The Leadership and Learning Podcast: Recent Episodes
Randy Goruk
The Leadership and Learning Podcast is a professional development resource for the building materials industry.
The target audience is for all levels of leaders in any industry. However, it is definitely the podcast for you if you’re an emerging leader or involved in managing / leading anyone in the building material industry. You will benefit from this podcast if you’re in manufacturing, distribution, sales, accounting, human resources, customer service or technical support or active. Industry associations, college and high school students will also benefit from the lessons shared in this podcast.
We will bring you an abundance of valuable leadership content. We’ll do this by bringing you recorded conversations on leadership lessons and insights from various building material industry leaders, industry legends and subject matter experts. On occasion, the host, Randy Goruk will share his leadership experiences and expertise by offering you relevant and actionable leadership tips to elevate your individual and team’s performance.
The Leadership and Learning Podcast is all about helping you become a more effective leader by learning from others in the building material industry.
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, Randy Goruk talks with Mike Matalone, founder and chief talent officer of the XP3 Talent System and author of Hire, Train, and Retain. Together they unpack why most business problems are really people problems in disguise and why you can't hire great teams; you have to build them.
Drawing on years of work with CEOs and leadership teams, Mike explains how to:
- Use two critical hiring filters: are they smart enough to learn and are they coachable?
- Replace vague job descriptions with clear definitions of success, results, time frames, and required behaviors.
- Build an integrated people system that connects hiring, training, coaching, and career paths.
- Create true employee engagement by linking people to your mission, vision, and values.
- Tap into discretionary effort, the extra 40–60% of performance most employees never give.
- Dramatically reduce turnover and increase productivity, illustrated by a case study that cut sales turnover from 80% to 23%.
If you lead sales teams, manufacturing operations, distribution, or construction crews and feel too busy "just surviving the day" to focus on people, this conversation will challenge you to slow down, get better before you get bigger, and treat training and development as your best investment.
Website: https://www.xp3talent.com/
Hire, Train, Retain Book: https://www.amazon.com/Hire-Train-Retain-high-performing-organizational/dp/B0F8Z4KQ84
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-matalone-6029b87/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, Randy Goruk talks with Carol DeMarco, veteran counselor, author, and creator of "Pearls of Wisdom" (POWs), about how to build a resilient mindset before and during life's toughest moments.
Drawing on more than four decades of helping people through conflict, change, and crisis, Carol shares practical, memorable tools leaders can use to bounce back, adapt, and move forward—at work, at home, and on the jobsite.
Through real-world scenarios from the construction and building materials industry, Randy and Carol explore how resilient leaders think and act when facing shrinking markets, high turnover, safety hypocrisy, and "mediocre" performance.
Carol's POWs give listeners simple language and strategies they can immediately put into practice.
- Listeners will also discover how to:
- Understand resilience as a learned mindset, not an inborn trait
- Separate what they can control from what they can't, especially under pressure
- Replace automatic negative thoughts with more constructive thinking
- Use small, practical steps to get out of their comfort zone and build confidence
- Lead more effectively by ensuring people feel understood and appreciated
- Handle tough realities like turnover, safety conflicts, and performance issues without reacting emotionally or taking everything personally
- Start using short, "sticky" POWs to reinforce better choices and strengthen resilience every day
Website: https://www.powlistenup.com/
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-demarco-34309a375/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk talks with Sean Phelps, President of College Works Painting, about one of the toughest and most misunderstood leadership responsibilities: accountability.
After coaching more than 10,000 college students to run real businesses and generate over $100 million in revenue, Sean has turned accountability into a practical, repeatable system leaders can use every day.
Listeners will discover:
- Why traditional "browbeating" and quick consequences actually destroy accountability
- Seans reframe of accountability as "account + ability" gives people space to explain what really happened
- A simple question-based framework to diagnose whether a miss is about clarity, skill, effort, or control
- How to use carrots before sticks: clarity, coaching, and incentives before consequences
- Why one-on-one conversations are non‑negotiable for real accountability
- The "don't blame the lettuce" mindset for growing people instead of yelling at them
- How neutral thinking and "it takes what it takes" keep leaders focused on actions, not drama
If you want a more caring, highly accountable culture where people own their goals, come with solutions, and help your organization scale, this conversation with Sean Phelps is packed with practical insights you can start using this week.
Sean Phelps LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-phelps-2754782/
College Works Painting Website: https://collegeworks.com/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk talks with safety expert and author Brian Fielkow about why sustainable workplace safety is fundamentally a leadership and culture issue, not just a compliance exercise.
Drawing on his experience leading high‑hazard operations and his new book Making Safety Happen, Brian explains how the best organizations move beyond policies and inspections to create environments where employees choose to work safely because they know leadership genuinely cares about them.
Listeners will discover:
- The critical difference between compliance and a living safety culture
- Why safety must be treated as a core value, not a shifting priority
- The pivotal role of frontline supervisors in translating policy into real-world behavior
- How leaders unintentionally undermine safety
- Practical ways to build credibility, communication, and accountability without creating fear
- How to address a "we've always done it this way" mindset
- How to spot perception gaps between executives and frontline workers.
- How to create accountability without fear
Brian's website: https://brianfielkow.com/
Brian's email address: brian@brianfielkow.com
Brian's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfielkow/
Randy's 5-Day Safety Leadership Challenge: https://leadersedge360.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/5-Day-Challenge-1.pdf
In this solo episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, Randy Goruk shares practical leadership insights for navigating a slow market in the building materials and construction industry.
As projects slow down, margins tighten, and competition intensifies, many organizations fall into reactive thinking. Randy challenges leaders to think differently. Instead of lowering prices, defending volume, or relying on customer entertainment, he explains why the real opportunity during difficult markets is gaining market share.
Drawing on more than 40 years of leadership experience, Randy discusses: • why markets slow down • how manufacturers and distributors typically react • the dangers of price-driven thinking • why most companies fail to properly measure market share • strategic questions leaders should ask customers right now • how to become more valuable during uncertain times
This episode is a practical discussion about leadership, strategy, customer value, and long-term thinking during challenging business conditions.
Key Takeaways: • Slow markets expose weak leadership and weak value propositions • Lowering price is often a reaction, not a strategy • Market share should become a major leadership focus during difficult markets • Strong customer relationships are built by helping customers grow • Strategic questions create better customer conversations than pricing discussions • Leaders who think ahead outperform leaders who simply react
If you're a leader in construction, distribution, manufacturing, or building materials, this episode will challenge how you think about winning in a slow market.
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk sits down with Eric "Coach Rev" Reveno, James C. Gaither Associate Head Coach and General Manager for Stanford Men's Basketball, to discuss why great leaders often emerge from great teammates.
Drawing on three decades of Division I coaching experience, Coach Rev shares practical insights on leadership, authenticity, accountability, relationships, and team culture that easily apply to construction, manufacturing, building materials, and business environments.
Listen to this episode and you will learn: • The attributes of great leaders and coaches • Why authenticity matters more than copying leadership styles • The difference between being senior and being a great teammate • How leaders shape culture through standards and behavior • Practical ways to strengthen teamwork immediately
Coach Rev also introduces his STORM framework for great teammates: • Showing Up • Taking Care of Relationships • Owning Your Own Power • Raising Up Others • Maintaining a Mission Focus
Whether you lead a crew, project, department, or organization, this episode will challenge you to rethink leadership as a commitment to serving and strengthening the team around you.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-reveno-3b5a985/
Website: https://gostanford.com/sports/mens-basketball
In this episode, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with Ed DeAngelis, CEO of EDA Contractors, about how construction leaders can evolve from old school, command-and-control styles to adapt to a people-first, emotionally intelligent approach. Ed shares his personal journey from grinder and stress overload to servant leader and explains why he now treats humanity as a strategy investing in emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and holistic worker experiences as core business drivers, not "soft" add-ons.
Listeners will also learn:
- Why traditional "old school" command-and-control leadership is rapidly losing effectiveness in today's construction workforce.
- What "humanity as a strategy" is all about.
- How emotional intelligence applies to construction.
- Specific ways to create psychologically safe job sites where people feel respected, heard, and valued.
