532 :: How A Fictional Spy Movie Triggered Real Intelligence Operations—And What Leaders Can Learn About Planning The Future What if your next big business decision is based on assumptions as flawed as mistaking a Hollywood movie for reality? In this episode, a wild true story where the Soviet Union…
The 7th Annual Sales Fundamentals Workshop (SFW 2026) brought together attendees from across the country for three days of hands-on, high-impact sales training in Fort Worth, Texas. This isn’t a sit-and-listen event. It’s where salespeople get in the reps—learning how to think, communicate, and perform at a higher level in…
On the final day of the 7th Annual Sales Fundamentals Workshop, we put the training into action. Attendees met with real builders—hearing their challenges firsthand to become better salespeople. We also recognized our top performers, awarding championship rings to our scoreboard leaders.
Day 2 at Sales Fundamentals Workshop—full day of training, followed by some friendly competition at Billy Bob’s.
Attendees from across the country gathered in Fort Worth to kick off Night 1 of our 2026 Sales Fundamentals Workshop—one of the most engaging and interactive sales training events anywhere.
Are you overlooking the one thing that could give your business a lasting competitive edge? Most leaders are taught that strategy is everything and operations are just table stakes, but what if that thinking is costing you growth, profit, and control? In this episode, we break down research from over…
Is your team underperforming—not because of talent, but because no one is truly working together? Many LBM companies struggle with misalignment between sales, operations, and leadership. Despite having skilled people and solid strategies, internal silos quietly break communication, slow execution, and ultimately hurt the customer experience—just like what nearly took…
Are hidden silos inside your organization driving mistrust, miscommunication, and missed opportunities? If you lead a construction team, you’ve likely experienced friction between departments, unclear accountability, or costly oversights—but what if the real issue isn’t your people, but how your organization is structured and how problems are categorized? In this…
Are your leadership decisions quietly being sabotaged by biases you don’t even realize you have? Every construction leader wants to make confident, high-stakes decisions—but hidden mental shortcuts like confirmation bias, overconfidence, and loss aversion are constantly distorting judgment. This episode breaks down how these predictable patterns show up on the…
Why do smart, experienced leadership teams occasionally make decisions that look obvious in hindsight? Many leaders believe groupthink happens when people are afraid to speak up or when teams lack diversity. But research from Yale psychologist Irving Janis reveals something far more uncomfortable: Groupthink often appears in the strongest, most…
Are leaders in our construction space risking irrelevance by ignoring artificial intelligence? AI is rapidly changing how companies operate, but many leaders are still treating it like a passing trend, delegating it to IT. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann connects a modern leadership challenge with a bizarre 17th-century scientific experiment…
How do you know if your strategic planning is helping you win—or just helping you look like everyone else? Many construction leaders rely on benchmarking, consultant reports, and industry comparisons to guide their strategy. It feels smart and data-driven. But as AI makes benchmarking faster and cheaper than ever, companies…
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 titled The Way of the Shepherd by Dr. Kevin Leman and Bill Pentak. This episode speaks directly to leaders who feel stretched…
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 episode, Bradley Hartmann explores a surprising case study: the resurgence of Barnes & Noble, a 140-year-old, paper-and-ink…
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 growth isn't planned or sustainable. In this episode, we challenge the default assumption that bigger is…
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?) you’re all just checking a box? In construction, where time is money and field leaders are already…
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. This episode tackles why traditional strategy frameworks often fail to deliver results—and offers a…
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 Daniel Goleman, this style may be crushing team morale, lowering performance, and increasing turnover—especially when overused. In this…
After Evan McKee, CHC of Suffolk Construction and I finished recording episode 489 of The Construction Leadership Podcast, I got a quick tour of The Cave that was hiding in plain sight.
How is Suffolk Construction using AI and predictive analytics to reduce jobsite safety risks? In this episode, Evan McKee, COO of Suffolk Construction’s Texas region, explains how Suffolk is implementing AI-driven safety tools, improving field communication, and leading innovation across major construction projects. He shares how Suffolk builds trust with…
Greg Williams of Cassity Jones shares his experience attending Sales Fundamentals Workshop 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas. Join us for the 7th Annual Sales Fundamentals Workshop, happening April 6–8, 2026 at the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas! Who should attend: Sales managers, sales reps, and sales leaders ready to…
Dan Efenecy, Market Sales Manager at Carter Lumber, shares his experience attending the Sales Fundamentals Workshop 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas — offering insights from a Sales Manager’s perspective. #Sales #Lumber #SalesTraining #LBMSales #Construction #Leadership #Salespeople #Training #SFW2025
Peter Koopman of Koopman Lumber describes his experience attending the Bradley Hartmann & Co. 2025 Sales Fundamentals Workshop in Ft. Worth, TX. #Sales #Lumber #SalesTraining #LBMSales #Construction #Leadership #Salespeople #Training #SFW2025
Rudy Galvan of Cassity Jones describes his experience attending the Bradley Hartmann & Co. 2024 Sales Fundamentals Workshop in Ft. Worth, TX. #Sales #Lumber #SalesTraining #LBMSales #Construction #Leadership #Salespeople #Training #SFW2025