Leadership In Construction

Season 4 - Episode 6 - How to Create a Future Focused Team

Season 4 - Episode 5 - How to Lead Through Change

Season 4 Episode 2 - How Leaders Set the Vision

[TRIGGER WARNING: TALKS OF SUICIDE]

Perhaps one of the most important but most difficult job of any leader is too set the vision, the purpose, the 'Why'. Its then even harder to communicate that to their team or organisation.

In this episode, I talk with Dean Barton who is a seasoned business consultant in the construction industry who strongly believes that leadership starts at the top of any team or organisation. It is the leaders job to set the vision or direction of the team or organisation and communicate that in a way that inspires action. Dean also shares why setting the vision and purpose is essential to aligning the teams (on site and in the back office) to work as one rather than a 'them and us' culture.

Dean speaks from experience having worked his way to the top of senior management in construction now works with all construction companies big and small to coach and advise on how to grow and be successful. Dean highlights how commercial roles (FD, Senior QS, Commercial Manager) are often promoted to the head of the organisation, and whilst these roles are essential to a functioning construction company, you can run an organisation from spreadsheets and numbers.

"Never forget, there a guys on the site doing the work" Dean tells us.

Dean tells us that these people skills, or leadership skills are not just nice too haves for a better business. They are essential to making people in the team or organisation feel protected and supported. In this episode we talk about the impact from the high rates of suicide in construction and what practical steps leaders can do to help they people working on our jobs.

You can find Dean on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deanbartonreal

and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastersofthetrade/

or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-barton-real/

Check out this podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOHmjROAI354UCIadVO49_A

and connect with Michael on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-fisher-47597b83/

or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadership_in_construction/

or TikTok:

In this episode we are joined by Tom Forster of BeMeta who is making Mental Fitness a positive conversation in the construction industry.  

Tom comes from a construction background and after going through challenges affecting his own mental well-being, Tom is on a mission to improve the Mental Fitness of everyone within the Construction Industry.   

After retraining as a coach Tom founded BeMeta and now works with construction teams to make Mental Fitness as spoken about as Physical Fitness.  

Only with good mental fitness can we be more successful and happier teams and individuals.   

You can find BeMeta here:https://www.bemeta.co.uk/

Welcome to a new episode of the Leadership in Construction Podcast.   

In this episode I am joined by the brilliant Michaela Wain who is an entrepreneur in the construction industry and advocate for women in construction.   

In this episode we talk about the positive impact on the construction industry of encouraging and supporting women in construction.  Michaela is also the co founder of the first 'Women in Construction Awards' highlighting and celebrating the amazing work women do in the construction industry.  

You can connect with Michaela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketing-michaela-wain-8860284a/ 

You can find a link to the Women in Construction Awards here: https://designandbuilduk.net/women-in-construction-awards-2022/

I am pleased to share with you the latest episode of the Leadership in Construction Podcast.  In this episode I am joined by Jessy Gomes who is a Health and Safety advisor.  

Jessy moved to the UK from France to further her career in construction health and safety and during her time in the industry she was met by challenges.   

In this episode we talk about why leaders play an important role in welcoming and supporting people from all backgrounds into the industry.  

Thank you to Jessy for her insights and experience on this important topic!   Check out Jessy's TedTalk: https://youtu.be/LzsZvsPm52s

Thank you for joining us for part 2 of our conversation with Julie Bronsteatter.   In Part 2, 7 weeks have past since we first spoke with Julie and over that period I have undergone a mental fitness boot camp to build up my mental reliance and learn more about positive intelligence.   Honestly, it has been a life changing process and I have learnt skills that I will take with me for the rest of my life. I was sceptical at the start, but going through the process of the boot camp I found that the exercises were impactful and actionable at work and in life from the start!   I am a firm believer that, if we want to change the construction industry as I do, then we can't do it without being more mentally fit.   I really hope you enjoy this episode and get a lot of value out of it!  

