Elevate Construction

Jason dives into something totally new for the podcast — systems thinking, and specifically Donella Meadows' famous "leverage points" for creating real change. He explains why most attempts at change fail because people jump straight to fixing symptoms instead of understanding the paradigm, mindset, and goal driving the whole system. Using a powerful breakdown of why U.S. construction contracts consistently produce late, contentious projects, Jason shows how the system is often perfectly designed to get the exact (bad) results it's getting. If you've ever felt like you're pushing against a system that won't budge, this episode will change how you think about making change stick.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What Donella Meadows' 12 leverage points are and why some create far more change than others

• Why paradigms and mindsets are the highest-leverage places to start when trying to change a system

• How the goal of a system shapes everything beneath it, including structure, rules, and behavior

• Why the U.S. construction contracting system consistently produces failed, late projects, and what goal is actually driving that outcome

• How a real example of tackling delivery rules on a project changed workers' mindsets about respect and fairness

If your projects, your team, or your business keep getting the same results, what does that tell you about the system you've actually designed?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason gets personal about money in this episode, sharing how a horrible accountant nearly sank Elevate Construction early on, and how finding the right financial advisor changed the trajectory of his business. He breaks down why having a great accountant, a fiduciary financial advisor, and a solid lawyer isn't optional if you want to build and protect wealth. Pulling from lessons learned through Tony Robbins' Wealth Mastery training, Jason lays out the mindset shifts and practical steps that separate people who stay stuck from people who actually build something lasting. This one's a wake-up call for anyone who's been avoiding their finances.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why every business and individual needs a great accountant, a fiduciary financial advisor, and a lawyer to stay safe and grow

• How your financial mindset sets an invisible ceiling on what you'll ever earn or keep

• The real reasons most people never become wealthy, and how to break the pattern

• Practical steps for allocating assets, saving consistently, and investing with a clear plan

• Why getting the right coaching and training can change the entire trajectory of your finances

What's the one financial move you've been putting off that could change everything if you finally made it a must instead of a maybe?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

In this episode, Jason sits down with John Coffman for a raw, unscripted conversation about "stupid and dangerous things" — the near-misses and close calls that stick with you for the rest of your career. John shares a jaw-dropping story from a nuclear power plant job that could have cost him his life, and Jason opens up about his own reckless moments in the field, including the tragedy that changed how he thinks about safety forever. Together they dig into what it really takes to build a culture where people watch out for each other, not just follow rules. This one hits different because it's not theory — it's two guys who've lived it.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why "keeping your brain turned on" is the most important piece of safety equipment on any job

• How a culture of watching out for the person next to you prevents the moments that turn deadly

• Why it's ultimately the superintendent's job to establish (or fail to establish) the safety culture on a project

• The difference between learning from wisdom versus learning from sad experience

• Why real accountability means the whole team gets safe together, not just individuals

What's the "stupid and dangerous" moment in your own career that changed how seriously you take safety today?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason opens with a haunting story about a real plane crash caused not by mechanical failure, but by a crew so fixated on one burned-out light bulb that they never noticed their aircraft quietly descending into the Everglades. He uses it as a mirror for construction leadership, showing how easily a team can lose sight of what matters most while chasing something that feels urgent in the moment. From Takt planning to team balance and health to pre-construction, Jason reframes why the systems he teaches actually exist. It's a call to find your own "green light bulb" before it costs you the project, your health, or your relationships.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why one small distraction can quietly crash an entire project, just like it crashed a real airplane

• The real reason behind implementing Takt planning, personal organization, and team balance and health

• How to recognize when you're focused on something urgent instead of something that actually matters

• Why proactive systems exist to protect the team's focus, not just to check a box

