Inspire through leadership Your leadership capabilities as the owner of a construction contracting business may very well hinge on one simple concept – inspiration. No matter how you became the owner of your business, there comes a time when you must inspire others. You’re not Chuck in a Truck. You’re the owner of a construction company. A construction company that employs staff, teams, workers, hands, people who look to you to guide the way. One bare fact is employees thrive

How neglecting some things in your business pays off Here’s the deal; big picture thinking is a core leadership competency. Yes, as a leader, you must see the forest and let others be concerned about the trees. Savvy construction leaders focus more on steering long-range objectives, providing inspiration, and motivating others. They are likely to: Anticipate opportunities, contingencies, and potential problems See idea, theory, and concept connections Understand people networ

Leading with Composure Keep in mind these three important facts concerning composure: Everyone wants it Most have messed it up It can be regained It is easy to remain composed when all is going well. Anyone can do it. It’s when faced with uncomfortable and difficult experiences in your construction contracting business that you have the opportunity to demonstrate your composure as a leader. In other words, Composure One aspect of composure is it is difficult to describe. But

Leadership means continual learning You’re a construction contractor. By default, that means you’re a leader. Through reason, that means you want to be the best leader you can be. Because of experience, you know there are things you can do to improve your leadership ability. In the first part of this four-part series of articles concerning leadership in the construction world, the subject is improving your leadership skills through continuous learning. Therefore, making time

What follows is the second in a two-part series concerning creating and passing on a vision for your commercial construction company. The first part is here. “If you wish to build a ship, do not divide the men into teams and send them to the forest to cut wood. Instead, teach them to long for the vast and endless sea.” Although there is some controversy concerning the author of this statement the intent is worth noting. Vision transfer, an important leadership tool Among your

Want to know what your employees want, so they feel satisfied with their job? Ask them! It isn’t as daunting as you may think. There are reasons you should be asking the right questions of your team members, both your employees and subs. It makes them know you care. You’re better able to lead. It improves your construction business. It makes them know your care The questions you ask go beyond “How’s it going?” to showing you do have an interest in their well-being. The follow

Brand Personality including logos and such Brand Personality is made up of many different (and some moving) parts. How many times have you heard a product or service being noted as the “Rolls Royce” of their industry? Good thing the folks at Rolls have worked so hard to provide both an excellent product and an exemplary Brand Personality. Otherwise, those claims wouldn’t mean as much. Yet, there is much more to a Brand Personality than hood ornaments or company logos.  Let’s

Delegating in the Construction Arena Delegating: a leadership tool Every day you send people into the field or to their desks to accomplish a variety of tasks. You’ve delegated a certain portion of the work to each of them. How well they perform is based on their skill level and on how well you’ve delegated. Therefore, your job isn’t to accomplish the things your employees or subs are tasked with. Furthermore your job is to see to it they have the proper understanding and the

5 Takeaways from Archery for your construction business My first venture into the world of archery took place while I was still in high school. As I recall, our PE teachers chose a variety of sports and activities to keep those of us who were in our senior year interested. I chose the archery segment thinking it would be a lark, never once thinking it would be something I would be interested in after the 6-week venture. Yet it was. What follows is a light-hearted look at what

Employee or Right-Hand Man Employee with more to offer Last time we looked at the problems involved with finding Loyal Employees.  This time we’re going one step further and suggesting that finding a Right-Hand Man or Right-Hand Woman is paramount to developing a construction business with hutzpah. And right up front, I will let you know, this isn’t a position for which you can advertise. “Right-Hand Man Needed” won’t fly. Employee Right-Hand Man samples Bill Gates – Steve Ba

This is the final installment of a 5-part series about specific strategies you can use in order to retain your best construction employees. You can find the first installment here, the second here, the third here, and the fourth here. Pay them well Dad explained to me, when I was quite young, that the wise person “knows which side his bread is buttered on.”  Dad was referring to his relationship with his employer. He knew, that in order to keep his job he had to perform up to

While it is apparent learning to dance takes time and effort and mastering the moves takes practice, we sometimes forget that being a good leader also takes time, effort, and practice (and it doesn’t hinge alone on how much innate talent you have.) Knowing you have the skills of powerful leadership As the owner of a construction contracting or service business it is imperative for you to take the time, make the effort, and be willing to practice the skills involved in leading