- Practical first steps for old school leaders such as pausing and breathing before reacting.
- How focusing on people can still drive safety, profitability, and performance.
- How to introduce emotional intelligence into a skeptical culture.
- The connection between leadership and the current labor shortage.
- How better leadership can help attract and retain workers.
- What younger workers are looking for today.
- The role of growth mindset and continuous learning.
- A vision of the future of construction.
Website: https://www.edacontractors.com/
Ed DeAngelis LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwarddeangelis/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk sits down with Andrea Piering, President of Sun State Builders, to explore how leaders can better attract, recruit, and retain women in construction.
Listeners will learn:
- How Andrea Piering went from working job sites as a teenager to becoming President of Sun State Builders
- Why construction can be a fulfilling and creative career path for women, even if they didn't grow up around it
- How schools and industry messaging can change misconceptions that construction is only dirty, outdoor, "in the hot sun" work
- The wide variety of roles women can have in construction
- Common misconceptions women have about entering construction and how ongoing learning makes the industry accessible
- Common misconceptions male leaders have about hiring or promoting women, and how those are changing with new generations of leaders
- Practical ways to help women succeed in the field
- How companies fall short when they don't provide a spectrum of entry points for women
- Why equal pay and feeling valued are critical to retaining women in construction
- How flexibility and empathy for family responsibilities impact retention
- Concrete ideas for leaders to attract and recruit more women
- How to retain women by simply asking them directly about their challenges, listening for blind spots, and making fixable improvements
- The importance of women in the industry seeing each other as allies, not competitors and growing together
- That there is a clear, needed place for women in construction, and how leadership development programs can support their growth
Website: https://sunstatebuilders.com/
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-piering-55b14880/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, Randy Goruk welcomes Angela Tait, CEO and founder of Tait Consulting and author of The Human Capital Playbook, to unpack what really drives employee retention in construction and similar project-driven environments.
In this episode you will learn how to:
- Build and maintain trust
- Use vulnerability effectively
- Design high-impact onboarding
- Create clarity for new employees
- Avoid the trap of overpromising and underdelivering
- Align culture with hiring
- Use practical tools to hear employees
- Address performance and behavior issues early
Whether you're a project manager, field supervisor, or senior leader, this episode will help you rethink retention as an experience. One that keeps your people engaged, loyal, and performing at a higher level.
BIO: Angela Tait is the Founder of Tait Consulting and a Chief Talent Strategist who partners with growing companies, particularly in construction, legal, and professional services to build high-performing teams. With experience as both a recruiter and an in-house HR leader, she has scaled organizations from early-stage to over 100 employees and now helps leaders align hiring, culture, and performance to drive business results. Angela is also the host of the Mom-Me Podcast and the bestselling author of The Human Capital Playbook. She has been seen in USNews, ABC, FastCompany, SHRM and many other publications.
Website: https://taitconsultingllc.com/
The Human Capital Playbook: https://www.amazon.com/Human-Capital-Playbook-Strategies-Leaders/dp/B0F4PMTFQB
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelatait/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk sits down with Jessper Maquindang, fractional Chief People Officer and leadership development consultant, to explore what it really takes to build and sustain high-performing construction teams.
Together they discuss why so many contractors struggle with hiring and retention, and how to move beyond filling roles with "warm bodies" to intentionally hiring for attitude, ownership, and culture fit.
You will learn how to:
- Transition from "doing everything yourself" to leading empowered teams.
- Attract better talent through clear mission, values, and vision.
- Communicate expectations so they're truly understood.
- Avoid over-reliance on "rockstar" employees and the risk that creates.
- Spot early warning signs of burnout and reducing chaos with clear priorities.
- Creating psychological safety, recognition, and strong onboarding to keep people engaged and committed.
If you're a leader who wants to minimize burnout, reduce turnover, and create a high-performance culture that doesn't depend on one or two heroes, this episode is packed with insights you can put to work right away.
Jessper Website: https://www.famileadconsulting.com/
Jessper LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmaquindang/
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk welcomes back cyber security expert Robert Siciliano for his third appearance to unpack the rapidly evolving world of cybercrime.
You will learn:
- What a "Strategic Human Firewall" is and why it's important.
- How the "human blind spot" works.
- Why cyber criminals now target people instead of systems.
- How AI has supercharged scams.
- Red flags and practical defenses against invoice fraud, vendor email compromise, and spoofed payment requests.
- Why out-of-band verification matters.
- How loneliness and emotional needs are manipulated by the bad guys.
- Daily and weekly security habits to keep you protected.
- Why cybersecurity is now a necessary core leadership skill.
- The importance of family and team "passwords.
Protect your business, your family and yourself by listening to this and the other Leadership and Learning Podcast episodes featuring Robert (episodes #18 and #103).
Website: https://protectnowllc.com/
Robert's Linked Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsiciliano/
In this episode, host Randy Goruk explores practical innovation advice for the construction and building materials industries. His guest is Neall Digert, Vice President of Innovation and Market Development with Kingspan Light and Air, a leading global manufacturer of high-performance daylighting and ventilation solutions.
Listeners will learn:
- A practical definition of innovation.
- Why fear of change is the #1 barrier to innovation and how to start eliminating it.
- How continuous improvement and innovation connect.
- Ways to engage frontline employees so they see their role in innovation and actually want to contribute ideas.
- Leadership behaviors that quietly kill innovation.
- The important role leaders play if they want innovation to take hold.
- How to innovate without overwhelming small teams.
- What typically triggers companies to finally innovate and how to be proactive instead of reactive.
- Why investing in people's learning, development, and industry involvement is essential to staying innovative and competitive.
- How a reputation for innovation helps attract and retain top talent.
- One simple innovation habit for leaders.
If you lead in construction, building materials, or manufacturing and you want more innovation without huge budgets or complicated programs, this conversation will give you practical ideas you can apply now.
Website: https://www.kingspanlightandair.us/
Neall Digert LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnealldigert/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk talks with Ryan Hogan, founder and CEO of Talent Harbor about how leaders in construction and building materials can recruit better employees and retain them longer.
Ryan shares the three critical phases of effective hiring.
You'll also learn:
- Why generic job descriptions fail
- How to build a simple blueprint for every role
- How to write posts that attract the right people and repel the wrong ones
- Low‑cost, high‑impact retention strategies
- A powerful interview question that reveals attitude, ambition, and fit
- Early warning signs of disengagement and quiet quitting
- The critical impact of the first 72 hours and first 90 days of onboarding
- Creative, practical recruiting tactics specific to the building trades and construction
If you're a leader who's tired of constant turnover and wants to become a true talent magnet, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can start using this week.
Website: https://talentharbor.com/
Ryan Hogan email: ryan@talentharbor.com
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk sits down with Robert Kennedy III, founder and CEO of Kennetik Kommunications, to explore how leaders can use storytelling to build trust, create clarity, and drive real change.
Robert shares practical ways leaders can use stories to:
- Make safety meetings and toolbox talks more engaging and memorable
- Strengthen trust with customers and prospects through testimonial-style stories
- Motivate crews, improve retention, and connect daily tasks to a bigger purpose
You'll learn Robert's simple EASE framework (Energy – Ask – Story – Explain) for structuring a compelling message and his powerful 'cheat code.'
You'll also learn:
- How to safely use personal and team stories.
- Avoid common mistakes with humor and references.
- How to build a personal "story bank" from everyday moments.
- Additional strategies, techniques, and tips to help you be a great storyteller.
If you've ever thought, "I don't have any good stories" or worried that your presentations put people to sleep, this episode will give you concrete tools to communicate with more impact on the jobsite, in the boardroom, and beyond.
Website: https://robertkennedy3.me/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkennedy3/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk explores a fundamental question faced by leaders: when should you give your team credit for accomplishments, and when (if ever) should you take credit yourself?
Drawing on real coaching conversations and timeless leadership wisdom, Randy emphasizes why team success is never about the individual leader, but about collective achievement.
Listeners will hear actionable tips on supporting and inspiring teams
- · Why humility is a crucial leadership trait that builds trust and respect.
- · Practical ways leaders support their teams.