What's the burned-out green light bulb distracting you right now, and what's it costing you while you're not looking?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason shares a simple test he uses to raise the bar on teams and himself: would a professional director, an Olympic team, or a Navy SEAL unit tolerate this behavior? He tells a story of calling out disrespectful owners reps mid meeting, and another of pushing back on excuses in boot camp, both times treating people according to their potential instead of letting them act small.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why treating people like executives raises their performance
• How high expectations are actually a form of respect
• The test of asking what a professional team would tolerate
• Why mutual accountability beats private, behind closed doors correction
• How sympathy voting yourself keeps you stuck acting small

If you find yourself excusing sloppy behavior on your team, the honest question is whether an Olympic team or a Navy SEAL unit would tolerate it, and if the answer is no, why you are letting it slide.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason takes on seagull management, the leaders and executives who fly in, bark orders or crap on a project, then leave everyone else to clean up the mess. He lays out the five things a project executive or director cannot abdicate, from building the team to attending the weekly internal meeting, and contrasts a leader who ran to a struggling project with one who blamed and dispatched someone else instead.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What seagull management looks like on a project
• The five responsibilities a project leader cannot abdicate
• Why attending the team's weekly meeting matters so much
• The difference between running to a problem and running from it
• How to spot whether you are leading or seagull managing

If you cannot say right now exactly how your project is doing and what is being done about its biggest problem, the honest question is whether you are truly leading that team, or just flying in to crap on it and leave.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason tells the tragic story of Man Gulch, where 13 smoke jumpers died clinging to their tools and old training instead of adapting to a fire that had outpaced their plan. He contrasts them with foreman Wag Dodge, who invented an escape fire on the spot when the real problem shifted from fighting the fire to surviving it. The lesson lands squarely on construction leaders still relying on old, worn out solutions for problems that have already changed.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why the smoke jumpers died clinging to their old tools and training
• How Wag Dodge invented a new solution when the real problem shifted
• Why new circumstances demand new skills, not old habits
• The danger of solving a new problem with yesterday's answers
• Why relying on past solutions can be a prescription for failure

If you are still leaning on yelling, pushing, or CPM style habits to solve today's problems, the honest question is whether you are adapting to the real fire in front of you, or still running uphill with a backpack that is only slowing you down.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason reflects on a simple quote, you can count the seeds in an apple but not the apples in a seed, to talk about how far a single act of help can ripple outward. He shares personal stories of people who helped him and Katie when they were struggling, and traces how that goodness has multiplied into thousands of lives touched through Elevate. The episode closes with a quiet challenge to think about what seeds you are actually planting.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why one act of kindness can multiply far beyond what you can measure
• How personal stories of help shaped Jason's own journey
• Why celebrating your own progress is not arrogance
• How clarity and mission connect to the seeds you plant
• Why legacy matters more than what you can count today

As you go about your day, the real question worth sitting with is what seeds you are planting right now, because whether they are good or bad, you will never be able to count the apples that grow from them.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason and John Coffman explore why superintendents must walk into risk, not run past it. John shares two stories, a cap pour that would have failed had he not questioned the numbers one more time, and a corroded Hawaii tunnel where pushing back against pressure to just finish the design likely saved lives.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why firemen walk into buildings instead of running
• How questioning the numbers one more time can prevent disaster
• Why superintendents must slow down to see hidden hazards
• The risk of pressure to just get the design finished
• Why speed and safety are not actually in conflict

If your job keeps pushing you to move faster, the real question is whether you are still walking in aware of every hazard, or running past something that could hurt someone.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason continues his success formula series with personal organization and morning routine. He covers keeping a single to-do list, tying five key goals to leader standard work, and building a weekly plan that protects both family and work priorities. He closes with a detailed morning routine built around box breathing and gratitude, explaining why training the mind matters as much as any schedule.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why your mind is for having ideas, not holding them
• How to connect five key goals to your leader standard work
• Why weekly planning should protect family time as well as work
• How box breathing trains the mind toward clarity and calm
• Why personal organization protects the clarity you have already set

If you have clarity and mindset but no personal organization system behind them, the honest question is whether your goals are actually driving your week, or just sitting quietly in the back of your mind.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw