At ISSA Show North America 2025 on Monday, John Broer of Real Good Ventures used a simple metaphor—a traffic roundabout—to reframe management for today’s workplace. Yesterday’s “stoplight” model rewarded command-and-control; tomorrow’s leaders design systems that trust competent people to navigate with autonomy. The goal is to keep teams out of the “bosshole zone” by developing people, not just directing tasks.

Broer’s core message in his Reinventing the Manager: Lessons from the Bossholes^® landed in six big ideas:

The problem is systemic. Many organizations still push high performers into management as the only path up, then starve them of training. The fix is structural: build wide, respected individual-contributor tracks and a narrow, selective path for people leadership.

Change the concept of the “manager. Make the first line of every manager job description “Develop other people.” Manage the process, lead through influence, and give appropriate autonomy. Hiring must optimize job fit and manager fit from the start; if that upstream step is wrong, downstream engagement and performance suffer.

Stop promoting the wrong people. Tenure and technical chops aren’t proxies for people leadership. Look for self-awareness, adaptability, delegation, reliability, curiosity, communication, and empathy—and ask candidates whether they truly want to manage humans.

Trust and psychological safety are foundational. Don’t rely on gut feel. Use validated, simple, scalable assessments to help managers understand themselves and their impact. Pair “your data” with “team data” before deciding who should do what work.

Treat EQ as non-negotiable. Emotional quotient skills—self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, motivation, empathy—can be taught and measured. Assess managers, coach gaps, and revisit regularly.

People decisions backed by reliable data. Broer’s mantra is “data, not drama.” Engagement, retention, and performance rise when you sequence the work correctly: job fit → manager fit → team fit → culture as the result, not the remedy.

The game plan

Broer suggested the following for attendees:

• Make the manager’s role crystal clear: “Develop other people.”
• Make self-awareness a standard and use validated, simple, scalable assessments.
• Train managers to actively seek regular feedback (not once a year).
• Check engagement levels and act on the findings.
• Require onboarding and ongoing management/leadership development.
• Consider refitting managers back to contributor roles when it’s a better fit.

Roundabouts work when drivers understand the rules and trust each other. So do teams.

Starting today and continuing through Thursday, professionals from the commercial, institutional, and residential cleaning communities are gathering in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for ISSA Show North America 2025.

Embracing its theme, Where Facility Innovation Meets Cleaning Excellence, the annual tradeshow is designed to deliver impactful solutions to the global cleaning industry. Attendees will have the opportunity to keep up with industry trends, learn more about the latest technologies, and connect with thought leaders from around the world.

This year’s show includes nearly 600 exhibitors with approximately 140 new exhibitors from across the entire cleaning ecosystem. Additionally, more than 60 educational sessions will take place across three pavilions on the show floor this week.

Education is the focus of today’s offerings, with over 40 sessions taking place throughout the day. Topic tracks include business growth strategies; distributor, ESG and sustainability; facilities operations and maintenance; leadership, career, and talent development; residential; technology and innovation; and thought leadership. Additionally, the Spanish language track will offer four sessions today, two on Tuesday, and three on Wednesday.

Certification workshops, including ISSA Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) and Indoor Environmental Healthcare and Hospitality Association (IEHA) certifications, are also taking place today. Check out the online ISSA show planner for specific times and locations for all of today’s sessions.

At 4 p.m. PT today, you can attend the Residential Roundtables, and the ISSA Show Happy Hour will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. And between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m., you’ll want to be on hand for IEHA’s Housekeeping Olympics.

During the week, be sure to also make time for the show’s awards recognition events. Tomorrow at 9 a.m., attend the ISSA Spotlight Event and Awards. ISSA will honor industry achievers with a special awards presentation, including the ISSA Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award, Jack D. Ramaley Industry Distinguished Service Award, Manufacturer Representatives’ Distinguished Service Award, ISSA NextGen Rising Star Award in Honor of Jimmy Core, and Emerging Leaders.

On Wednesday at 5:15 p.m., ISSA Hygieia Network’s Awards Reception will feature networking with industry leaders and Hygieia’s annual recognition awards, including Rising Star of the Year, Member of the Year, and Company of the Year, Ally of the Year, International Member of the Year, and Mentor of the Year. With more than 900 attendees last year, it is sure to be one of the most well-attended and impactful events at ISSA Show North America 2025! And on Thursday at 10:30 a.m., attend the Global Collegiate Sales Competition.

To make sure you don’t miss a thing while at the show, be sure to check out the online ISSA Show Planner and create an account. By doing so, you’ll be able to view all the available offerings, decide what you’ll see and do, and plan your time at the show.

Be sure to also follow CMM’s online news throughout the week to read more about ISSA Show North America 20245 and its highlights.

ISSA, the worldwide cleaning association, invites all to attend the ISSA General Business Meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. PT, in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Lower Level, South Pacific Ballroom F in Las Vegas.

This annual event will feature:​​​​​​

• ISSA Charities Report
• Recognition of outgoing board members
• Recognition of returning and incoming board members
• President’s address

ISSA invites all members to greet the new board members when they officially take office during this General Business Meeting.

However, the industry awards previously presented at General Business Meetings are now featured at the ISSA Spotlight Event & Awards session on Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. PT. This event will take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Lower Level, South Pacific Ballroom F, and will feature the following awards:

• Cintas Custodian of the Year
• ISSA Trainer of the Year Award in Honor of W. Marion Ivey
• ISSA Emerging Leaders Class of 2025
• ISSA Rising Star Award in Honor of Jimmy Core
• Manufacturers Representatives’ Distinguished Service Award
• The Jack D. Ramaley Industry Distinguished Service Award
• The Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award