The NEXT Academy

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Never Split the Difference and translate Chris Voss’s negotiation tools into the construction world, where schedule pressure, scope gaps, change orders, and difficult people are part of everyday leadership. You’ll learn how tactical empathy, mirroring, labeling, and calibrated questions can help you lower defensiveness, protect your position, and turn tense conversations into better outcomes.

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In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Made to Stick and translate Chip and Dan Heath’s communication framework into the construction world, where unclear messages can lead to missed details, rework, safety issues, and frustration. You’ll learn how to make your ideas simple, concrete, credible, emotional, and memorable so your team does not just hear the message—they carry it into the work.

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In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and translate its lessons into the construction world, where trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results determine whether teams actually perform under pressure. You’ll learn how to identify the hidden cracks in your project team and start rebuilding the foundation that makes honest communication, ownership, and collective success possible.

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Back by popular demand, our discussion from 2021 with Dr. Kevin Elko.

Are you thinking to your full potential? How do you think? Do your thoughts lift you up, give you hope, and look toward a bright future? Or do they constantly focus on the negative and leave you self-defeated? Your thoughts have the power to change your reality and lead you to your best possible life.

In Believing is Seeing, Dr. Kevin Elko and Rev. Duane Thompson share what they have learned through decades of helping others reframe their mindsets and change their lives. They have seen just how powerful the right attitude can be, if you choose to unleash it. Believing is Seeing offers ten steps to transform your thinking so you live with a new purpose and boldness. Your best life is waiting for you!

Today, Dr. Elko joins NEXT Academy Co-Creators Chad Jones and Cody Phillips as they discuss “Believing is Seeing” and pull out leadership lessons that they feel can help contractors create a competitive advantage by utilizing these 10 transformative steps! This book is #AWESOME 🔥🔥

#BeNEXT #UnionConstruction #UnionContractor #Contractor #ElectricalContractor #MechanicalContractor #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #Construction #ConstructionLeadership #Future #Startups #BuildingConstruction #Technology #Careers #Management #Entrepreneurship #BuildingTrades

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Crucial Conversations and translate its lessons into construction, where the toughest project issues often come down to whether leaders can tell the truth without destroying trust. You’ll learn how to handle high-stakes conversations about safety, schedule, performance, and money with more clarity, courage, and respect.

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In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down General Stanley McChrystal’s Team of Teams and translate its lessons into construction, where silos, slow approvals, and disconnected teams can quietly choke project performance. You’ll learn how shared consciousness and empowered execution help teams move faster, make better decisions, and operate as one connected system instead of separate departments fighting their own battles.

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In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Simon Sinek’s Start with Why and translate purpose-driven leadership into the construction world, where people need more than tasks, deadlines, and pressure to do their best work. You’ll learn how to connect daily jobsite responsibilities to deeper meaning so your team moves from simple compliance to real commitment.

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In this episode of the Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way and translate Stoic resilience into the real world of construction, where delays, conflicts, and pressure are part of the job. You’ll learn how to shift your perception, take disciplined action, and become the kind of leader who turns obstacles into the very path forward.

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In this episode of the Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art and translate “resistance” into the real world of construction leadership—where procrastination, perfectionism, fear, and busyness quietly keep us from doing the work that matters most. You’ll learn how to “turn pro,” show up consistently, and take the next disciplined action even when the job is chaotic and motivation is nowhere to be found.

Enjoy Episode 28 and #BeNEXT

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Daniel Coyle’s The Culture Code and translate its lessons into the construction world, where safety, trust, vulnerability, and purpose determine whether teams speak up early or hide problems until they become expensive. You’ll learn how to build belonging, model honest vulnerability, and establish a clear purpose so your project team performs with more trust, speed, and resilience under pressure.

Enjoy Episode 27 and #BeNEXT