Book Positive Intelligence: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1608322785/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_2?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1  

Julie Bronsteatter: https://www.jbronsteattercoaching.com/

I am pleased to share with you all the latest episode of the Leadership in Construction Podcast.

This week, and the final episode of 2021, we are joined by Mark Crossfield, a Civil Engineer turn career coach.

With Mark, we discuss why leaders play an important role in the career development of the people they lead.

Thank you Mark Crossfield for all your help!

I hope you enjoy!

In this episode of the Leadership in Construction Podcast, we talk about how leaders can empower people, and how leaders can support young industry professionals.   This week I am joined by Damian Meehan from WSP.  Daiman has worked in a range of different environments in the construction industry, from Contracting, Consulting and Local Authority. This wide range of experience gives Damian the unique and fresh perspective of  leadership in the construction industry.  I hope you enjoy!

In this episode of the Leadership in Construction Podcast, I am joined by Nathanael Pickett who is a Civil Engineer and member of the British Army.  In this episode we explore the differences between leadership in the British Army and in the Construction Industry, and why investment in leadership is necessary.   I really can't thank Nathanael for sharing his experience and insights!

In this episode we are joined by Natalie Schrogl as we discuss the human side to leadership and why it is so important to put the people you lead first.   

Natalie is a leadership coach from Germany and in this episode she shares with us her experience and wisdom in coaching  leaders and why she believes that leaders need to model humanity and compassion.

In this episode we are joined by Rob Garvey from the University of East London.  

With Rob we discuss BIM, technology, and the important role which leaders play in the building of confidence in technology.  

We also discuss the importance on good information management and what role leaders play in the establishment of good information management practice and implementation.   

I really hope you enjoy.  

If you like it please like and leave a comment Feedback is always welcome).   

If you want to further support the Podcast please subscribe.

In this episode we talk with Jo Wheatley and Zoe Hawkins about the GROW coaching model and how it can be used effectively in conversations to help develop others and your relationships with your team.  

Jo and Zoe are both leadership coaches and trainers and founders of the company 'In Good Company'.   

Jo and Zoe specialise in coaching training and leader coach, so who better to ask about the GROW model!?  

Jo and Zoe start their own podcast next week and have their own YouTube channel which you can find here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2JKynKSnnwnDo9E6A-W7CQ   

https://www.igcompany.co.uk/ 

I hope you enjoy!

Welcome to a new episode and new season of the Podcast.   

To kick things off we are joined by Julie Bronsteatter to talk about her video series 'Walk the Talk' and blog 'Good enough is Perfect', and what underpins all of this 'Mental Fitness'.   

This is a two part episode, the second part will be available weeks later once I have gone through a Mental Fitness boot-camp to learn more about mental fitness, how it works, and how it relates to the construction industry.   

If you want to connect with Julie (I recommend you do) you can find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-bronsteatter/ Or Julie's website: https://www.jbronsteattercoaching.com/   

I hope you enjoy!

Why is caring an important skill to leadership? 

If you want the people you lead to care about the things that important to you, like deadlines, budgets, organisational goals, etc. You need to first invest your time, each day, each week, to really get to know the people you lead and care about whats important to them.  Remember the little details, their name, their spouses' name, their pet's name, their hobbies, etc.   

When you start to care, then big things will start to happen.  I recommend that you go read 'A Busy Leader's Guide to Caring Leadership' by Joe Deiciano and watch our podcast episode from season 1.

If you don't set people up to be successful, you can't be surprised when they fail.   

Here are my 6 steps to set people up to succeed with any task:  

1. Connect people with the purpose. "Why is the task worth my best effort?",  

2. Deliver a clear and concise message. It's the leader's responsibility to ensure the message is received. Deliver the message in several formats, visual, audio, written word,  

3. Agree what good looks like. Contextualise the desired outcome,  

4. Agree expectations. Expectations for time and quality. Agree expectations with the team before the Client,  

5. Arrange check-ins. So not to suprise anyone, agree when you are going to check-in on progress  

Finally...  