- · How a leader's behind-the-scenes work contributes to overall team success.
- · That team achievements are a collective success.
- · Inspiring examples and quotes underscoring the value of humility in leadership.
- · Randy's personal mantra.
- · Leadership tips on achieving a positive, engaged work environment.
Join host Randy Goruk in this insightful episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast as he welcomes Scott Peper, CEO of Mobilization Funding. Together, they dive deep into operational discipline as an underrated tool for recruiting and retaining top talent in manufacturing, construction, and operations.
Scott draws from his extensive experience to reveal how a well-organized, safe, and empowering workplace drives morale, productivity, and company growth.
Listeners will discover practical leadership lessons and strategies for retaining employees.
Whether you're a plant manager, business owner, or team leader, this episode delivers actionable insights to help you build a high-performing and engaged workforce.
Listeners will learn:
- Why operational discipline is crucial for employee retention and organizational success.
- The importance of leadership in creating a positive, safe, and empowering work environment.
- How clarity in standards, roles, and expectations drives engagement and reduces burnout.
- The role of workplace organization, cleanliness, and safety in communicating company values.
- How leaders can foster empowerment, encourage feedback, and involve employees in improvement.
- Practical strategies for managing growth responsibly, including cross-training and establishing strong systems/processes.
- The significance of genuine care from leaders and its impact on team morale and retention.
- Why "winning" and achieving excellence create a strong culture and competitive advantage.
- How to identify and address operational and leadership blind spots to avoid common pitfalls.
- Actionable tips for plant managers to connect employees' daily work with customer outcomes and company mission.
Website: https://mobilizationfunding.com/
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-peper-9387288/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MobilizationFunding
This episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast offers a practical and inspiring roadmap for leaders seeking to make a greater impact in 2026 and beyond.
Host Randy Goruk explores three core challenges facing today's leaders while sharing actionable strategies that drive real results.
Listeners will discover how intentional leadership development, consistent engagement, and value-driven safety practices can transform organizations and teams.
The episode also introduces coaching programs, interactive courses, and resources designed to support leaders at every stage.
Listeners will learn:
- The three biggest pain points currently facing leaders and organizations.
- Why promoting technical experts without leadership training is risky.
- Practical ways leaders can improve retention and engagement in their teams.
- The role of consistent, present, and invested leadership in building positive work environments.
- How to shift safety messaging from rules-based to value-driven leadership.
- Solutions and actionable strategies for developing leaders at all levels through training and feedback.
- Resources available for leadership growth.
- The importance of small, consistent improvements in achieving effective leadership.
Join host Randy Goruk in this engaging episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, featuring industry innovator Kevin Hubschmann. Kevin shares lessons from his comedy and business career.
Discover how humor, storytelling, and improv can transform the way leaders connect, inspire creativity, and handle tough conversations.
Whether you're a seasoned executive or new to leadership, this episode delivers actionable insights, memorable stories, and practical strategies for thriving in today's dynamic workplace.
Listeners will learn:
- How humor, storytelling, and comedy skills boost leadership effectiveness.
- The impact of active listening and empathetic communication on team dynamics.
- Why preparation is essential for both leaders and comedians, and how to improvise when plans change.
- How to handle mistakes and failures constructively and use them as learning opportunities.
- Methods to create a culture that embraces change, innovation, and learning from failure.
- Techniques for building trust and engagement within teams.
- Strategies for adapting to unexpected situations.
- Managing cynicism ("hecklers") in the workplace.
- Practical ways to apply improvisational skills to day-to-day leadership challenges.
Kevin's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-hubschmann/
Website: https://www.laugh.events/
Newsletter: https://laughrx.laugh.events/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk welcomes award-winning media executive and author Andy Regal for a candid exploration of workplace bullying and toxic leadership.
Drawing from Andy's extensive experience at top media organizations and his personal journey both as a target and leader, the conversation uncovers the realities of bullying across industries, the toll it takes on individuals and businesses, and the often-taboo nature of these issues.
You will learn:
- How to recognize the signs of workplace bullying and toxic work environments
- The difference between bullying and harassment (and why legal protections differ)
- The impact of toxic leadership on productivity, employee well-being, and business performance
- How "bully bosses" operate and why they often target loyal, productive employees
- Real-life anecdotes illustrating the effects of workplace bullying
- Strategies for employees to protect their psychological safety and self-worth
- Practical steps victims can take to cope, find support, and heal from bullying
- The importance of open communication, listening, and accountability in leadership
- How leaders and organizations can repair trust and foster healthier work cultures
- Insights from Andy Riegel's personal journey and his book on thriving after workplace abuse
With compelling stories, expert wisdom, and heartfelt guidance, this episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to build a workplace where people and organizations can truly thrive.
Andy Regal's Website: https://andyregal.com/
Andy's Book is Surviving Bully Culture
In this inspiring episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk welcomes Dennis Bott, North American Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Element 5.
Dennis shares his remarkable journey from working in a family-owned lumber yard to becoming a leader in the mass timber industry. He discusses how "raising your hand" and how stepping up for new opportunities while embracing lifelong learning has propelled his career forward.
With actionable advice for both emerging and seasoned professionals, this episode offers valuable insights into advancing your career, building strong teams, and making a meaningful impact in your organization.
You will also learn:
· The value of "raising your hand" by volunteering for new challenges and opportunities, even when they're outside your comfort zone.
· How a willingness to learn and adapt creates personal and professional growth.
· How to navigate difficult career transitions.
· How to leverage setbacks as learning opportunities.
· The importance of continuous learning, seeking feedback, and embracing mentorship.
· Approaches for supporting, motivating, and coaching team members with varying aspirations and comfort levels.
· Why cultivating a diverse, supportive team culture helps everyone thrive.
· How storytelling and open feedback can inspire, teach, and drive results in leadership.
· The necessity of learning from mistakes and adapting quickly to changing circumstances.
· Practical tips for team communication and staying organized in a fast-paced environment.
· Advice for younger professionals.
Website: https://elementfive.co/
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisbott/
Join host Randy Goruk as he sits down with accomplished entrepreneur Mark Scambray for an inspiring conversation about leadership, innovation, and business growth in the construction industry.
Discover how Mark transitioned from sales to launching and building his own successful companies.
Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business leader, or interested in actionable advice on thriving through change, this episode delivers practical wisdom, firsthand stories, and actionable insights to help you achieve your goals.
Learn valuable lessons about managing teams, mastering business finances, adapting in times of crisis, and taking smart risks.
Listeners will also learn:
- How to transition from a technical or sales role into entrepreneurship.
- The importance of strong work ethic, courage, and adaptability in business.
- Leadership lessons for managing teams and business finances, including budgeting and cost control.
- The story behind founding and growing Hardy Fall Protection Systems.
- How to build strong client relationships and develop effective sales/marketing strategies in the construction industry.
- The value of being nimble and pivoting business models in response to challenges like recessions and the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Why a family support system is crucial for entrepreneurial success.
- Insights into measuring marketing impact and managing client expectations.
- Practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: persistence, confidence, and the willingness to reach out for guidance.
Website: https://srgspec.com/
Phone: 949-636-1255
Host Randy Goruk welcomes Dr. Gretchen Gagle, a trailblazer in the construction industry, to discuss her journey, leadership insights, and efforts to empower women in male-populated fields. This episode offers practical advice for both male and female leaders.
You will learn how companies can attract and support female talent, overcome bias, and build inclusive, high-performing teams.
Listeners will also learn:
- How Dr. Gretchen Gagle overcame barriers and built a successful leadership career in the construction industry.
- Common challenges and misconceptions women face in male-dominated fields, especially construction.
- The importance of mentorship, male allies, and supportive workplace culture.
- Strategies companies and leaders can use to attract, develop, and retain female talent.
- The role of empathy, emotional intelligence, and addressing unconscious bias in leadership.
- Ways to make construction careers more accessible and appealing to women and underrepresented groups.
- Insightful stories and practical advice from Dr. Gagle's book, "Building Women Leaders: A Blueprint for Women Thriving in Construction."
