The Fighter Pilot Mindset Every Construction Leader Needs for Safer, Faster Projects
Release Date: 06/17/2025
Mental Health in Construction: The Safety Issue Nobody Wants to Talk About (But Everyone Lives With)
Construction Genius
Dan Lester returns to Construction Genius for Episode 2 — and the numbers are getting louder. Clayco’s latest Combating Stigma findings show 64% of construction workers report anxiety or depression in the last 12 months, up from 54% the year prior. Eric and Dan go upstream: schedules, client expectations, leadership culture, and why “awareness” isn’t the same as support. You’ll hear practical ways leaders can spot struggle, have better conversations, and build a jobsite culture that drives performance without grinding people into the dirt. We’ll also link to Dan’s first...
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Stop Bidding Everything: The 10 Roadblocks Killing Your Construction Sales
Construction Genius
Construction sales feel like a grind because the root problem isn’t sales — it’s the business infrastructure underneath. In this episode, we unpack the 10 structural roadblocks that make selling construction work under $100M so difficult. These issues include unclear vision, missing strategy, weak financial visibility, poor org structure, broken incentive systems, no management rhythm, and outdated hiring and development practices. Fix these, and sales becomes dramatically easier. Ignore them, and every bid feels like a battle. If you're tired of grinding, guessing, and hoping for better...
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Buyer-Ready in 12 Months: How to Make Your Construction Company Sellable
Construction Genius
Most contractors wait too long to prepare their business for a sale—and lose millions because of it. In this episode, I talk with Cameron Bishop, Managing Director at Raincatcher, about what it really takes to make your construction company buyer-ready in the next 12 months. Cam brings 40+ years of executive and M&A experience and has completed more than 70 transactions worth over $500M. He breaks down the biggest deal killers, the accounting mistakes that stall closings, how to remove owner dependency, and why customer concentration over 20% scares buyers away. 🎧 Listen now, and...
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What Secular Leadership Models Reveal About Jesus (and Your Business)
Construction Genius
Most leadership discussions avoid the most uncomfortable question: 👉 What actually makes a leader good? In this episode, I sit down with Father Daniel Brandenburg, author of Leader Like No Other: What Secular Leadership Models Reveal About Jesus, a book that flips the usual leadership conversation on its head. After completing a doctorate in leadership, Daniel realized something startling: Jesus, arguably the most influential leader in history, is almost completely absent from modern leadership theory. So he took ten major secular leadership paradigms and compared them directly with...
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How to Use Your WIP to Protect Cash and Grow Profitability
Construction Genius
In Part 2 of our WIP Mastery Series, CPA Kathe Barrington returns to show contractors how to use the WIP as a strategic decision-making tool. We dig into the three numbers every owner must check first, how underbilling reveals deeper project or client issues, and how the WIP exposes PM discipline long before problems hit the P&L. Kathe also walks through backlog planning, bid strategy, indirect cost allocation, and how to spot margin fade before it becomes expensive. If you want the financial clarity to run your company proactively—not reactively—this episode is essential. Learn more...
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Build Trust, Win Work: How the Doer–Seller Model Helps Construction Firms Thrive
Construction Genius
Construction BD expert Ken Harms joins me to break down the rise of the Doer–Seller model — a relationship-driven approach where project managers and superintendents help win work by serving clients, asking better questions, and building long-term trust. We unpack how owners’ expectations have shifted, why the rainmaker era is over, how to train introverted technical pros to engage confidently, and why firms that ignore this model will be trapped in low-bid work. If you want more negotiated work, more repeat clients, and teams who know how to build trust on and off the job, this episode...
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WIP Reports Made Simple: The Key to Stopping Hidden Job Losses
Construction Genius
Most contractors think they understand their WIP reports—but few actually use them to stop hidden job losses. CPA Kathe Barrington joins Eric Anderton to explain how to simplify your WIP, prevent fake profits, and keep your cash and bonding capacity intact. You’ll discover: • Why bad budgets destroy profits • How percent-complete accounting really works • How PMs and accountants can finally get on the same page Connect with Kathe Barrington 🌐 Website: 💼 LinkedIn: 📘 Facebook: 👉 More from Construction Genius 📘 Get the book Construction Genius: 🧠 Learn...
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From Superhero to System Builder: The Key to Leading a Scalable Company
Construction Genius
Hero culture caps growth. Eric and process-improvement pro show you how to trade capes for systems using a no-BS What–Why–How framework. Define the what (outcome), clarify the why (priority), then let your people own the how. We unpack faster bad-news communication, direct vs. root vs. latent causes, the Golden Hour for standardizing wins, and the Four M’s (Man, Machine, Material, Method). If you want a business that runs when you step away—and gets the most out of your people—this episode is your blueprint. Grab George’s book or visit . 90-Day High-Performance...
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Turn Your Website Into a Growth Engine
Construction Genius
Most construction companies treat their website like a digital brochure. Big mistake. Rob Murray from Intrigue Media joins Eric to explain why even $50M buyers do Google contractors—and how a smart, strategic website builds trust and drives real opportunities. You’ll learn how to position your company vertically or horizontally, speak to multiple buyer types, and use short, authentic testimonials that convert. Rob also shares a simple spreadsheet exercise that exposes your most profitable niche—and how to use client interviews to rewrite your homepage in their words. Turn your website...
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2026 Starts Now: The Construction Outlook Every CEO Needs to Hear
Construction Genius
In this episode, Eric Anderton breaks down findings from FMI’s Q4 2025 Construction Outlook and the CIRT Q3 2025 Sentiment Index, revealing how 130 construction CEOs are preparing for a selective, profit-focused market. Learn why the flight to quality is reshaping bidding strategy, how firms are earning more by doing less, and what it takes to ride the 2026 infrastructure and tax-credit wave. 📚 Resources 90-Day High-Performance Dashboard You can't afford to let your people drift. To drive real performance, you must coach with clarity and purpose. Use...
info_outlineIn today’s episode of Construction Genius, we dive deep into a powerful leadership framework that can transform how you run your construction projects — the Fighter Pilot Mindset based on John Boyd’s legendary OODA loop.
In fast-paced, high-risk environments — whether it’s a fighter jet or a complex construction site — the speed and quality of your team’s decision-making can make or break project outcomes.
Yet many construction leaders today face persistent challenges:
✅ Bridging the gap between office leadership and field crews
✅ Balancing safety and productivity under constant schedule pressure
✅ Driving real-time decision-making on job sites that are always changing
✅ Building a job site culture where workers are empowered — not micromanaged
✅ Improving communication between leadership and the front line
That’s where the OODA loop — Observe, Orient, Decide, Act — comes in. Originally designed for fighter pilots in life-or-death combat, this mental model helps leaders and crews think faster and act smarter — without sacrificing safety.
My guest today is Stokes McIntyre, CEO of MindForge, who brings a unique background in both film production and construction technology. Stokes is passionate about helping construction leaders apply OODA loop thinking to close the field-office communication gap and create job sites where safety and speed reinforce each other — not compete.
RESOURCES
Website - mindforgeapp.com
LinkedIn Handle - linkedin.com/in/stokesmcintyre/
Insta - instagram.com/mindforgellc/
X - x.com/MindForge
Facebook - facebook.com/mindforgeinc
Company LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/mindforgellc
Restaurant Recommendation - giuseppesritrovo.com/