The Construction Leadership Podcast: Executive Strategies to Build Elite Teams & Consistently Deliver On-Time, Under Budget

Bradley Hartmann
  • 4.8 (93)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Are you spending more time solving problems than actually leading in your construction business? The Construction Leadership Podcast helps executives build high-performing teams, finish on time and under budget—without all the firefighting and babysitting—so you can lead with clarity, consistency, and control. Hosted by Bradley Hartmann—author of 15 books for the construction industry who teaches leadership in the University of Oklahoma's Master's program for construction professionals—each episode delivers real-world lessons for real-world builders. You'll learn how to: • Lead change with less resistance using field-tested strategies that increase engagement • Build a culture of accountability—without micromanaging or constant confrontation • Eliminate confusion with mental models and tools that drive confident execution New episodes drop every Tuesday and Thursday. Ready to jump in? Start with episode 470: The Glock 17, a Billionaire, and the Leadership Lesson That Will Transform Your Team's Change Management. It's a listener favorite and will shift how you lead through resistance.

  1. 1D AGO

    515 :: Before Yellowstone, There Was Lonesome Dove—And It Holds the Blueprint for Construction Leadership

    If you're a Yellowstone fan who leads a construction company, have you ever wondered what frontier leadership can teach you about succession, authority, and legacy?   Long before the Duttons, there was Lonesome Dove—a gritty epic about two very different leaders driving cattle from Texas to Montana.    At its core, it's a story about command, loyalty, succession, and the tension between control and trust. Sound familiar?   Many construction companies—especially family-run firms—are facing a similar frontier: the transition from one generation of leadership to the next. The same commanding, pace-setting style that built the business may not be the style that sustains it.    And giving the next generation a title without real authority isn't leadership development—it's supervised adulthood. In this episode, Bradley Hartmann connects Daniel Goleman's six leadership styles with Lonesome Dove and the real-world succession challenges facing construction executives today.   In this episode, you'll discover:   How two radically different leadership styles worked together on the frontier—and what that means for your executive team Why giving next-gen leaders responsibility without budget authority quietly undermines succession Three critical questions every construction owner must answer before passing the reins     Press play to learn how expanding your leadership range today can protect your company's legacy for the next generation.   At Bradley Hartmann & Company, we help construction teams improve sales, leadership,  and communication by reducing miscommunication, strengthening teamwork, and bridging language gaps between English and Spanish speakers. To learn more about our product offerings, visit bradleyhartmannandco.com.   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.   Have topic ideas or guest recommendations? Contact us at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.   New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday and Thursday.   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.

    14 min

  2. 3D AGO

    514 :: The 7 Simple Questions That Power the 3x3 Big Question Framework & Turn Conflict Into Clarity

    When a tough conversation begins, do you have a structured way to slow down the pace and stay open before assumptions take over?   In construction leadership, quick decisions are often praised—but when they're built on unchecked assumptions, they create confusion, conflict, and costly mistakes.    If you've ever walked away from a conversation with a key member of your team thinking, "Wit. Exactly what just happened there?", this episode is for you. Bradley Hartmann introduces his simple but powerful 3x3 Big Question Toolbox.    It's designed to help you slow down, eliminate bias, and lead with clarity instead of impulse.   In this episode, you'll learn how to:   Replace reactive leadership with curiosity-driven conversations that build trust Prevent conflict escalation by asking better questions before and after problems arise Strengthen relationships with employees and colleagues by truly understanding their motivations and perspectives     Press play now to learn the seven questions that will immediately make you a more thoughtful, trusted, and effective construction leader.   You can download the 3x3 Big Question Toolbox HERE.   At Bradley Hartmann & Company, we help construction teams improve sales, leadership,  and communication by reducing miscommunication, strengthening teamwork, and bridging language gaps between English and Spanish speakers. To learn more about our product offerings, visit bradleyhartmannandco.com.   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.   Have topic ideas or guest recommendations? Contact us at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.   New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday and Thursday.   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.

