Leadership for Contractors Podcast

Business owners and employers are looking for skilled workers – with good work habits. They want to hire skilled tradespeople who not only have the necessary abilities to get the work done. They want to bring on skilled workers who have good work habits that will contribute to the success of the company and be long-term employees. A skilled tradesperson with poor work habits may actually be harder to manage and lead than someone with a solid set of work habits who lacks specific skills. An employer who recognizes good work habits may be willing to invest in someone who lacks the specific skills they are looking for. In this podcast, the team at Construct-Ed takes a look at the 15 Essential Work Habits that are needed to build a successful career in the construction and skilled trades industries. Learn more at construct-ed.com

Are you new to construction? Maybe you are trying to choose from all of your construction careers options. Or you might manage and lead employees who are brand new to the industry. Listen to this Construct-Ed (www.construct-ed.com) Toolbox Talk by Chris Jurin on the second law in John Maxwell's 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. Discover how you can build yourself in your construction or home improvement careers by building yourself.

Are you considering construction careers as a potential job? Maybe you are just coming out of school and are thinking about different options in construction careers. Maybe you are looking for a change from your current job. Listen to this Construct-Ed (www.construct-ed.com) Toolbox Talk by Chris Jurin on the first law in John Maxwell's 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. Discover how you can use the first law to grow yourself and build a construction career.

What is a legacy? No - it’s not a car made by Subaru. A legacy as defined by Webster's is something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past. Okay - that is really academic. How does that translate into the construction and remodeling industries? In short - a legacy is something that you leave behind for those who follow after you. And it is something that is established by your patterns that you exhibit in your life. What are your habits? What are your patterns? Are you practicing what you are preaching - or are you saying one thing and hoping like crazy that your followers will do that instead of repeating what they see you doing? (Think about the Law of the Picture for a minute - they will do what they see.) Let’s go back to family and friends who are closest to you. What type of legacy did they leave for you to follow? Bill Shakespeare - no we are not on a first name basis - is quoted as saying “No legacy is so rich as honesty.” Are you trapped in a legacy that is not what you would want for yourself - or worse, for those who follow you? Make the decision to adjust your habits and focus now so that you can adjust the legacy that you leave for those following you. Legacy comes in many forms - and does not take a long time to form if you are consistent in your efforts. Think about the legacy of a foreman in a construction company. What type of foreman are they? Do they finish their projects with a high degree of efficiency and quality - or do they leave a trail of breadcrumbs in the form of huge punch list items? Listen to the FREE course here https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

What do you think about when you hear the word explosive? Does it conjure up pictures of something that is out of control? Or do you consider something that is explosive as something that can be controlled? When demolition companies set charges for demolishing a major structure they do so in a very systematic process. Back in 2007, Veterans Stadium - which was the home of the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Eagles - was demolished. The stadium was replaced by two separate stadiums - Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field. The process of demolishing the stadium involved the planting of explosive charges in order to have a controlled demolition of the stadium. The use of explosives created a very controlled demolition process for the stadium. Explosive processes do not need to be processes that are out of control. They are in fact controlled - and need to be in order to be effective. Controlled growth is effective growth. Growth that is out of control is cancerous and can kill and organization just as fast as stagnation. In John Maxwell’s book - the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership - he explores Law #20 - the Law of Explosive Growth. The law is built on the premise “to add growth, lead followers - to multiply, lead leaders”. Applying this to contracting, to add revenues sell more work and hire more employees. To multiply growth, focus on building yourself and your leadership core for your business and then allow them to grow your business. Listen to the full FREE course here https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

In the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, author John Maxwell explores Law #19 - the Law of Timing. The law is based on the premise that “When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go”. Wow! This is kind of like adding a third dimension to a leader’s responsibility. Not only do leaders have to be concerned with where and how, but now we need to add when. It adds a whole nother dimension to the decision making process. Construction and remodeling projects require a strong combination of what, where, who, why, how and now when. Leaders must be conscious of what leader tool they will deploy, where they will deliver it, who they should deliver it to, why they are using the tool and when. Miss on any one or two of these components and the results may not be what you expect. To listen to the full course, FREE, visit https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

