Why Construction Companies Stop Growing—and How to Fix It

Jul 1, 2025

In this engaging conversation, Rachel Burr, an experienced executive coach and leadership consultant, explores why construction companies struggle with growth. She emphasizes the critical role of emotional intelligence and active listening in leadership. Instead of trying to do it all, leaders should focus on building trust and clarity within their teams. Rachel also discusses overcoming imposter syndrome and fostering honest communication as key strategies for effective leadership, empowering teams to break through growth barriers.

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ADVICE

Listen To Understand

Practice listening to understand rather than to respond.
Ask questions and create space so people stop censoring themselves and share real information.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Use Physical Pauses To Choose Responses

Notice when you get triggered and create physical pause (breathe, ground yourself).
Use that pause to choose a response and focus on the other person's words, not your rebuttal.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Give Context Before Chaos

Give teams context: what we're doing, why, and where we're going.
Build trust and context upfront so people can pivot when information changes.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Navigating Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

03:13 • 14min

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Navigating Miscommunication: The Impact of Delivery on Message Reception

17:12 • 2min

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Overcoming Leadership Challenges in Construction Companies

19:32 • 4min

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Navigating Leadership Transitions

23:45 • 11min

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Empowering Honest Leadership

34:35 • 9min

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#545

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Turn The Ship Around!

L. David Marquet

In 'Turn the Ship Around! ', Captain L. David Marquet recounts his experience as the commander of the USS Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered submarine. Initially trained in the traditional 'know all–tell all' leadership model, Marquet faced significant challenges when he took command of the Santa Fe, which was then one of the worst-performing submarines in the fleet. He realized that the traditional leader-follower approach was ineffective and decided to implement a leader-leader model, where every crew member was empowered to take responsibility and make decisions. This approach led to a dramatic improvement in morale, performance, and retention, transforming the Santa Fe into one of the best submarines in the fleet. The book provides practical insights and strategies for implementing this leadership model in various organizational settings.

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Leadership Is Language

The Hidden Power of What You Say and What You Don't

L. David Marquet

In 'Leadership Is Language,' L. David Marquet provides a radical playbook for empowering teams by focusing on the power of language in leadership. Drawing from his experience as a nuclear submarine captain, Marquet outlines practical strategies and real-life examples to enhance communication skills, foster collaboration, autonomy, and high performance. The book emphasizes the importance of language in shaping organizational culture and employee engagement, introducing concepts such as 'intent-based leadership' and the role of questions in effective communication. Marquet offers six key 'plays' for leaders, including controlling the clock, collaborating rather than coercing, committing rather than complying, and connecting rather than conforming, to create a more empowering and collaborative work environment.

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Construction Genius

Effective, Hands-On, Practical, Simple, No-BS Leadership, Strategy, Sales, and Marketing Advice for Construction Companies

Eric Anderton

#10555

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

Butterfly

V. C. Andrews

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Growth isn’t just about bigger projects or tighter timelines; it’s about developing leadership. When the leaders try to do everything themselves, struggle to delegate, or are unable to build trust within their teams, it often leads to hitting the ceiling. Emotional intelligence, intentional listening, and clarity of intent are essential in shaping high-performing teams. Building self-awareness, fighting the impostor syndrome, and leading through uncertainty might seem challenging at times, but it’s up to the leaders to decide which direction is best for your organization.

Rachel Burr is an executive coach, author, speaker, leadership consultant, and people expert with over 20 years of experience and a unique blend of insight, action, and humor. Having an exceptional understanding of how people work inside out, Rachel collaborates with leaders who are experts in their fields but in need of help with the people part of the leadership. She helps to break down confusing issues related to people by listening with heart, mind, and empathy, and trained analytical skills. She joined us today to talk about why construction companies stopped growing and how to fix them.

HIGHLIGHTS

[01:42] ‘Listening’ as a fundamental skill in leadership.

[03:43] Managing emotional reactions in leadership.

[09:30] The importance of clarity and building trust with a team.

[12:38] The importance of being open to learn from mistakes.

[14:20] Emotional intelligence in construction.

[17:46] The alignment between intent and delivery.

[25:24] Challenges of overcoming the impostor syndrome.

[29:46] The disadvantages of not listening.

[36:48] Letting go to grow.

[39:16] How to ask powerful questions?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Instead of hearing, listen to understand.
Stop trying to pretend you’re always logical, expect the emotions will show up.
In times of chaos, trust is what keeps a team steady. Build trust before the storm.
Leadership isn’t about perfection. Make the best decision you can, learn from it, and keep moving forward.
Saying the right thing the wrong way can still do damage. Own your delivery, share your intent.
Remember that impostor syndrome is common among leaders. Treat it as a sign of pushing the boundaries, not failing.

RESOURCES

Connect with Rachel Burr

LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/rachelmburr/

Website - catamentum.com/

Butterfly Goo: The Down and Dirty Truth of Transformation

Rachel Burr

amazon.com/Butterfly-Goo-Dirty-Truth-Transformation/dp/B0DZD8MLQY

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 the 90-Day High-Performance Dashboard to:

Get clear on what matters most.
Drive focused action and accountability.
Strengthen trust and deepen relationships.

Success doesn't happen by accident.

It happens when leaders coach with precision and consistency.

Download the 90-Day High-Performance Dashboard here: https://www.constructiongenius.com/high-performance-in-a-new-role

Coach your team toward real results — one conversation at a time.

Resources to Help You Win in Construction

📖 Construction Genius Book – No B.S., practical, hands-on leadership, strategy, sales, and marketing advice for construction companies. Click this link to buy the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Construction-Genius-Effective-Hands-Leadership/dp/B0BHTRDY1T/

🎯 The Shift: Move from Project Builder to People Leader – Master the leadership skills you need to succeed in construction. Click this link to learn more and enroll: https://theshift.constructiongenius.com

☎️ Book a 10-Minute Call with Eric Anderton – If you want to discuss how I can help you coach your leaders, let’s connect. Book a 10-minute conversation here: https://10minutes.youcanbook.me

🎧 Subscribe & Share If this episode hit home, share it with your sales team. And don’t forget to leave a review—it helps more construction leaders find Construction Genius!

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