    14 min

  3. FEB 19

    513 :: The 5 Questions Leaders Must Ask To Expose What's "Unsaid" on Your Job Site

    Are you waiting until the exit interview to find out why your best people are leaving? In construction, relationships, loyalty, and tribal knowledge are critical to keep the machine that is your company running—yet many companies only start asking real questions after a resignation letter hits the desk.    Gallup research shows most employees were never meaningfully asked how they were doing before they quit—and over half believe their manager could have prevented it. If you're leading project managers, superintendents, or business development reps, this episode challenges you to stop reacting to turnover and start preventing it.   In this episode you will:   Learn the five stay interview questions that uncover what truly motivates your top performers Understand how to listen for what's said, unsaid, and unsayable in leadership conversations Discover a practical framework (SCOPED) to improve engagement, development, and retention     Press play now to learn how to keep your best construction leaders engaged before frustration turns into resignation.   Read Susan Peppercorn's article titled 5 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask Their Direct Reports   At Bradley Hartmann & Company, we help construction teams improve sales, leadership,  and communication by reducing miscommunication, strengthening teamwork, and bridging language gaps between English and Spanish speakers. To learn more about our product offerings, visit bradleyhartmannandco.com.   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.   Have topic ideas or guest recommendations? Contact us at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.   New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday and Thursday.     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.

    18 min

  4. FEB 17

    512 :: How This President Prevents Burnout by Building Simple Leadership Rhythms: Josh Hendrickson of Wilson Lumber

    Is your team giving the market a different story depending on who they talk to—business development, operations, or leadership?   In a soft market, confusion is expensive. If your message, priorities, and capacity don't match across departments, you don't just lose efficiency—you lose trust, margins, and momentum.    In this episode, Josh Hendrickson, President of Wilson Lumber, breaks down how strong leaders create clarity under pressure, keep sales and operations speaking the same language, and stay consistent quarter to quarter without burning out.   In this episode you will:   Learn how to create one clear message across sales and operations so execution matches what's being sold Discover quarterly rhythms that keep your leadership team aligned (and prevent drift) Understand how to communicate with urgency and steadiness so stress doesn't spread through the organization     Press play to learn how to lead with clarity in a soft market—so your team moves as one.   At Bradley Hartmann & Company, we help construction teams improve sales, leadership,  and communication by reducing miscommunication, strengthening teamwork, and bridging language gaps between English and Spanish speakers. To learn more about our product offerings, visit bradleyhartmannandco.com.   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.   Have topic ideas or guest recommendations? Contact us at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.   New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday and Thursday.     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.

    27 min

  5. FEB 12

    511 :: Why This Book Is—Pound for Pound—the Most Useful Leadership Book I've Read In The Last 12 Months

    Many construction leaders know what good leadership looks like—but somewhere between deadlines, travel, and constant problem-solving, those fundamentals slip. This month's book recommendation is a 117-page leadership reminder titled The Way of the Shepherd by Dr. Kevin Leman and Bill Pentak.     This episode speaks directly to leaders who feel stretched thin, disconnected from their teams, or stuck in firefighting mode and want to regain clarity, control, and purpose.   In this episode, you'll discover:   How a simple leadership reminder can dramatically improve trust, communication, and engagement on your team A practical framework for truly understanding your people beyond their job titles Why great leaders repeat values and mission far more than they think they should—and how it drives performance   If you want to lead your construction team with more focus, purpose, and control—without adding complexity—press play and discover why this short book delivers massive leadership impact.   Thank you to Dave Reichert, Ray Hayles, and Josh Hendrickson for the recommendation in the years 2017, 2024, and 2026, respectively.     At Bradley Hartmann & Company, we help construction teams improve sales, leadership,  and communication by reducing miscommunication, strengthening teamwork, and bridging language gaps between English and Spanish speakers. To learn more about our product offerings, visit bradleyhartmannandco.com.   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.   Have topic ideas or guest recommendations? Contact us at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.   New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday and Thursday.   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.

    12 min

  6. FEB 10

    510 :: The 7 Construction Leadership Lessons From Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

    I know, I know.    You're probably too cool to watch Taylor Swift's docu-series on Netflix about her Eras Tour.   But, if you want to see great leadership in action during a nearly two-year movable construction project, watching Taylor in action might be one of the best decisions you make this year.   If you've ever tried to keep crews engaged, schedules intact, quality high, and burnout low while margins are tight and pressure is relentless, you already understand the challenge Taylor Swift solved.    Her Eras Tour wasn't entertainment—it was a $2 billion, multi-year, zero-cancellation logistics operation. This episode breaks down exactly how her leadership principles translate to construction job sites, teams, and executives.   In this episode, you'll learn:   The seven leadership behaviors that kept a massive operation running smoothly under extreme pressure How clear standards, preparation, and generosity directly impact execution and retention Why the best construction leaders obsess over experience, not just outcomes   Hit play to discover how elite leadership—not talent, not luck—is what allows massive projects to run calmly, profitably, and with teams that actually want to stay.   At Bradley Hartmann & Company, we help construction teams improve sales, leadership,  and communication by reducing miscommunication, strengthening teamwork, and bridging language gaps between English and Spanish speakers. To learn more about our product offerings, visit bradleyhartmannandco.com.   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.   Have topic ideas or guest recommendations? Contact us at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.   New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday and Thursday.     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.