Dr. Gagel's Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12-plyTMBrs
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk welcomes Steve Harms, General Manager at Builders FirstSource, who draws on over 40 years of experience in the building materials industry.
Steve shares his journey from humble beginnings to leading successful improvement initiatives, including the implementation of Kata teams, fostering a culture of ownership, and achieving outstanding results in safety, quality, and productivity.
Packed with practical stories, expert insights, and leadership advice, this episode offers inspiration and tools for leaders eager to build a thriving, continuously improving organization.
Listeners will gain actionable insights and real examples to help implement or enhance continuous improvement in their own organizations.
You will learn:
- The importance and mindset of continuous improvement as a daily commitment.
- The concept of employee engagement and practical ways to give employees ownership and responsibility for their work.
- Results of the Kata continuous improvement methodology in manufacturing.
- Key metrics for success: safety, quality, and productivity and how to measure and improve them.
- Recognizing early warning signs of employee disengagement and strategies to address them.
- Effective leadership practices, including the value of humility ("free yourself from ego") and building trust.
- Training and empowering leaders and teams to take initiative and drive sustained improvements.
- Adapting operations to environmental challenges, while maintaining engagement and efficiency.
- Step-by-step methods for starting small with improvement teams and scaling success within an organization.
- The value of mentorship, leadership consistency, and enjoying the journey of improvement.
Host Randy Goruk on the Leadership and Learning Podcast as he welcomes Bryan DeBois, Director of Industrial AI at RoviSys, for an insightful discussion on the transformative power of artificial intelligence in manufacturing.
Bryan shares his 25-year journey in the industry, explains how AI is revolutionizing operations—from capturing expert knowledge to enhancing safety and productivity—and addresses common misconceptions about AI's impact on the workforce.
This episode is packed with real-world examples, practical advice, and inspiration for leaders looking to empower teams and drive innovation with AI.
You will learn:
- How artificial intelligence is transforming manufacturing processes and operations.
- Ways AI captures expert knowledge and accelerates skill development for operators.
- Real-world examples of AI improving safety, productivity, and efficiency in manufacturing.
- Strategies for balancing productivity gains with enhanced workplace safety.
- How AI solutions can be implemented while managing common fears and misconceptions.
- Insights on building ROI-driven business cases for AI initiatives.
- The evolving role and value of human workers alongside AI-driven automation.
- Practical steps companies can take to get AI-ready.
- What the future may hold for smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0
Bryan DeBois on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-debois
Company website: https://www.rovisys.com
In this episode of the Leadership in Learning podcast, host Randy Goruk welcomes Daniel McCauley, Director of Engineering and Business Development for Ultimus Engineering. They dive into the critical role of effective communication in high-performing construction and engineering teams, exploring how miscommunication can lead to costly mistakes, project delays, and safety issues.
Daniel shares insights from his diverse career; from his early passion for sports and competition to his leadership roles in large corporations and eventually founding his own engineering firm.
The conversation covers adapting communication styles for different stakeholders, the value and limitations of personality assessments, building and nurturing professional relationships, and practical strategies for improving communication within teams and across industries.
Listeners will learn:
· Actionable tips for young professionals, leaders, engineers, and anyone looking to foster stronger collaboration and more successful project outcomes.
· The critical role of effective communication in preventing costly mistakes and delays in engineering and construction projects.
· How communication styles differ among engineers, architects, contractors, and project stakeholders and why adaptability is essential.
· The value and appropriate use of personality assessments to improve team understanding and communication.
· The importance of clarifying assumptions and questions to avoid misunderstandings and errors.
· How joining organizations like Toastmasters can enhance public speaking and leadership skills.
· Practical advice for non-engineers (e.g., contractors, subcontractors) on how to communicate more effectively with technical teams.
· Common mistakes leaders make in sharing too much or too little information, and how to find the right balance.
· Why building and nurturing professional relationships is vital for career growth and project success.
· Actionable networking tactics, such as using reminders and keeping in touch intentionally, to maintain connections.
· The mindset of continuous learning and being open to feedback to improve communication outcomes.
Daniel McCaulley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielmccaulley/
Website: www.UltimusEngineering.com
Phone: 972-825-7741
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk welcomes guest Dennis Schleder to discuss the realities of job searching in today’s competitive market.
Whether you’re actively seeking a new role or supporting someone who is, this episode offers actionable strategies and encouragement to help you succeed in your career journey.
You will learn:
- Practical advice on navigating the ups and downs of today’s job search.
- The importance of resilience and self-reflection during the job search process.
- How to leverage networking and personal connections to uncover job opportunities.
- Strategies for handling rejection and maintaining your motivation.
- Tips for successful video interviews.
- Lessons learned from taking roles that don’t align with personal passions or skills.
- How to balance financial needs with career fulfillment.
- Approaches for dealing with being “ghosted” by employers or recruiters.
- The impact of technology and AI on job roles.
- Advice on writing resumes.
- The value of having a trusted mentor and being open to guidance.
- Encouragement to stay positive and proactive throughout the job search journey.
Contact Dennis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-schleder/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk has an insightful conversation with leadership development expert David Graddy.
David is a leadership development expert with over 40 years of experience in retail and aerospace industries, emphasizing integrity, team growth, and effective communication as key leadership responsibilities.
He advocates for the "learn, do, mentor" approach to professional development, where individuals master tasks, become go-to experts, and then mentor others.
You will learn:
- The importance of integrity in leadership and building trust within teams.
- Why developing leaders from within is more effective than hiring externally.
- The 3 – most important responsibilities of leaders.
- The "learn, do, mentor" is an approach to professional and leadership development.
- How to identify and nurture emerging leaders in any organization.
- How to overcome challenges when transitioning from learning to doing to mentoring.
- How to provide opportunities and accountability to help your team advance in their careers.
- The challenges people face when transitioning from learning to doing, and then to mentoring?
- How leaders determine the best way people learn?
- Effective ways to teach or mentor others when you don’t feel like a natural teacher.
- Advice for someone who feels stuck in their current position.
- Steps for career advancement.
- How to avoid misunderstandings when teaching someone a new skill.
- Actions leaders in any industry can take to create an environment that encourages and supports continuous learning and growth.
Website: https://davidgraddy.com/
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk visits with Lexi Engelbart, Product Manager Ergodyne. Lexi also serves as Vice Chair of the International Safety Equipment Association’s Heat Stress Product Group and is a leading expert in heat safety.
Together, they explore the serious risks of heat stress in various industries and discuss why prevention is more important than ever in today’s changing climate.
Listeners will discover the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, practical strategies for prevention, and the latest innovations in personal protective equipment (PPE), including new technologies designed to keep workers safe and comfortable.
Lexi shares her journey into the world of safety, debunks common myths, and offers actionable advice for building a workplace culture where reporting heat stress is encouraged.
Whether you’re a safety leader, supervisor, or simply interested in protecting yourself, your employees and your loved ones from extreme heat, this episode delivers essential insights and real-world solutions for staying safe and productive in hot environments.
In this episode you will learn:
- What heat stress is and why it’s a serious safety concern in multiple industries.
- The signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, from heat rash to heat stroke.
- The impact of heat stress on productivity, decision-making, and worker safety.
- The importance of acclimatization for new or returning workers in hot environments.
- Common myths and misconceptions about working in heat and available solutions.
- Practical prevention strategies.
- Innovations in heat mitigation products.
- How to balance comfort, durability, and cost when selecting PPE.
- The importance of building a workplace culture where workers feel comfortable reporting heat stress symptoms.
- How education and ongoing conversation are key to improving heat safety.
- The evolving landscape of heat stress prevention.
- Tips that apply not just at work, but also at home.
Website: https://www.ergodyne.com/
Lexie Engelbart on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexihagler/
Join host Randy Goruk as he welcomes Wayne Feltman, a seasoned leader with over 26 years of experience at Velux USA, to the Leadership and Learning Podcast. In this episode, Wayne shares his journey with a family of entrepreneurs and early leadership training to managing remote sales teams and developing skylight specialists across 15 states.
Listeners will gain practical insights on building effective teams, empowering others, learning from mistakes, and creating a culture of growth, teamwork and accountability.
