Elevate Construction

If you want superintendents to represent the company, protect the customer, and run consistent operations, you have to build a culture that makes that behavior the norm not the exception. In this episode, Jason breaks down why progress comes from team health and culture (not just technical skill), why some supers treat the role like "just a job," and how to create systems that drive buy-in and accountability across every project.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why operational performance is driven by culture and team health not just technical training

• How unclear superintendent career paths turn a "career" into a "job"

• The difference between "hours worked" and actual effectiveness on a project

• How to build buy-in with relevance, measurement, and connection

• Why project coverage systems and a visible day plan prevent missed lockups and gaps

• How to create a company cascade that scales expectations to every project team

• What to measure and incentivize without creating a "hide the problems" culture

• How passionate leadership and recognition systems create invested teams

• The exact leadership behaviors that turn "warm bodies" into committed operators

Now take this and apply it: pick one project this week and install a real coverage plan (who closes up, who's on-call, what the day plan is, and how it's communicated). Then audit your culture are your superintendents treated like leaders with a future, or dispatched like babysitters?

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

A lot of leaders are asking the same question: where did all the great superintendents go and why do so many seem checked out? In this episode, Jason tackles a listener question about getting supers bought in, especially when they treat the role like "just a job" instead of a career. You'll hear what drives disengagement, what high-performing companies do differently, and how to build a culture where superintendents actually want to lead.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why some superintendents see the role as "just a job" instead of a career

• How unclear career paths and compensation expectations impact buy-in

• The power of showing a visible growth path (levels, training, compensation, ownership)

• Why "learned hopelessness" creates bad projects and how to reverse it

• How to use anchor projects to model operational excellence and scale results

• Why immersive training changes behavior faster than boring presentations

• The four needs that drive engagement: appreciation, pay, measurable goals, and connection

• How to build culture by investing in top performers and removing culture killers

• Why leaders must push people to decide: bought in or out

If you want stronger superintendents, don't wait for a miracle hire build the system that creates them. Start by making the path clear, training relentlessly, and protecting the culture with real standards.

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

Most leaders waste their time on the wrong people and it's quietly killing their teams. In this episode, Jason breaks down why spending most of your time on low performers actually pushes your best people away. You'll learn how to shift your attention, motivate the middle, and let culture do the hard work for you. This is a practical leadership reset for project managers who want real leverage and real results.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why teams naturally split into bought-in, undecided, and dissenting groups

• How "squeaky wheels" steal time and attention from your top performers

• Why ignoring A-players sends the wrong message to your entire team

• How rewarding top performers pulls the middle group upward

• Why dissenters either improve—or remove themselves

• How incentive and accountability work together to protect culture

• Why zero tolerance for bad behavior is actually respect for people

• How focusing on your best people scales leadership through others

If you're a project manager or leader, take one action today: schedule intentional time with your top performers this week. Coach them. Listen to them. Invest in them. Then watch how the rest of the team responds.

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

This is one of the most impactful interviews I've ever done. Paul Akers joins me to talk about how lean actually works when it reaches every worker on site not just leadership. We dive into quality, safety, respect for people, and how small daily improvements create clean, precise, and remarkable projects. If you want lean to stick and scale in construction, this episode will change how you think.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why Two-Second Lean made lean culture accessible to construction

· How "Stop, Call, Wait" drives quality and safety at every level

· Why temporary workers must be trained to the same standard as full-time workers

· How respect for people and respect for resources change behavior

· Why relentless daily training is required to sustain lean

· How Japanese job sites maintain cleanliness, order, and precision

· Why total participation not tools is the real goal of lean

· How lean is a way of living, not just a work system

If you want quality and safety to actually reach the field, don't just listen pick one thing from this episode and apply it today. Share this episode with your superintendent, foreman, and one trade partner and start building a common language around "Stop, Call, Wait." And if you got value from this, leave a review on your preferred podcast platform those reviews help us reach more builders who want to do it the right way.

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

When your project team isn't listening, isn't bought in, and collaboration feels dead, it can feel like you're stuck especially if you're an APM without "real authority." In this episode, Jason breaks down what actually works when leaders are stuck at "good," meetings are ineffective, and communication is fractured. You'll learn how to lead without a title by building trust, creating undeniable results, and using the team meeting as your best leverage point to drive alignment and action without manipulating people or waiting for permission forever.

What you'll learn in this episode.

· How to create collaboration when you don't have the title (and why it's still possible)

· The "leader for the circumstance" concept and how to step into it the right way

· The 3 elements people need to change: understand it, feel it, and see the path made easy

· Why a strong team meeting is your biggest tool (and how to use it to create buy-in)

· How to gain a "teaspoon of authority" by owning what others won't or can't do and scaling results

If you're tired of feeling powerless, pick one area, build a plan, prove it works, and let the results do the convincing.