Leaders are called to sacrifice. But as a leader what do you need to sacrifice? What are you expected to give up? In order to grow and build, leaders must be willing to give up something in order to ultimately achieve their goals. This goes for leaders in business, sports and government. Sacrifice comes in many forms. There are many leaders throughout history who have given up their very lives as a result of their leadership positions. Think President Kennedy or Dr. King. Luckily for those in the construction industry, this is not a price that we are asked to pay. But make no mistake, you will be asked to pay a price in order to become a leader. Long hours, vacation time, free time. Remember that he who leads no one has all of the free time he can handle. Listen to the FREE full course here: https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

Priorities. Simply put - a priority is defined as a thing that is regarded as being more important than another. Like it or not, each of us has our priorities. Our job, our significant other, our children - ourselves. What is your priority? In order for someone to find success, that person must be able to first define success - and then they must be able to set their priorities in order to achieve success. Naturally a leader will want to focus their priorities on those things that would make them a success. Watch the FREE full course here- https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

In The Law of the Big Mo - the Big Mo is momentum. And in construction - momentum is a critical component for a successful project. Think for a moment about what it takes to be a success in construction and remodeling. Each team member must be successful - show up for work everyday and look for ways to win. When team members are successful they lead to the crew or department that they work with being successful. Teams complete successful projects - and when they string multiple successes together the company overall wins. Small and medium wins strung together builds momentum. Remember the Law of Process - leaders are developed daily, not in a day. Much in the same way - momentum is built daily, not in a day. It is the cumulative effect of putting together small wins and successes and then using them to attack the next problem that stands in front of the team. To listen to the full course, FREE, click here- https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

In the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, author John Maxwell explores his 15th law - the Law of Victory. He builds this law on the thought that “Leaders find a way for the team to win”. Simply put, leaders find a way. They find a way to get a project done. They find a way to make the project safer. They. Find. A. Way. Construction companies, construction sites and construction crews all face a lot of headwinds throughout the day. Turbulence and headwinds are expected. They are not an odd occurrence. They are a normal part of flight. As Henry Ford said - “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” To listen to the FREE full course, visit https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

The construction industry is a tough industry. Nothing is accomplished alone by one person. Projects take teams. Construction companies and their crews arrive at a site where nothing exists. They assemble raw materials and when they leave months later there is a building left standing. Other companies show up at an existing building - whether it is a residence or a commercial building - and replace a portion of the building as part of their project. Whether it is a roof replacement or possibly a flooring job, their presence will disrupt the site operations to some degree. This step is similar to performing surgery. They need to be as least invasive as possible - but know that they are going to inconvenience someone during the course of the project. It is not a question of whether they will disrupt the site. It is really a question of how much! Listen to the FREE, full course here https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

Good news! We are now taking a look at Chapter 13 - which means that you have worked your way through more than half of the 21 laws. It is my hope that you have been able to take some techniques and tools from these podcasts and apply them in your business to improve your team’s performance. If you have any questions regarding this information or how to apply it, you can feel free to reach out by leaving your comments below and I will do my best to get back to you with some additional information. In this chapter, we are looking at the Law of the Picture. In this chapter, John Maxwell bases the law on the premise that “People do what people see”. Wow - talk about a lot of pressure. We want our teams and team members to do what we want them to do and according to the Law of the Picture, they will have a tendency to do what they see the leader (us) do. So it would only stand to reason that we better be doing what expect our people to be doing! Listen to the full course, free, here - https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

In this podcast and chapter we are going to explore the Law of Empowerment. Empowerment is a buzzword in today’s business world. It is actually one of the most misunderstood terms in leadership. People throw the term empowerment around in similar fashion as to how a drunken sailor spends money - or how the U.S. government spends money. You can apply your choice of analogy! In order to know how to empower someone, you first must understand what empowerment is. Listen to the full FREE course here- https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

In this podcast and chapter we are going to look at the Law of the Inner Circle. I am not sure about you, but the name of this law brings back memories of the movie Meet the Parents. The movie is a humorous story about a man played by Ben Stiller who goes home with his fiance to meet his eventual in-laws. In one scene in the movie, Ben Stiller is informed that he is being brought into the Burns inner circle of trust by his future father-in-law Robert DiNiro. Ben Stiller spends the rest of the movie working to stay in his fiance’s father’s good graces and for the most part failing. As quickly as he finds himself in the circle of trust, he finds himself being kicked out. In the Law of the Inner Circle, John Maxwell bases this law on the premise that “A Leader’s Potential is Determined by Those Closest to Him”. Take a look around you - whether you are a foreman and you are looking at your crew or you are a business owner and you are looking at your managers. Are they affecting how you think? Get the FREE course "21 Laws of Contractor Leadership" here - https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