Whether you’re a new or experienced leader, this episode offers valuable lessons on leadership, personal development, and the power of continuous learning.
You will also learn:
- The importance of continuous learning in developing effective leaders.
- Leadership is earned through training, education, and willingness to lead.
- The value of progressive responsibility in shaping leadership skills.
- Key strategies for managing and empowering remote teams.
- The significance of allowing team members to make decisions and grow through empowerment and delegation.
- The necessity of taking a genuine interest in team members’ personal and professional development.
- The rewards of mentoring and helping others realize their potential, both in business and personal growth.
- Practical advice for those transitioning from sales to leadership roles
Website: https://www.veluxusa.com/
Wayne Feltman LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-feltman-249b651/
This podcast episode explores seven essential tips for minimizing leadership mistakes, with a strong focus on learning from others’ experiences, proactive problem-solving, and empowering teams.
Drawing on real-world examples and expert insights, including advice from industry leaders, the episode offers practical strategies for effective delegation, updating outdated policies, seeking mentorship, and maintaining a growth mindset.
Whether you’re a seasoned executive or an emerging leader, this episode provides actionable advice to help you elevate your leadership and avoid costly pitfalls.
Contact: Randy Goruk to speak at your next conference: randy@LeadersEdge360.com
In this episode, Rick Dill, President / CEO of Precon Suite, shares his journey from a Civil Structural Engineering degree to founding Precon Suite, which modernizes bid management in construction. He shares the challenges with business startup, entrepreneurial and leadership growth challenges he had to overcome on his journey.
In this episode, you will learn:
- How to navigate the journey from employee to entrepreneur in the construction technology sector
- The importance of building and maintaining strong business relationships for long-term success
- Strategies for modernizing bid management and pre-construction workflows using technology
- The value of delegating tasks and trusting your team as your business grows
- Lessons learned from early mistakes and the importance of persistence and adaptability
- Why embracing failure and taking calculated risks are essential for innovation and growth
- How customer feedback and impact can drive motivation and company culture
- Insights into the evolution of the construction industry, from manual processes to digital transformation
- Practical advice for anyone considering starting their own business or launching a new product in a traditional industry
Website: https://www.preconsuite.com/
Rick Dill LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richarddill/
Host Randy Goruk’s guest on this episode is Randy Lyman, an entrepreneur, emotional mastery expert and author.
Mr. Lyman discusses his journey from a left-brain, business-focused background to incorporating emotional intelligence into his leadership style. He emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and building long-term relationships.
He highlights the need for leaders to be vulnerable, ask for input, and create a respectful, cohesive team environment. He shares practical tips, such as using body language awareness and encouraging team members to express their ideas.
Lyman also stresses the significance of values and morals in business, which can provide a competitive advantage and foster a positive company culture.
In this episode you will learn:
- How emotional intelligence has changed the way leaders approach their teams and their business.
- The role of self-awareness in building long-term customer relationships.
- How leaders can improve their ability to read non-verbal cues from their teams.
- The biggest mistakes leaders of sales teams make.
- What gives a sales team the edge in a competitive distribution landscape.
- Advice for a new sales manager trying to develop a high-performing team.
- What it looks like when an emotionally intelligent sales culture is thriving within a company.
- The trends that will shape the future of sales in distribution over the next 5 years.
- The value in investing in listening and coaching.
Website: https://randylyman.com/
Host Randy Goruk, has an insightful conversation with Victor Sella, Vice President of Contractor Engagement at United Contractors. The conversation ranges from leadership principles, career development insights, practical advice for emerging leaders, insights into the generational workplace and cultural transformation.
You will learn:
- Leadership is about providing insight, not just information.
- Developing talent with clear career pathways is crucial in construction.
- The importance of investing in the development of your workforce.
- Effective strategies for building relationships.
- Why reliability and consistency are fundamental to building trust.
- Effective leadership is about serving others, not just serving oneself.
- A more collaborative, development-focused approach to leadership will attract and retain younger talent.
- The importance for leaders to provide leadership that demonstrates understanding, developing, and serving others.
- Actionable insights into personal and professional growth in the construction industry.
United Contractors Website: https://www.unitedcontractors.org/
In this episode, host Randy Goruk, has a conversation with the CEO of Saybr Contractors Inc., Karen Say-Valadez. They talk about her remarkable construction business start-up story and the leadership values and principles that have helped her and her team to grow the business to where it is today.
In this story of inspiration and resilience, you will hear:
· That confidence and willingness to take calculated risks are crucial for success
· Being prepared with a Plan B is important.
· Why you should model the behavior you want to see in your organization.
· Building strong relationships both internally and externally are a key to success.
· Continuously learning and being open to learning from others is important for leaders.
· Mentorship is critical - both receiving mentorship and providing it to others.
· Your past experiences and even mistakes can be valuable lessons for others.
· There is value in creating opportunities for team building through volunteer work.
· Using your professional skills to give back to the community is a good investment.
· Engaging employees in meaningful projects will create a sense of pride and purpose.
· It's wise to empower the next generation of leaders in your organization.
· Delegating basic responsibilities to free up time for strategic initiatives.
These takeaways emphasize the importance of resilience, continuous learning, relationship-building, and purposeful leadership in achieving business success.
Saybr Contractors Website: https://www.saybr.com/
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, we explore ways to strengthen safety culture of any organization. My guest, Terry Evans, Division Safety Manager, Boise Cascade is an expert in safety culture. Terry offers several strategies, tips and techniques to help you build and reinforce your safety culture.
Here is what you’ll learn:
· The difference between a Safety Culture and a Safety Program.
· The importance and impact of adopting a servant leadership approach to safety.
· Why focus on changing beliefs, not just enforcing policies.
· How to help employees understand the “why” behind safety practices.
· How to manage the delicate line between production pressures and safety-first.
· Steps for building a safety culture.
· Safety initiatives that lead to pitfalls everyone should avoid.
The overarching message is that safety is about relationships, beliefs, and continuous improvement, not just rules and procedures.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk explores ‘workplace injury prevention’ with Dr. Jeff Staheli. Having personally experienced a workplace injury, then practicing in the field of rehabilitation for several years, Dr. Staheli has transitioned to the very important side of injury prevention.
Today he trains and educates companies in various industries on how to keep their employees from being hurt at work. He will interactively train you and your team to properly lift, turn, bend, sit and move in any direction.
In this episode you will learn:
- What musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are and their impact on workplace safety.
- Common MSD risks in different work environments.
- Proper training versus passive training.
- The importance of shifting from a reactive to a proactive approach to injury prevention.
- How to create an effective MSD training program that is interactive and job specific.
- The role of supervisors in identifying and mitigating workplace injury risks.
- The significant financial costs associated with workplace injuries.
- Strategies for creating a safety culture that encourages reporting and prevention.
- The value of ergonomic equipment and proper training in reducing workplace injuries.
- Practical steps companies can take to start addressing MSD prevention.
- The potential return on investment for implementing comprehensive injury prevention programs.
The bottom line is, don’t let your people get hurt; provide effective relavent training, observe, and don’t ignore the signs that could lead to life-long pain and suffering.
Contact Jeff Staheli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffstaheli/
Website: https://www.injurypreventionconsultants.com/
Workplace MSD Checklist: https://www.injurypreventionconsultants.com/msd-checklist
In this episode, guest Noel Massie, former Vice President of UPS, share insights on leadership and career success for recent college graduates through senior leadership.
You will learn:
- Advice for college graduates starting their career.
- Tips for leaders to advance in their career.
- Tips for successful transition once promoted.
- Tips for leaders who feel stuck in their careers.
- The main reasons organizations have difficulty in retaining top talent.
- Leadership development advice for individuals and organizations.
These and so many other takeaways encapsulate Noel Massie's leadership philosophy and provide practical guidance for emerging and established leaders.
Noel’s website: https://noelmassie.com/
Noel’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelmassie/
Noel’s new book: Congrats! You've Been Promoted: An Essential Guide for Helping New Leaders and Their Teams Succeed
In this episode, host Randy Goruk talks integrated compensation strategies with Scott Trumpolt, a compensation expert with 30 years of experience. They discuss strategic approaches to compensation in the workplace and how to create effective compensation strategies that attract, engage, and retain employees.