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

Most construction professionals are trying to lead jobs, teams, and meetings while quietly carrying unresolved tension at home and it spills into everything. In this episode, Jason Schroeder sits down with Brandon Montero for a direct, practical conversation about intimacy, emotional connection, and why "hoping it gets better" isn't a strategy. They break down what intimacy really is (beyond sex), how resentment forms, and how intentional daily connection can rebuild trust and closeness. If you want to be stronger at work, start by getting healthier at home.

What you'll learn in this episode:

· Why intimacy is relevant to construction professionals and performance on the job

· How to build connection throughout the day so intimacy doesn't feel transactional

· The difference between obligation, giving, and resentment in relationships

· Practical ways to communicate needs (including love languages) without guessing

· Why leaving your relationship "to chance" creates predictable consequences

If your relationship is too important to "wing it," what would change this week if you treated connection like a real priority instead of a hope?

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

Focus and drive are not optional in construction—without them, you will stall out fast. In this episode, Jason delivers a direct wake-up call for field engineers and emerging leaders who want to win, grow, and be taken seriously on a project site. This is about being present, outworking everyone early in your career, and knowing the plans, the work, and the people better than anyone else. If you're ready to stop drifting, break bad habits, and build real momentum, this episode is for you.

· What you'll learn in this episode:

· Why focus and drive are non-negotiable for success in construction

· The behaviors that are quietly killing careers on job sites

· What high-performing field engineers do differently every day

· How distraction, comfort zones, and low energy hold people back

· What it actually means to be the hardest-working person on the project

Are you showing up every day with the intensity, discipline, and ownership your future role demands?

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

Most quality problems aren't "craft issues" they're customer service failures. In this episode, Jason challenges foremen to stop installing work based on habit and start building exactly what the customer actually ordered every time. You'll hear simple analogies that make the point stick and a practical field-ready system (features of work, checklists, and daily huddles) to lock in expectations before crews ever start. If you want fewer punch list fights, smoother inspections, and pride in the finished product, this is the reset.

· What you'll learn in this episode.

· Why "you don't know what you're doing" really means you don't know the customer's specific expectations for today's work

· How a foreman can prevent inspector issues by giving each worker clear daily tasks, methods, and quality standards

· How to use Features of Work boards/visuals and checklists to capture conditions of satisfaction and eliminate guessing

· How the 25-minute crew preparation huddle trains the crew on expectations, deviations, and lessons learned

· How "stop, call, and wait" prevents rework and protects safety by catching problems before they get installed

Before your crew starts tomorrow, can you clearly explain without guessing what the customer expects the finished work to look like?

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

If you've ever caught yourself getting short, reactive, or "a little crazy" under pressure, this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar in the best way. Jason breaks down the Six Human Needs and the "Crazy Eight" cycle (sad/mad) to show why leaders lose their composure on projects and at home when certainty, significance, connection, or variety get threatened. You'll learn how to regain control by shifting your focus to the two needs you can always control growth and contribution so you can lead with clarity instead of emotion. This is a practical reset for anyone who wants to stay calm, keep credibility, and stop letting stress run the job.

What you'll learn in this episode

• The Six Human Needs (certainty, variety, significance, love/connection, growth, contribution) and how they show up on project sites
• What the "Crazy Eight" cycle is and why you bounce between sad and mad when a need gets threatened
• Why focusing on the first four needs can trap you (because you can't fully control them) and how that creates blowups at work
• How to shift your mindset to growth and contribution to stay grounded, calm, and effective under pressure
• Practical ways to reinforce a new paradigm (reminders, accountability, routines) so you don't default back to old reactions

When pressure hits next time, what would change if you asked yourself, "Which need is being threatened right now and how do I respond from growth and contribution instead of fear?"

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

Most projects don't fail because people don't work hard; they fail because leaders hide problems until it's too late. In this episode, Jason breaks down the Stockdale Paradox for project managers: face the brutal facts of what's happening on your jobsite while keeping unwavering faith that you'll win because you're seeing roadblocks early and removing them fast. He explains why triggering red flags and eliminating roadblocks is the PM's main job, and how Lean cultures create psychological safety so facts can be shared without fear or blame. If you want to stay calm, lead with truth, and keep your project on track, this is the mindset shift.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What the Stockdale Paradox is and how it applies to project leadership
• Why a PM's main job is triggering red flags, surfacing roadblocks, and removing them fast
• How to create a culture where facts can be discovered and expressed without blame or reprisal
• How to run meetings socratically: question first, debate respectfully, and find the true root cause
• Practical "triggers" for schedule and safety that warn you early before the project goes into the red

Are you facing the brutal facts early or letting optimism and silence steal your chance to win?

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_3p5nmMKnswSample