What I Learned at NSSGA Young Leaders (That Applies to Every Construction Leader)

It started with the National Anthem.

No matter your politics, honoring our country never goes out of style. It sets a tone. Contractors just seem to care more or maybe they just show it more than many groups.

I was there to educate and inspire, delivering the opening keynote on culture in construction. Truth is… I think I learned more than I gave.

Each day featured senior industry leaders who didn’t waste time on theory.

Mark Helm, President, and Leland Meiser, CEO,of Dolese Bros. Co., opened with a few themes that came through clearly:

• Self-awareness is the foundation of leadership
• Strong teams don’t happen by accident
• Say yes to opportunity
• Seek feedback even when it’s uncomfortable

Simple. Not easy.

Then it was my turn.

Culture as a strategic advantage. The power of feedback. The mental health imperative. Trust, pride, and camaraderie to build winning teams. We laughed, and maybe shed a tear, as these professionals leaned in.

I invited everyone, as I invite you, to check out my brand new leadership capacity assessment at www.constructionleadership.com. No cost. You get to benchmark your company.

The morning finished with educational breakouts. Mine was on feedback.

If you want to be a better leader, you must get good at delivering feedback. The data is not good. In our People in Construction Report, 79% of frontline leaders report receiving feedback monthly or never. “You got your paycheck” is not feedback. “You didn’t get chewed out” is not recognition. This is a big opportunity for anyone reading this. We looked at three models;

SBI – Situation, Behavior, Impact

WSWNW – What, So What, Now What

SSC – Start, Stop, Continue

Better conversations don’t build better teams. Better behavior does. Better feedback leads to better behavior

The afternoon brought something I rarely see at a conference but something you can do in your own backyard for team building. They sent groups out for a beach and park cleanup. No speeches. No panels. Just being together, doing the work that needs to be done.

Day two opened with Ronnie Pruitt, CEO Vulcan Materials Company:

• You can always control how hard you work
• Leaders are always being watched. Set the example
• Safety becomes real after you’ve experienced a serious incident

That one really hit home for me.

In the Marines, my first unit lost a Marine in a training accident. As an aviator, I lost more friends than I can count on two hands. Safety is not a policy to me, it is life and death.

Ronnie reminded us that safety is not about hard hat stickers or t-shirts with slogans. It’s about truly caring for people. Making sure everyone has the courage and confidence to say “stop.”

The best firms are relentless about safety.

Then Dave Berke with Echelon Front closed out the morning. Another Marine aviator. We delivered two very different presentations. One very similar message: it’s about the people.

The afternoon of day two brought the Beach Olympics. Cardboard boat regatta. Sandcastle competition. I had to leave before that but I’m pretty sure a bunch of aggregate professionals didn’t hold back.

You are probably not in the aggregate business like these members of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) but you are in business. These are challenging times. These people chose to attend. To invest. To learn. To get better at what they do.

You don’t have to attend a conference to do that. But you do have to take action.

My takeaway for you:

Leadership isn’t complicated. It is demanding. And it is absolutely worth it.

Know yourself. Build your team. Say yes. Set the example.

And don’t underestimate the power of shared experiences to build culture.

If you’re serious about developing leaders in construction, about leading your market, this is the standard.

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