You will learn:
- How integrated compensation strategies go beyond competitive wages.
- How compensation should align with the company's business model and specific needs.
- Why customized pay strategies are more effective than copying from a competitor.
- Younger workers value pay transparency and how to deliver it.
- Why effective balanced incentive plans include individual objectives and team bonuses.
- Why a total compensation approach includes base salary, health insurance, 401K matches and training opportunities for career advancement.
- How to include career development in the compensation conversation.
- Successful compensation strategies are holistic, transparent, and aligned with both employee aspirations and business objectives.
Scott Trumpolt Website: www.hrcompensationconsulting.com
Scott Trumpolt LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-trumpolt-m-a-g-r-p-257a6b317
In this episode, host Randy Goruk and conflict resolution expert Ursula Taylor tackle understanding and resolving workplace conflicts. A challenging topic, but not when you have an expert in the house.
You learn how to transform toxic team dynamics, improve communication, and create a culture of psychological safety.
You will also learn:
- Common causes of conflict you see in construction.
- The cost of avoiding or delaying the resolution of conflict.
- How ‘old school’ leaders should transition to a more productive approach to conflict.
- The signs of a team experiencing unhealthy conflict.
- The importance of communication style in escalating or resolving conflict on job sites.
- How to create a culture where disagreement isn’t feared but actually fuels better decisions.
- A helpful strategy for de-escalating a heated conversation between team members.
- Advice for leaders who feel stuck between upper management pressure and field-level tension.
Contact Ursula Taylor: Ursula@conflictreimagined.com
Ursula’s website: www.ConflictReimagined.com
In this episode, with employee retention on the forefront on everyone’s mind, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with social Impact Leader Mai Moore about leadership and Generation Z employees.
In the leadership and learning podcast episode, Randy Goruk and Mai Moore discuss the challenges of retaining Generation Z employees in various industries, emphasizing the need for a collaborative and inclusive leadership approach.
Mai Moore, an expert in social impact and intergenerational leadership, shares her extensive experience working with youth and advocating for a more connected and empowered workforce.
She highlights the importance of work-life balance, equitable wages, and purpose in the workplace. Moore also stresses the significance of middle management in bridging generational gaps and the necessity of addressing mediocrity to foster a culture of continuous learning and growth.
In this episode you will learn:
- The needs and wants of Gen Z employees.
- The ways in which leadership must evolve to retain Gen Z employees.
- The role of middle management in bridging generational gaps.
- Strategies leaders can take to embrace Gen Z employees.
- The importance of adapting leadership styles for future organizational success.
- Continuous learning and growth are essential for leaders of all ages.
You can get in contact with Mai at mai@maimoore.com
In this episode, host Randy Goruk shares his views on how leaders can lead effective meetings. Based on over 40 years of experience leading a myriad of meeting types, his approach to meetings has proven to be effective many times over.
In this episode you will learn:
- What an effective meeting is.
- The 3 – components to an effective meeting framework.
- Techniques for managing the meeting timeline.
- Why you should have two agendas.
- What the 48-hour rule is.
- How to deal with meeting distractions and interruptions.
- Techniques to engage the meeting attendees.
Randy also challenges you to calculate your meeting ROI and to get feedback on the effectiveness of your meetings. Then make adjustments to improve.
This episode is a rare and personal look into the life, wisdom, and legacy of Earl Nightingale—the man behind The Strangest Secret and one of the founding fathers of the personal development movement.
My guest is Hall of Fame professional speaker Joel Weldon. Joel was a friend of Earl Nightingales, and he shares insights into the man behind the message, how his timeless ideas came to life and how they remain relevant for you sixty years later.
For career-minded leaders like you, this is more than a history lesson—it’s a lesson in influence, legacy, and the lasting power of an idea.
For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with The Strangest Secret, we have included a short clip within the podcast to inspire you to listen to the entire message.
You can Click here to listen to the entire message from The Strangest Secret Special Edition.
If you are familiar, revisit Earl’s message one more time, share it with your kids and grandkids.
Please join me in a “Thanks Offering”—a heartfelt tribute to Earl’s lasting impact by turning gratitude into action. Any amount helps his wife, Diana.
How Can You Contribute? Zelle: DNightingale2@Yahoo.com Mail a Check: 18630 East Mazatzal Circle, Rio Verde, AZ 85263 If you can, I hope you’ll join in this mission to honor the one and only, Earl Nightingale.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk invites listeners to an upcoming live webinar on tackling ineffective meetings and in advance of the April 3, 2025 webinar he shares some tips on managing meeting timelines.
The Tackle Ineffective Meetings webinar description is as follows:
55.1% of professionals say most meetings they attend are a waste of time.
As a leader, you set the tone ... whether you realize it or not, your meetings might suck.
But here’s the good news, Randy Goruk is hosting a webinar to help you improve the effectiveness of your meetings.
Now is a very good time to fix this timewaster and credibility killer.
With the first quarter almost behind us and countless meetings ahead, it’s time to take control.
Imagine meetings that are engaging, efficient, and productive—where people walk away feeling energized, not drained.
That’s exactly what this webinar will help you achieve.
Join us for this interactive session where you’ll discover:
- The 3 essential components of an effective meeting.
- How to implement each one immediately for better results.
- The top do’s and don’ts to make meetings more valuable—without wasting time.
If you’re ready to stop the cycle of unproductive meetings and start leading discussions that drive real results, don’t miss this webinar – April 3, 2025 at 1:00 pm Eastern
Register now and take the first step toward better meetings and a more engaged and productive team.
Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yk1XvZqiTnK15zKlUZUpPQ
In this episode, host Randy Goruk emphasizes the importance of employee retention and provided strategies to improve it, including creating an inspiring workplace culture, prioritizing employee engagement, and investing in skill development.
He also highlighted the value of showing appreciation to employees and warned against common mistakes like premature promotions and ignoring engagement metrics.
Randy stressed that retention should be a strategic leadership priority, not just an HR issue, and that respect, trust, and consistent leadership are crucial for retention.
In this episode, Queen City Roofing CEO, Larry Stock, a long-time construction industry professional shares his thoughts on, and experiences with, intentionality and success.
You will learn how intentionality leads to success with:
- Professional development
- Work-life balance
- Growing your business
- Transitioning from old school leadership to relational relationships
You will also learn:
- The sacred pause
- What it takes to be an effective (intentional) leader
As an added bonus, you will learn the mind-blowing premise of ‘what it’s like to be on the other side of me”.
In this episode, Andrea Sampson shares her journey from a career in advertising to becoming an expert storytelling and presentation coach. She discusses how her work with TEDX speakers taught her the power of storytelling to convey ideas and inspire change.
You will learn:
- Effective presentations start with a clear core idea and building a story around it to engage the audience
- Using personal stories can help connect with listeners and make your message more memorable
- Incorporating sensory details in your stories activates the brain and makes them more impactful
- Even if you think you don't have stories to share, prompts can help you uncover meaningful experiences to draw from
- Storytelling is a valuable skill for building deeper connections with customers and stakeholders
Andrea provides practical tips and a free toolkit to help listeners improve their storytelling abilities and deliver more compelling presentations.
Speaking Toolkit
This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to communicate their ideas more effectively.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk shares a few ideas for you to elevate leadership performance.
These success factors and tips come from a replay of a condensed and edited version of a 90-minute presentation Randy did at a recent asphalt industry conference.
We hope you find all of these to be helpful in elevating your leadership to an even higher level.
You will learn:
- 3 – Success factors for any leader who wants to be a successful leader
- 7 - Tips to elevate leadership performance
- 7 – Leadership mistakes to avoid
There are many more actions you can take to elevate your performance – keep working on getting better and let Randy know if he can help you in any way.
Host Randy Goruk encourages you to explore your area of responsibility for the items that cost you more than they’re worth or that anyone would pay for—these are “the pennies” of your business.
He emphasized to look for “pennies” in your organization, question all time-related and productivity-related items, paying particular attention to your fix overhead.
