By David Herrera, President & CEO, CAM Property Services

“Used correctly, AI isn’t cheating. It’s leverage, and it pulled me back into strategic thinking.”

Every year, I commit to a Personal Annual Review,  not as a formality, but as a discipline. This year’s review was guided by a framework shared by Sahil Bloom. The seven questions themselves are simple. The honesty they demand is not.

This exercise forced clarity, and clarity drives progress. What follows is a candid reflection on the lessons, discomfort, and hard truths that defined my year.

1. What did I change my mind on this year?

I didn’t change my mind about leadership or leverage — but I realized I had spent too much time on non-strategic work. Execution had crowded out elevation.

I also did a complete 180 on ChatGPT. I once viewed AI as “cheating” or lazy. I was wrong. Used correctly, it’s leverage. Since the start of 2025, AI has improved productivity, decision-making, and strategic focus, pulling me back to where I can have the most impact.

I also rethought how we access talent. Virtual Assistants and hybrid/remote teams proved to be a highly capable resource pool when intentionally integrated. The contribution from a broader pool of A-players is real, but only when culture, communication, and workflows are deliberately designed to include them.

2. What created energy this year?

Strategic work energized me. Staying focused on direction and growth rather than getting lost in planning or execution was invigorating. Teaching leaders to think beyond their current role, and watching them grow comfortable with discomfort, reinforced a truth I’ve seen repeatedly: real progress comes from stepping outside comfort zones.

3. What drained energy this year?

The single biggest drain was losing client trust and business. Operational issues that lingered longer than they should have compounded that drain, especially when the same problems resurfaced.

Lesson: Repairing client trust after it’s lost is far more expensive than protecting it in the first place.

4. What were the “boat anchors” in my life?

The most significant boat anchors were employees resistant to change. In hindsight, delaying necessary disruption slowed growth.

I’ve always believed order comes out of chaos. I should have disrupted earlier to create the discomfort that produces superior outcomes.

5. What did I not do because of fear?

I waited too long to introduce necessary changes in people, structure, and accountability out of concern for instability.

This year reinforced a hard truth: stability without progress is not stability at all — it’s a culture killer.

6. Greatest hits and worst misses

Greatest Hits:

• Regaining strategic altitude and improving decision quality through AI
• Building leadership capacity and reinforcing accountability
• Re-centering my role on growth, not execution

Worst Misses:

• Allowing resistance to change to persist too long
• Waiting to force organizational resets
• Underestimating the cultural drag of unclear standards

Reminder: Discomfort isn’t a warning sign. It’s a prerequisite for growth.

7. What did I learn this year?

• Growth requires leaders at every level to think one level up.
• Clarity beats speed.
• Systems beat heroics.
• Strategy beats activity.

Fail fast, learn faster, move forward stronger.

This Personal Annual Review was uncomfortable, and that’s exactly why it mattered.

Editor’s Note:

At CAM Property Services, our vision is built on clarity, accountability, and continuous evolution. This reflection from President and CEO David Herrera offers insight into the leadership principles and lessons shaping our long-term strategy, strengthening our culture, and guiding how we deliver exceptional value to our clients and communities.