    20 min

  7. FEB 5

    509 :: The Barnes & Noble Paradox: Why Old-School Leadership Is Winning in Construction Despite the Age of AI

    Construction leaders are being told—daily—that AI, automation, dashboards, and optimization are the future. But what if the very things we're rushing to automate are the things that actually make leadership work?   In this episode, Bradley Hartmann explores a surprising case study: the resurgence of Barnes & Noble, a 140-year-old, paper-and-ink business thriving in the age of AI and Amazon.   Using the Barnes & Noble turnaround as a lens, this episode breaks down two leadership capabilities AI will never replicate—and why they matter more than ever in construction:   Being a genuine fan of the work, the customer, and the people doing the work Taste and human judgment—knowing what matters, what doesn't, and when timing matters more than data.     This isn't a story about books.   It's a story about leadership, accountability, and change in old, complex industries—just like construction.   This episode will help you:   Identify where your organization may be over-centralized or over-optimized Reclaim leadership leverage that no software can replace Make better decisions about what to abandon, not just what to add Lead change without losing trust, judgment, or accountability   You'll walk away with a clearer lens on what great construction leadership actually requires in the age of AI.   If Barnes & Noble can come back by falling back in love with books, imagine what could happen in construction if leaders fell back in love with building—and the people who make it happen.   https://www.honest-broker.com/p/what-can-we-learn-from-barnes-and   https://substack.com/@tedgioia   At Bradley Hartmann & Company, we help construction teams improve sales, leadership,  and communication by reducing miscommunication, strengthening teamwork, and bridging language gaps between English and Spanish speakers. To learn more about our product offerings, visit bradleyhartmannandco.com.   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.   Have topic ideas or guest recommendations? Contact us at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.   New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday and Thursday.     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.

    18 min

  8. FEB 3

    508 :: Why Michael Scott (The Office) Is Proof the Mental Model of Unique Ability Beats "Well-Rounded" Leadership

    What if there's one part of your job you're uniquely built for—and it checks all these boxes?   Others consistently see you as exceptional at it You genuinely enjoy it and want more time doing it It gives you energy, even on hard days You never feel "done" improving at it   If you know what this activity is, you've identified your unique ability, as defined by business coach Dan Sullivan. Unfortunately, most people spend their entire careers without ever pinpointing it—robbing both themselves and those around them of their natural strengths.   Many construction owners, project managers, and superintendents feel exhausted, frustrated, and stretched thin—not because they lack discipline or skill, but because they're spending the majority of their time working outside their unique ability.   In this episode, Bradley Hartmann breaks down a powerful leadership mental model using an unexpected case study—Michael Scott from The Office—to show how leaders can create more impact, energy, and results without trying to be good at everything.   By listening to this episode, you'll learn:   How to identify your unique ability—and why it matters more than fixing weaknesses Why burnout is often an energy problem, not a workload problem How great construction leaders design roles and teams around strengths to build loyalty, culture, and performance     Press play to discover how leveraging your unique ability can transform the way you lead, energize your team, and reclaim focus in your construction business.   At Bradley Hartmann & Company, we help construction teams improve sales, leadership,  and communication by reducing miscommunication, strengthening teamwork, and bridging language gaps between English and Spanish speakers. To learn more about our product offerings, visit bradleyhartmannandco.com.   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.   Have topic ideas or guest recommendations? Contact us at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.   New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday and Thursday.     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.

    22 min
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About

Are you spending more time solving problems than actually leading in your construction business? The Construction Leadership Podcast helps executives build high-performing teams, finish on time and under budget—without all the firefighting and babysitting—so you can lead with clarity, consistency, and control. Hosted by Bradley Hartmann—author of 15 books for the construction industry who teaches leadership in the University of Oklahoma's Master's program for construction professionals—each episode delivers real-world lessons for real-world builders. You'll learn how to: • Lead change with less resistance using field-tested strategies that increase engagement • Build a culture of accountability—without micromanaging or constant confrontation • Eliminate confusion with mental models and tools that drive confident execution New episodes drop every Tuesday and Thursday. Ready to jump in? Start with episode 470: The Glock 17, a Billionaire, and the Leadership Lesson That Will Transform Your Team's Change Management. It's a listener favorite and will shift how you lead through resistance.

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