6. Identify and remove blockers that will hinder progress.  

I hope that you can really use these steps and feedback your experience.  I hope that this episode brings you value and if you like it, please subscribe and follow me on LinkedIn. 

The biggest mistake I have have ever made in my career was not listening to those who I led.   Very soon I was surrounded by people that had nothing to say and I was one of those managers who kept complaining 'Why do I have to everything myself!'.   It was simple, I just wasn't listening.   What I realised was that I had to put all my technical skill and knowledge that I had and possess to one side and focus my attention to the technical contribution of others.   When I put my technical knowledge to one side and focused on helping others, everything started to change. People started to trust that they could share their ideas and values and I would listen (and ask the occasional question or two) and not impose my own thoughts and ideas. People started to believe that they could solve problems on their own and it empowered people to make decisions.   I only give my suggestion and consult my technical knowledge when it's asked for.   I now value the contributions of others over my own, and the results are profound.  I hope you enjoy this Episode and it brings you value.

Season 2 Episode 1

As leaders we need to be in the 'helicopter' to be able to see what is coming up ahead, and see the progress of what has been made so far.   Leaders need to be able see pit falls and blockers coming up along the road. Leaders also need to see what the end looks like and hold that vision in their minds.  But seeing and knowing this is not enough. As leaders, we need to be able to communicate; The vision, the blockers, and the progress to our team.  In this episode I explain why communication of these things are essential to becoming a great leader!  With blockers, every leader needs to gather the information and disseminate the information to the team. Leaders may not have all the answers, but the collective team can solve anything. Therefore it is essential for leaders to communicate to their team what blocks are coming that may hinder progress.  Leaders also need to communicate the vision of what is trying to be achieved, and connect that to the day-to-day activities of the team and why what they are doing contributes to further their cause. This helps to inspire the team.  Leaders need to be able to recognise and communicate the progress to the team. Explaining where we started, and how far we've come. Celebrating the wins and learning from our failures.  I hope you enjoy this Episode and tune in next week for the second episode!

This the Final Episode of Season 1 of the Leadership in Construction Podcast.   Soon There will short videos of specific leadership issues, and again, in November 2021, interviews with amazing and fantastic people will resume.  I want to thank all that listen, watch and support the Podcast and I hope that it brings you value.  In this episode I am joined by Brandi Davey, Paul Unwin, and Patricia Haywood, each an amazing guest from season 1. In this episode we answer questions from you the listeners and viewers.   I hope you enjoy and continue to enjoy the future content to come.

Leadership in Construction Episode #022 In this Episode I am joined by David Stitt a Leadership Coach from DSA Building.  In this episode with talk about coaching for results, how conversations are effective form of leadership and coaching, and how important it is for leaders to inspire.

Leadership in Construction Episode #021 In this Episode I am joined by Jonathan Thorns, an Architect from Lincolnshire UK!   Jonathan has a long history of mentoring students at University and helping with their steps into the construction industry.  With Jonathan, we discuss how mentoring can be effective in helping to develop others and their development within the sector!

Leadership in Construction Episode #020 In this Episode I am joined by Thilan Legierse, an executive coach from Austrailia.   Lets face it, accidents happen, misunderstandings are common, and good communication is rare.  Conflicts and disputes should be expected and not avoided.  Our relationship with conflict damages our ability to resolve conflicts amicably and retain good relationships.   Sweeping issues that arise under the carpet only serves to fuel conflicts and disputes.  When we expect conflict and manage our attitude towards conflicts then our ability to resolve the conflict is much more successful.   Being open and honest helps us to build trust and create an environment where people feel safe enough to make mistakes without judgement and ridicule. Accepting that people will make mistakes helps us to release control and support those who need it when they need it.  This week, on the Leadership in Construction Podcast, I am joined by Thilan Legierse as we discuss conflict resolution and how trying avoid conflicts can be more damaging.

