed in a management role.

A clear, well-structured job description is essential. It defines responsibilities, clarifies expectations and helps companies identify the right person for this critical position – a person who can transition from being an excellent arborist to an excellent leader.

Investing in your anchors
Like Captain Miller’s search for Private Ryan, the quest for the right crew leader is a vital mission for any tree care company. Tree care companies rise or fall on the strength of their frontline leadership. Crew leaders turn strategy into action, chaos into order and potential into performance. They are the ones who shape culture on the jobsite, build trust with clients and develop the next generation of arborists.

Finding your own “Crew Leader Ryan” isn’t about discovering someone with perfect technical skill. It’s about recognizing – and investing in – the people who show grit, humility, loyalty and a commitment to the crew standing beside them. When companies train, support and empower their crew leaders, they are strengthening the most critical anchor in their organization, ensuring their teams remain safe, efficient and more resilient.

Kristoffer Rasmussen, Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP), Qualified Crew Leader (QCL) and TCIA-approved instructor, is a TCIA Accreditation/loss-control auditor and owner of arboriststrong.com, providing consultation, safety training and Red Cross CPR/first-aid certifications.

Click here to the TCIA website to register for an upcoming CLQ program

Crew Leader interviews…