Leadership involves fiscal responsibility. That’s why he reinforces the concept that you can’t (or shouldn’t) sell something for less than it costs you to make.
Responsible leaders pay attention to what your “pennies” truly cost.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk shares a podcast conversation he had as a guest on the Business Success Tip podcast hosted by Paul Sanneman.
Areas we cover include:
- Defining and Developing Leadership Skills
- Practical Leadership Techniques
- Resources for Leadership Development
- Coaching and Mentoring Success Stories
- Handling Difficult Employees and Team Dynamics
- Building a Purpose-Driven Team
You will learn several tips and implementable nuggets for transitioning from where you are to where you want to be in your career and your business.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk shares a few ideas for you to build, grow and sustain a high-performance team.
These success factors and tips come from a replay of a condensed and edited version of a 90-minute presentation Randy did at a recent asphalt industry conference.
We hope you find all of these to be helpful in building, growing and sustaining your high-performance team.
You will learn:
- 3 – Success factors for any high-performance team
- 7 - Tips to elevate team performance
There are many other actions you can take to elevate team performance. To dive deeper, send Randy an email requesting:
- A free copy of his 21 – leadership tips for elevating team performance.
- Information on his Elevating Team Performance Mastermind Program or,
- His six-week live online Elevating Team Performance course.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk has an insightful conversation with author Amanda Kenderes, Ph.D. They discuss how the content of her work, and her book on ‘Talk Types’: How What We Say Reveals Who We Are, can help leaders be more effective communicators.
In this episode you will learn:
- The 'Talk Types’ framework and how you can identify (and use) them in the workplace.
- The most challenging aspect of the ‘Talk Types’ framework.
- How this framework applies to the many communication gaps in the workplace.
- How you can identify your own communication style.
- How to adjust your ‘Talk Type’ style to lead a team with varying ‘Talk Type’ styles.
- How to resolve communication breakdowns in working relationships.
- How leaders tailor their communication style to different stakeholders, from employees to clients.
- The practical steps to start applying the "Talk Types" framework in your organization.
In this episode, in light of President Jimmy Carters recent passing, host Randy Goruk shares three of his favorite quotes from President Carter. He also offers insight into the meaning of Mr. Carter’s wisdom, then offers a valuable leadership lesson for all leaders.
In this episode you will learn:
- The importance of your principles while adapting to change.
- You can always do better.
- One way to cement loyalty from your team members.
In this episode we replay an episode from the Roofers Growth Hack Podcast where The Leadership and Learning Podcast host, Randy Goruk was a recent guest. He has a conversation about leadership with Chris Hunter, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of RoofingSites.com
In this episode you will learn:
- How Randy decided to get into construction.
- How important continuous learning was in his development and career growth.
- Leadership lessons learned along the way.
- How he started his leadership development business.
- A technique for engaging employees.
- The skills leaders need to learn.
- The importance of planning.
- To be intentional and strategic when recruiting and attracting top talent.
- Other leadership development hacks to consider pursuing.
In this episode, with over 40 – years of experience and having founded two successful eco-friendly companies in the design build and manufacturing space, my guest, life-long entrepreneur and sustainability advocate, Jonathan Orpin shares several areas of interest for leaders in the construction industry.
In this episode you will learn:
· Why wood is the best material to build with.
· Why you should consider an ESOP for your company.
· Sustainability challenges many companies face.
· The future of sustainability practices in construction.
· Resources to help you elevate your sustainability journey.
· What the triple bottom line is and why it’s important.
In this episode, Leon Leinbach, Founder of Keystone Construction takes us on his journey as a young construction worker with a vision and work ethic to a successful entrepreneur.
He shares his experience and insights on entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship and the success they bring to the individual and the organization.
In this episode you will learn:
- What it takes for a construction entrepreneur to be successful.
- How to develop entrepreneurial skills.
- The importance of having intrapreneurs on your team?
- How intrapreneurs differ from entrepreneurs.
- How to identify someone with an intrapreneurial spirit.
- How to help someone develop the intrapreneurial spirit.
- Success tips for small construction business leaders to be successful.
- Success tips for employees of small construction businesses.
Tommy Whitehead is the President & Owner of TomCo Solutions, Inc. a full-service property makeover, disaster restoration, and residential renovations company. In this episode, we had an insightful conversation on the value of networking and his new book, Building Success – A Toolbox for Coming Out on Top. In this episode you will learn: · The 3 – main lessons he’s learned so far in the construction industry. · Why people in the construction industry are typically poor at networking. · The benefits of building a network. · Where small construction company leaders can go to network. · Techniques for overcoming connection roadblocks. · 3 – tips for success for small construction company leaders. · 3 – tips for success for employees of small construction companies. · What inspired him to write his book, Building Success · How his new book can help you as a leader.
Tori Baires is a Group Talent Acquisition Manager at Granite Construction. She is one of the founding members and current leaders of Granite’s Military Employee Resource Group (Supporting and Recognizing our Veteran Community). She has also created and implemented a military/veteran hiring and retention program across all of Granite. Tori also partners with various departments at Granite aiding in a variety of initiatives for the company.
In this episode, Tori shares how her military experience shaped her leadership today and has reinforced her ‘above and beyond’ mindset.
In this episode you will learn:
- Many examples of going above and beyond.
- How she was nominated for the 2022 Veteran Champions of the Year in Corporate America.
- The key leadership lessons she learned while in the military.
- Her passion for taking the initiative / ownership of a challenge.
- How to get the anti-initiative / anti-ownership people on board.
- The challenges of Talent Acquisition managers are faced with today and in the future.
- The biggest recruiting mistakes companies in the construction industry make and how to avoid them.
- The importance of employee retention.
- Mistakes companies in the construction industry make that will cause people to leave and ideas on how leaders can avoid making these mistakes.
- Keys to being a successful mentor program with advice for mentors and mentees.
- Advice to get ahead in your career regardless of your role.
Running a small, or a family business is no easy task. Particularly when it comes to scaling the business or planning for succession.
My guest, Jim Moody, Consulting Director of the Misura Group shares his knowledge, experience, and expertise on the key elements for both scaling and succession.
In this episode, Jim offers plenty of tips and lessons on:
- The importance of having balance between working on and working in your business.
- What should come first family need or business needs.
- Adapting to challenges for small and family business.
- Problems you’ll encounter when you are the Jack or Jill of all trades in your business.
- How to properly invest in growing your business.
- Hiring smart people and letting them do their job.
- When to move on and having something to move on to.
- Steps for succession planning
- The hard decisions you must be prepared to make
- Proper strategic planning.
- Continuous learning.
- And a powerful message on the importance of planning for a better future.
Jennifer Todd, owner of LMS General Contractors went from receptionist at a construction company to successfully building her own construction company over the past 16 – years. She knows a thing or two about hard work and relationships.
In this episode, Jennifer talks about how L.O.V.E.E. language for leaders can help you sharpen your leadership skills while developing and strengthening your business and personal relationships resulting in long-term success.
In this episode you will learn:
- The five different elements of L.O.V.E.E. language for leaders.
- The sure-fire ways leaders breach trust and how to avoid them.
- A fool-proof listening strategy that works every time.
- How to demonstrate that you value the people on your team.
- The importance of boundaries.
- How everything communicates.
- Plus, much more.
Creating a safety culture is what most companies in the construction and manufacturing industries strive for ... as they should.
My guest, Steven McKenney shares his 30+ years of experience with building safety cultures, fixing broken safety cultures and providing best practices to help you reinforce your safety culture.
Steve is the Western Region Safety Manager for Roseburg Forest Products, and he serves as Chairman of the Safety and Health advisory committee for the American Panel Association.
He knows a thing or two about safety !
During this episode you will learn:
- Why safety programs fail?
- Why safety programs succeed?
- What the ideal safety culture looks like?
- What role do leaders play in the success of establishing a safety culture?
- The signs you don’t have a good safety culture.
- How to create a good safety culture.
- How to overcome obstacles of a safety culture that isn’t where you’d like it to be.
- Critical advice for leaders who want to elevate their safety culture.
