Sheryl Palmer

Q: What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

For me, it always comes down to people first and building strong relationships with others. While I bring my own personal experiences and knowledge to the table as a leader, it’s even more important to surround myself with team members from a wide range of backgrounds and expertise.

Leaders should be accessible, approachable and authentic — and not afraid to ask questions. The most successful leaders don’t lead with ego; they instead exhibit a sense of vulnerability and empathy. I’ve worked with many leaders throughout my career, and I’ve always remembered how they made me feel. I never appreciated feeling ignored or like my ideas weren’t important, so I strive to make sure that every individual at our organization knows that they matter and play a key role in our success.

Q: What impact have any disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

Despite the economic uncertainties our industry has faced over the past 18 months, it’s vital for leaders to continue showing up for both team members and customers alike. Especially in trying times, it is so important to keep teams motivated and feeling like they have the support needed to thrive in their role.

Building trust among our team and home shoppers is a cornerstone of our business and has earned us the recognition of America’s Most Trusted® Home Builder for 10 years running as well as one of Forbes’ Most Trusted Companies in America for the first time. As the next generation comes into their homebuying years, continuing Taylor Morrison’s legacy of trust with our home shoppers is deeply meaningful.

Q: What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

With Phoenix being our largest division, it’s extremely meaningful to have Taylor Morrison headquartered in Scottsdale and to witness the region’s growth firsthand. Collaborating with local businesses rather than working independently on shared resources and infrastructure is crucial to driving continued growth here.

I’m also a firm believer in giving back to our local community to support the neighborhoods in which we build. From working with HomeAid, a leading national provider of housing and resources for those experiencing homelessness, to building a 16-home community adjacent to Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center for patients receiving cancer treatment, our Corporate team and Phoenix division are involved in many partnerships and charitable projects that uplift our community.

Q: What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

Following recent years of housing market uncertainty, our team continues to double down on the customer experience. As a homebuilder, we have the privilege of helping customers achieve home ownership and work with each one individually to educate them along the homebuying journey.

We strive to be innovative and aligned with our customers, and one example of that is our first-of-its-kind online reservation system. This technology gives home shoppers the ability to build a new home entirely online, by selecting their floor plan, lot, the home’s exterior design, structural options, interior finishes, and then reserve the configuration online with a small deposit. We have also enhanced digital tools to make purchasing a Taylor Morrison home more accessible for our increasingly diverse customer base, with added features that include a language services platform, pricing transparency on the digital home reservation system, and floor plans with inclusive design principles such as Vatsu Shastra or Feng Shui.