Over ten years ago I first met Jim LaMar when he was President and CEO at Greenlawn Funeral Homes and Cemetery in Bakersfield, California. All these years I did not know the details of his entire professional career until today. Jim, who joined Johnson Consulting Group in January as a Senior Business Consultant, shared when he walked into Greenlawn Funeral Homes and Cemetery in 1990 as a cemetery and pre-need funeral salesman not knowing he would spend nearly three decades building one of California’s most respected funeral service companies. His 30-year journey, that also includes a successful tenure at Forethought Financial Services and a return as President and CEO to Greenlawn has shaped his philosophy in ways that are now benefiting funeral homes and cemeteries across the country through Johnson Consulting Group.
LaMar’s early years in sales taught him fundamental lessons that would define his leadership approach. As an independent contractor, he learned the importance of goal-setting, focus, and understanding the “why” behind the work, not just the “what.” When he was promoted to sales manager, he faced immediate skepticism from his top producers. Rather than relying on authority, he made a bold promise: “If you don’t respect me six months from now, that’s my problem because I haven’t earned it.”
Jim’s approach was earning respect through action and results rather than demanding it. This would become the cornerstone of his leadership style. Even more importantly, he discovered early on that as a leader, his role wasn’t to threaten or control, but to help people achieve what they wanted in life. “If I kept that as the main thing, they were content. I was happy,” he reflected.
When LaMar returned to Greenlawn in 2009 as President and CEO, he discovered an organization with a serious culture problem. Employees wouldn’t even use their own funeral home’s services. His response wasn’t to tighten management controls, it was to transform the culture. He made that a top priority.
Jim recently attended Johnson Consulting Group’s Leadership and Management Program. He knows first hand that most funeral home owners and managers struggle with leading, not because it’s a choice, but because management demands consume all their time. Finances, personnel, marketing, operations and everything in between lands on the owner’s plate. This is precisely why delegation becomes essential.
Jim believes in empowering key people and delegating responsibilities. He assures those attending the Leadership and Management Program that something remarkable will happened when effective delegation occurs. He knows first hand that team members will not only rise to the occasion, they begin envisioning their own futures with the company. The opportunity to share this expertise to attendees and provide one on one coaching in the following months after the program concludes is a rewarding experience for both Jim and attendees.
We discussed what does a high-performing funeral or cemetery organization actually look like? According to Jim, it starts with culture. A healthy funeral service organization has alignment around shared values. It’s not about telling people what to do; it’s about creating an environment where they want to embrace the culture and understand why it matters.
Jim emphasized that it’s about approachability and connection. “I’ve heard people say they have an open door, but they have a closed mind,” Jim said. True accessibility means people at every level can approach leadership with concerns, ideas, and challenges. And critically, it means being goal-driven while also celebrating achievement. This is something Jim humbly admits has been his own “Achilles heel” as he perpetually looks toward the next mountain to climb.
Perhaps one of the most valuable portions of the conversation focused on building genuine relationships with hospice organizations. Funeral service has evolved significantly in how it approaches these partnerships, yet Jim’s approach remains timeless: it’s not about transactions; it’s about trust.
His practical strategy included something quite simple: when a family whose love one’s received hospice care came to Greenlawn, funeral arrangers would distribute thank you cards to be signed and delivered to the hospice team. They’d also ensure hospice caregivers knew the funeral service date and time, recognizing that “they suffered a loss too.”
I asked Jim about any regrets he has in looking back on his time at Greenlawn. “My biggest regret is I didn’t seek outside help soon enough. I felt I had to have all the answers.”
He eventually partnered with specialists, from cemetery consultants to leadership coaches to business consultants. “Knowing what they offer now,” he reflected, “if I’d have brought them in sooner, I know we could have achieved more.” It sends a message to funeral directors that seeking counsel isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of wisdom.
Jim is also Vice President of the California Funeral Directors Association. The CFDA board members are transforming how professional organizations engage members, particularly younger funeral directors. CFDA plans quarterly “pop-up” meetings on the road instead of requiring members to travel to Sacramento. As a result, CFDA has engaged 265 people in the last four pop-ups alone, many of whom wouldn’t have been able to attend traditional meetings. They continue to implement new ways to drive members and increase engagement.
Join us for the next Johnson Consulting Conversation on May 27th at 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Leili McMurrough, Program Director and President of Worsham College of Mortuary Science, will be joining us. We’ll be discussing the next generation of funeral service leaders and the future of funeral service education as well as leadership development.
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