Episodes

Are you waiting until the exit interview to find out why your best people are leaving? In construction, relationships, loyalty, and tribal knowledge are critical to keep the machine that is your company running—yet many compa...

Is your team giving the market a different story depending on who they talk to—business development, operations, or leadership? In a soft market, confusion is expensive. If your message, priorities, and capacity don’t match a...

Many construction leaders know what good leadership looks like—but somewhere between deadlines, travel, and constant problem-solving, those fundamentals slip. This month’s book recommendation is a 117-page leadership reminder...

I know, I know. You’re probably too cool to watch Taylor Swift’s docu-series on Netflix about her Eras Tour. But, if you want to see great leadership in action during a nearly two-year movable construction project, watching T...

Construction leaders are being told—daily—that AI, automation, dashboards, and optimization are the future. But what if the very things we’re rushing to automate are the things that actually make leadership work? In this epis...

What if there’s one part of your job you’re uniquely built for—and it checks all these boxes? Others consistently see you as exceptional at it You genuinely enjoy it and want more time doing it It gives you energy, even on ha...

Are you trading time, health, or relationships in pursuit of your goals—and not even realizing it? In this episode, Bradley Hartmann shares a powerful non-obvious leadership book, The Cost of These Dreams by Wright Thomson, t...

Two quick questions: 1. Do you value independent thinking—from yourself and your team? 2. How do you create space for it on your team? Most construction leaders say they value open dialogue, critical thinking, and intelligent...

What’s the right size for your business? If your gut response is, “As big as possible!” you’re not alone. But that mindset can quietly invite unnecessary complexity, friction, and risk into your operation—especially when grow...

When it comes to the behaviors on display during meetings—virtual or in person—do they meet your standards? In this episode, Bradley Hartmann breaks down exactly why most leadership problems in construction aren’t about peopl...

What if your leadership's team’s biggest risk isn’t bad strategy, but unspoken, outdated assumptions? In this episode, Bradley Hartmann reveals why even powerful mental models like Dr. Peter Drucker’s Theory of the Business o...

Are your construction projects successful on paper, but your team still feels chaotic, disconnected, or hard to manage? In this episode, Bradley Hartmann digs deeper into the concept of organizational climate—a hidden force t...

Is it possible you’re making silent strategic assumptions that could backfire? Whether you’re leading a construction firm or scaling a tech-driven business, one of the biggest risks you face isn’t your competition—it’s outdat...

After 499 episodes of interviewing experts, walking job sites, and reflecting on real-world leadership challenges in the construction industry, I’ve uncovered 10.5 powerful truths that completely reshaped how I lead, work, an...

499 :: Performance Reviews Are Broken In Construction—Here’s How to Avoid Demoralizing and Confusing Your Talent Are your year-end performance reviews actually motivating your team—or does it feel like (to you and/or them?) y...

Is your annual strategic plan snapped shut in some binder, just collecting dust by February? If you're a construction leader frustrated with planning sessions that feel good in the moment but lead nowhere, you're not alone. T...

Is your push for excellence quietly burning out your best people? Many construction leaders default to "pacesetting"—leading by example, demanding speed, and expecting others to keep up. But according to leadership expert Dan...

Is your leadership style helping your construction team grow—or pushing top talent away? If you're leading teams in today’s construction industry, you know generational gaps, tech adoption, and market uncertainty are more rea...

Are your best people underperforming despite their experience and talent? This episode challenges ones of the most dangerous assumptions leaders make: that underperformance is a talent issue instead of a system problem. Using...

Ever wonder how NFL quarterbacks go from being labeled “busts” to top performers—just by changing teams? The list here is long: Sam Darnold, Mac Jones, and Baker Mayfield to name three who have played at a high level this yea...

Two quick questions: ONE Are the books you're reading actually making you a better leader? Or are they just filling space on your shelf? TWO Are you reading the same books as everyone else, putting yourself at risk for thinki...

Skeptical about what a 95-year-old billionaire can teach you about leadership, storytelling, and executive communication? That’s fair, but Warren Buffett’s final letter to his Berkshire Hathaway shareholders is worth studying...

Do your teams hesitate during change, struggle with accountability, or push back on your decisions—even when you're the boss? If you’re a leader in the construction industry, you know that technical skill isn’t enough. You ne...

Does your construction team actually live its values—or does the language on your website on the posters in HQ feel like empty slogans? If you’ve ever felt like your team's communication is scattered, or your cultural “initia...