In this chapter we are going to take a look at the Law of Connection. To get right to the point, you need to connect on some level with your teams if you expect to find success in the construction industry. John Maxwell suggests that “Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand”. Okay, that may sound a bit soft for the construction industry. You might be tempted to press stop on this chapter. Come on - what do you mean that I need to touch a heart before I can ask for hand. This is construction! We are all tough. We do hard work. Construction sites are not places for the soft at heart. They are areas where things get done! Bear with me a bit longer here. To listen to all podcasts, visit https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

In this episode and chapter, we are going to explore the Law of Magnetism. What is magnetism? Many of you have probably gotten a chance to see the most recent Star Wars movie that came out this winter. If you missed it somehow, it may be time for you to crawl out from under your rock. Is magnetism some sort of Jedi mind trick? Does this mean that you need to start practicing your Darth Vader stance when you are talking with someone? No, don’t worry. It isn’t time for you to borrow your kid’s light sabre. Magnetism does not require you to practice some crazy process. What it does require you to do is simple. Be aware that you are going to attract people who are similar to you. Take a look around you. What do you see? Chances are that you are not staring at a diverse crowd. More than likely, those around you are reflecting who and what you are. Listen to the free full course here: https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

The Law of Intuition is one of the 21 laws in John Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. It is established on the premise that “Leaders evaluate everything with a leadership bias.” As I mentioned before, everyone has a tendency to evaluate their surroundings according to their strengths. Strong operations managers have a tendency to view their surroundings through an operations filter. Those whose strength is technical prowess lean heavily on their knowledge to filter their surroundings. Full free course here - https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

Our discussion today will take a look at the Law of Respect. This law is one of twenty one laws that author John Maxwell discusses in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. We are going to look at how the Law of Respect plays fits into the world of construction and remodeling. We have all been on many job sites. And we all know that there are a lot of politics that take place on project sites. People are constantly jockeying for position among each other. Many crew members attempt to assert their position as their basis for their authority. John Maxwell has a great book on leadership called the 5 Levels of Leadership. I highly recommend that you take a look at the book. You can click on this link in the transcript of this podcast, go to my JMT website and click on the products tab. To watch the full course, visit https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

A core character trait of great leaders is their ability to be honest with those that they lead. In the Law of Solid Ground, John Maxwell establishes that trust is the foundation of leadership. Think about it for a moment - can you name a single person who you consider to be a good or great leader that you did not find any trust in? The answer to that question is most likely no. After all, how can you follow someone and respect someone that you cannot trust? If you are never quite sure of that person or where they stand you cannot know where you stand. You spend more energy trying to determine if what is coming out of their mouth is the truth or something less than the truth. To keep listening to the full course, and track with all 21 Leadership Laws for Contractors, visit https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

In the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, author John Maxwell explores the Law of Addition. The law is built on the thought that “Leaders Add Value by Serving Others”. Adding value to others by serving them? That seems like a touchy feely concept. Some may be thinking that it is too soft for the construction industry. In this episode of Contractor Leadership Podcast, Chris Jurin discusses that law and relates it to contractors to help them improve leadership skills. Listen to the full course here- https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors/

In ep 04 of the Contractor Leadership Podcast, John Maxwell Certified trainer Chris Jurin (CEO of Construct-Ed) explains the "Law of Navigation" for contractors. In the book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, author John Maxwell shares his insights into the Law of Navigation. The law is built on the premise that “Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.” Listen as Chris applies this to contractors. Listen to the free full course here- https://www.construct-ed.com/course/21-laws-of-leadership-for-contractors

In ep 03 of the Contractor Leadership Podcast, Construct-Ed CEO Chris Jurin discusses the Law of Process, and how it will grow your leadership skills as a contractor.

Ep. 02 of Construction Leadership. Construct-Ed CEO and John Maxwell certified trainer Chris Jurin discusses the Law of Influence for contractors and how it pertains to leadership.

Construct-Ed CEO Chris Jurin discusses John Maxwell's "Law of the Lid," and discusses business leadership, and the importance of growing in leadership skills.