Leadership in Construction Episode #019 In this Episode I am joined by Charles Buchanan, a Clinical Professor of Leadership at the Ohio State University.  With Charles, we discuss the role of technology plays in the training of the next generation of leaders and the importance of self-reflection.

Leadership in Construction Episode #018 In this Episode I am joined by Alex Slavenburg, Author of the book "Leading with a Smile".  With Alex, we discuss the importance of paying attention to the people you lead and caring for them.   We also talk about the "Three hats of Leadership" and "Walk the Talk" from his book.

Leadership in Construction Episode #017 In this Episode I am joined by Steve Turner, Managing Director of Lagan Aviation and Infrastructure.  With Steve, we discuss the importance of social responsibility and engagement with the local residents near to construction sites. We also explored the importance of direction and setting the Vision.

Leadership in Construction Episode #016 In this Episode I am joined by Patricia Haywood, Founder of Master BuildHers.  With Patrica, we discuss her work with Master BuildHers, we explore the world of women in construction, and we talk about the importance of being self-aware.

Leadership in Construction Episode #015  In this Episode I am joined by Eric Greene, a Leadership and Success Coach.  With Eric, we discuss all matters of Leadership and coaching.  Eric also shares with us his Hateful Eight Traits of a poor leader and how to avoid them.

Leadership in Construction Episode #014 - Motivation  In this episode I am joined by the entrepreneur Chris Peel.   Chris is a property investment expert and founder of Trade Stays  a sector of his business which specifically provides contractor accommodation which is affordable and provides the comfort of a home away from home.   Chris's time in the corporate world has shaped his views on leadership and in this episode, Chris explains how his views of leadership and style of leadership has grown as himself and the company he started has grown.

Leadership in Construction Episode #013 - Servant Leadership  In this episode I am joined by the brilliant Mike Clayton.   Mike is an experienced Project Manager and the founder of onlinepmcourses.com.  In this episode we explore 'what is project management, an discuss the importance of leadership skills in Project Management.

Leadership in Construction Episode #012 - Caring#  In this episode I am joined by the fantastic Joseph Dicianno, a Leadership consultant and author of the book 'Busy Leader's Guide to Caring Leadership'.  In this episode we discuss the importance of caring as a leader and why leaders need to care.

Leadership in Construction Episode #011 - Accountable.  In this episode I am joined by the brilliant Stephanie Summerville, a Actress and Story Teller from New York.  Story telling is an important aspect of leadership and in this episode, Stephanie walks us through some ways that story telling can help leaders convey their vision and message in a way that engages the audience and inspires.  With Stephanie, we explore the importance of being accountable as a leader and why it is so important to behave responsible.

Leadership in Construction Episode #010 - Authentic.  In this episode I am joined by the CEO of RPS Consulting, John Chubb.   In this episode, John shares his beliefs on creating a leadership culture in a large organisation. John shares that he wants leaders at RPS to; inspire, motivate, and develop.   We also discuss how to lead through a crisis and the importance of mental well-being.

Leadership in Construction Episode #009 - Self-leadership.  In this episode we speak with the brilliant Dr Andrew Brough about the importance of self-leadership from his new book 'Leadership the Exponential Effect'.  You have to be able to lead yourself before you can lead others. Leadership is about constant development and improvement and reflection of your performance and how you handle situations. That is why Andrew's book starts with Self-leadership.

Leadership in Construction Episode #008 - Curiosity.  In this episode we speak with the fantastic Dr. G from AskDoctorG.com. Doctor G is a family doctor full time and is also an expert in resilience and stress management.   In this podcast we explore the challenges we all face with change and even change that we want like a promotion or new job.   Doctor G shears her insights of what she believes is the most important aspect of leadership 'Curiosity'.

