490 :: How Two Elite Teams—Suffolk Construction and the New Zealand All Blacks—Use Language to Dominate Their Fields
Release Date: 11/20/2025
505 :: How a Century-Old Essay Changed My View of Growth in Construction (And Why It Still Matters Today)
The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget
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 always better in construction. Using insights from a legendary , we explore how biological limits in nature mirror organizational limits in business—and why ignoring them could be hurting your team more than helping it. In this...
info_outline
504 :: Beer and Immunity: What Construction Leaders Can Learn From Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase
The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget
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 people or strategy—they’re about attention. Through insights from Jamie Dimon (the JP Morgan CEO), you’ll see how distraction, disconnection, and lack of curiosity silently sabotage your culture and performance. In this episode you will: Learn 3 leadership habits you can apply this week to improve meetings and build trust—without...
info_outline
503 :: She Took Drucker’s Framework to Her Executive Team—Here’s What I Forgot to Give Her (And How This PDF Fixes It)
The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget
What if your leadership's team’s biggest risk isn’t bad strategy, but unspoken, outdated assumptions?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 often get ignored by executive teams—and what you can do to change that. Based on the recent outreach of a Construction Leadership Podcast listener, this episode uncovers how you can bridge the gap between strategy and action using a practical new diagnostic tool you can download below. In this episode you will: Learn how to...
info_outline
502 :: How U of Michigan Football Won Big While Maintaining a Toxic Climate—And What Construction Leaders Can Learn From It
The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget
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 that could be sabotaging your team's cohesion and long-term success, even if you're hitting your deadlines. Whether it's innovation being stifled by red tape or behavioral standards being overlooked for results, this episode helps you uncover what's really going on beneath the surface. In this episode you will: Learn the —and how you directly...
info_outline
501 :: What Netflix, Procore, and Trunk Tools Can Teach You About Strategic Assumptions
The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget
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 outdated assumptions. In this episode, you’ll hear how Procore and Trunk Tools in our construction space—as well as traditional movie studios and Netflix, more broadly—found themselves on shifting ground when partnerships turned into rivalries and when core beliefs about their business models no longer matched reality. In this episode...
info_outline
500 :: 499 Episodes Later: The 10.5 Leadership Lessons That Changed My Life (and Might Change Yours)
The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget
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, and think. These aren’t recycled clichés—they’re earned insights that go deeper than job titles or org charts. Whether you’re managing a crew or leading a company, these truths could shift everything for you too. In this episode you will: Hear the mental model that redefined what leadership actually is for me Understand why your...
info_outline
499 :: Performance Reviews Are Broken In Construction—Here’s How to Avoid Demoralizing and Confusing Your Talent
The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget
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 stretched thin, performance reviews often feel like administrative burdens instead of leadership tools that motivate your team and accelerate performance into a new year. But what if these meetings were more than bureaucratic...
info_outline
498 :: From Forgotten, Dusty Binders to Focused Execution: The Simple Strategy Template Hartmann Used for 2026 Strategy Planning
The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget
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 tested alternative you can use with your own team before the year kicks off. In this episode you will: Learn a simple but powerful 3x100-day planning system that keeps your team focused all year long Discover how to link lead measures directly to your revenue...
info_outline
497 :: Why Pacesetter Leadership Backfires in Construction (And What to Do Instead)
The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget
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 episode you will: Learn the 6 proven leadership styles outlined in Goleman’s HBR article—and how they apply to construction. Understand why pacesetting, though well-intentioned, often leads to burnout and disengagement....
info_outline
496 :: Why the “Old School” Leadership Style Doesn’t Work With Young Talent Anymore—And What To Do Instead with Mike Ellerbrook of UFP Site Built
The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget
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 real than ever. In this episode, you’ll hear from EVP Mike Ellerbrook, whose leadership journey from the plant floor to the executive level shows how emotional intelligence, adaptability, and humor build strong, high-performance cultures that last. In this episode you will: Discover how to shift leadership styles to reduce resistance to change and drive...
info_outlineDoes 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 “initiatives” don’t actually shape behavior, this episode breaks down how elite organizations—from Suffolk Construction to the New Zealand All Blacks—use intentional language to create a competitive advantage.
In this episode you will:
- Learn why a consistent internal vocabulary can align behaviors across your entire company
- Discover how phrases like “clean data lake” and “tip of the spear” drive accountability and innovation
- Understand how repetition from leadership creates true behavior change—even when it feels redundant
Listen now to uncover the leadership language tools you can use to build a stronger, more aligned construction team.
The Construction Leadership Podcast dives into essential leadership topics in construction, including strategy, emotional intelligence, communication skills, confidence, innovation, and effective decision-making. You'll also gain insights into delegation, cultural intelligence, goal setting, team building, employee engagement, and how to overcome common culture problems. Whether you're leading a crew or managing an entire organization, these conversations will equip you with tools to lead smarter and build stronger teams.
This episode is brought to you by The Construction Spanish Toolbox —the most practical way for construction teams to learn jobsite-ready Spanish in just minutes a day over 6 months.
***
If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback will help us on our mission to bring the construction community closer together.
If you have suggestions for improvements, topics you'd like the show to explore, or have recommendations for future guests, do not hesitate to contact us directly at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.