Leadership in Construction Episode #007 - Generosity.  In this episode we speak with the brilliant Jason Schroeder from Elevate Construction.   Jason has had an amazing career in the construction industry and has is now owner and consultant helping to improve the status of the construction industry through leadership.   Jason shares with us that he believes the most important aspect of leadership is 'Give first'.   Jason is a published author of 'Elevating Construction Superintendents' available now on Amazon and is designed to be a guide of people start off in their career in the construction industry.

Leadership in Construction Episode #006 - Help Others  In this Episode we speak with the fantastic Lauren Holland  Lauren is an Account Manager for Hexagon Geosystems and is the Co-Chair of the CICES 2040 forum. Previous to that, Lauren was a Geospatial Consultant and Surveyor. Lauren actively supports STEM encouraging young people and women into the construction industry.  In this episode we discuss the importance of communication, the challenges of working in the industry as a women, and the importance of helping others.   If you would like to get in contact with Lauren you can find her on LinkedIn and Instagram:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-holland-bsc-hons-7a3b8781 I hope you enjoy.

Leadership in Construction Episode #005 - Listen  In this Episode we speak with the brilliant Moreblessing Luxton.  Moreblessing started her career in Zimbawea then moved to the UK in the early naughties to join Highways England and work on some major schemes within the UK, since then More has moved to Zambia in her role as cross board infrastructure expert involved in developing cross border infrastructure cross 7 countries in Africa and improve trade and welbeing of the local residents.  In this episode we discuss the importance of listening to your team, stakeholder and empathising with their individual perspectives.   We also discuss the importance for promoting the construction industry to younger generations and particularly women. In construction we build infrastructure for society and a diverse society needs a diverse delivery team to represent everyone.  I hope you enjoy.

Have you heard of Sir Joseph Bazalgette? One of the world's greatest Civil Engineers.  https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/civil-engineer-profiles/sir-joseph-bazalgette

Leadership in Construction Episode #004 - Honesty  In this episode we chat with our guest Rob Gerrard, a Senior NEC Consultant for Thomas Telford Ltd.  In this episode we discuss the importance of being honest and integral as a key attribute of being a leader.  Rob explains that, if you wait until the contract to start to collaborate and trust one another, its already too late. Relationships, trust, and honesty start at procurement stage (mid-tender interviews, etc.). At this stage of the project its key to be open and clear about your values. Its key to set-up the right behaviors from the way the contract and tender is written to the display of attitudes and tender interviews.     Rob explains that the NEC contract is a tool to use and follow as high quality management information. The 'human' side of the contract comes down to how you communicate, how you listen and apply empathy.   Rob explains that the contract, in the hands of a highly competent person, with sound ethical fiber to act with integrity, honesty and do your professional best at all times.   Rob explains that ethics is about telling the truth. Rob explains that we as a society are condition to not tell the truth at the benefit to nobody. With honesty as the base of the foundation of a relationship comes trust and collaboration.   To get in contact with Rob you can find him on his website; rgerrard.com

I want to thank everyone that has helped to start this podcast.

Leadership in Construction Episode #003 - Situational Leadership,  In this episode we are joined by the brilliant Paul Unwin.  Paul works for Highways England as the Regional Sponsor for Smart Motorways. Paul lectures and Universities and he is also a passionate advocate for positive leadership behaviours.  In our discussion, Paul shares with us his experience and insight into leadership and introduces situational leadership whereby the approach has to be adapted for each scenario for each individual team member.  Working for Highways England on the development and introduction of Smart Motorways requires a lot of stakeholder engagement with the public and also with local authorities and the emergency services. Paul shares with us the challenges which come from these stakeholder engagements and how he has been able to over come these challenges.   Paul also shares with us his insight and thoughts into the future for motorways and the work that Highways England is involved in with manufactures to ensure that our motorway infrastructure marries with the latest developments in vehicle technology.  If you want to contact Paul details are below: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-unwin-rpp-mapm-fciht-9121615a paul.unwin.uk@gmail.com