- The importance of a meaningful safety slogan to safety culture and how to create one that sticks.
Creating and implementing an effective onboarding process for new employees has proven to be critical to individual and organizational retention success.
In this episode, onboarding expert, Cody B. Loveland explains what onboarding really is, why it’s important and the outcome all organizations should strive for.
Listen in as we uncover the key principles behind effective onboarding, the importance of connecting with employees on a deeper level, and the strategies for retaining top talent.
In this episode you will learn:
- The factors critical to a successful onboarding experience.
- The importance of the connection – intersection.
- How to ‘win the heart’ of new employees.
- The importance of the 3 – V’s in retaining all of your employees.
- Whose responsibility it is to ensure a successful onboarding process.
- Why it’s important to onboard existing managers.
- The benefits of investing in a robust onboarding process.
- The factors causing tenured employees to quit companies.
- Cody’s views on remote workers Why people quit companies.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk shares content from a recent webinar he presented for Team Engine. If you are interested in being an even better coach of your team, you are bound to pick up at least one nugget to help you get there.
In this episode you will learn:
- Why coaching for managers is important.
- What coaching is.
- 3 – universal truths about coaching.
- Techniques for inspiring your team.
- Techniques for engaging your team.
- Techniques for empowering your team.
- A proven coaching model.
Contact Randy at randy@LeadersEdge360.com to learn more about his ‘Live Online Coaching Skills Course’.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk has a conversation about hazardous waste management, waste to energy and leadership with Heather Johnson, CEO of INGENIUM, a leading hazardous waste management provider focusing on providing sustainable solutions before implementing traditional disposal options.
You will learn:
- The biggest hazardous waste management challenges manufacturers and distributors of building materials are faced with and the implication for construction companies running jobsites.
- Why targeting a waste to energy program is important for building material producers.
- Why a career in hazardous materials can be rewarding.
- Career advice for college graduates and emerging leaders who want to be successful.
- Waste management advice for building material and construction company leaders.
Host Randy Goruk shares a classic audio recording of a speech the late U.S. Army Lieutenant General Melvin Zais gave to the Armed Forces Staff College many decades ago.
The audio recording is over 40 years old so it has a few blemishes but hang in there because if you listen carefully, the powerful message for leaders is delivered with precision and great thought.
This special message will cause you to think about the actions you take today to demonstrate that you care.
It will make you think about the actions you aren’t taking that you could be taking to demonstrate that you care.
Because as a leader you must care.
Host Randy Goruk has a conversation with Todd Eichholz, CEO of A&A Paving about his business success. Todd shares the leadership practices that have helped him turn an old, tired paving, sealing company he bought ten years ago, into a growing, thriving jewel of a company today. You can do the same with your business if you know what winning looks like.
In this episode you will learn about the importance of:
- Having a stellar onboarding plan.
- Being fully transparent with your team.
- Being a data driven company.
- How to share results for better results.
- Having a growth plan for your employees.
- Achieving work-life balance.
You will also hear Todd’s three main pieces of career advice for Emerging Leaders.
Host Randy Goruk has a serious conversation with CEO Jimmy Greene of Jimmy Greene and Associates about the cost of success. Jimmy Greene is an experienced construction industry professional who has so much personal experience to share, and he does. Get ready for a unique set of perspectives on the topic of success.
In this episode you will stop and think about:
- What is success.
- How you spend your time.
- What you are not doing that you should be doing.
- How you make your money.
- Do you have peace.
- What you will leave behind.
· There is so much information to unpack in this episode, you’ll listen to it more than once.
Host Randy Goruk has a fun and insightful conversation with subject matter expert, world famous professional speaker and author, Kathy Dempsey. The topic is shedding. Shedding bad habits, negativity, relationships, processes, or procedures.
In this episode you will learn:
· What the SHEDDING philosophy is and how it came about.
· A few common examples of where we all could benefit from SHEDDING.
· A few SHEDDING rules.
· The SHEDDING Revolution – 5 Stages of Change.
· Why having a Panic Party Now is a good idea.
· What to do if a recession hits.
· What to do if you lose your job.
· How to get a copy of Kathy’s 101 – Things to Shed PDF.
You will come away from this episode thinking about something you should SHED.
Host Randy Goruk has a conversation with author, professional speaker and cyber security expert, Robert Siciliano about the trends in cyber security that leaders need to pay attention to.
As leaders, we all have a responsibility to keep our businesses, our employees and our families safe. This episode is full of information that will help you do exactly that.
They discuss a great number of important areas including:
- · The pending Federal Trade Commission deadline for businesses.
- · The role of a CISO and what to do if you don’t have one.
- · The importance of running a vulnerability check.
- · How foreseeability is liability.
- · The danger of personal devices including your Wi-fi enabled appliances.
- · Multi-factor authentication and passwords.
- · Plus, so much more.
When it comes to protecting the good guys and fighting the bad guys, Robert Siciliano is one of the best.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk encourages listeners to develop and refine their coaching skills. Not all leaders are great coaches. Some leaders may be good at barking out orders or telling someone what to do, but they’re not very good at coaching someone through a situation … they can be, but they have never taken the time to develop the skills nor positioned themselves to coach.
He shares his thoughts on:
· The case for Coaching
· What Coaching is and what Coaching is Not
· 7 – Success factors of an exceptional Coach
· The top 12 attributes of an exceptional Coach
· His Live Online Coaching Skills Course
If you want to achieve long term profitable growth, be a leader that is effective at coaching.
Have you ever experienced someone not meeting your expectations?
Or perhaps being disappointed in someone who didn’t deliver on the expectation you set for them?
We are often disappointed when expectations we set for someone are not met. In this episode, host Randy Goruk lays out his proven steps to minimize the disappointment of expectations not being met.
Host Randy Goruk discusses the difference between motivation and inspiration, how to create an environment where people are motivated. He then he shares several tips and techniques on how to inspire your team.
Host Randy Goruk recently had a lengthy conversation with process and lean manufacturing expert Todd Drummond. They talked about a number of leadership issues which have are being shared in three focused episodes.
This episode addresses industry leadership weaknesses and what you should look for in candidates you’re considering for a leadership promotion.
In the previous episodes with Todd, he shared career mistakes to avoid and offered suggestions on what emerging leaders can do right now to become an even better leader (episode #98). In episode #97 the focus was on tackling the labor shortage challenge.
Plenty of golden nuggets in this entire series to help you become an even better leader.
Host Randy Goruk recently had a lengthy conversation with process and lean manufacturing expert Todd Drummond. They talked about a number of leadership issues which have are being shared in three focused episodes.
This episode addresses advice for emerging leaders. They discuss career mistakes to avoid.
In our conversation, Todd shares career mistakes to avoid and offers suggestions on what emerging leaders can do right now to become an even better leader.
Host Randy Goruk recently had a lengthy conversation with process and lean manufacturing expert Todd Drummond. They talked about a number of leadership issues which are being shared in three focused episodes.
This episode addresses data he has shared in an article, indicating the current labor shortage challenge is worse than most understand and getting worse.
In the conversation, Todd walks us through the four reasons why this challenge exists. He also offers a few solutions in this and the other two episodes that will be released soon.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk has an in-depth conversation about company culture with company culture expert Stephanie Angelo.
During this episode you will learn:
- What company culture.
- Elements of culture that most organizations strive for.
- The impact the pandemic has had on company culture and a few steps a leader should be taking to regain or rebuild their desired company culture.
- How to successfully transition into one common company culture when you experience a merger or acquisition of two organizations with different cultures.
- What to do when you have valuable employees who don’t like change and have not fully embraced the new culture.
- The tell-tale signs of a toxic culture.
- Solutions for leaders to tackle a toxic culture.
- Examples of ‘culture killers’ that leaders should be wary of.
- Tips and techniques to help you create a company culture that thrives.
Alan Laing has been in the homebuilding space for 40 years working in various leadership, executive and board member roles in companies like Tridel, Canada’s premier condo builder, Pulte Homes, Taylor Morrison, Rock Wool a Danish multinational manufacturer of mineral wool products to name a few.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Key leadership lessons learned along Alan’s leadership journey that have been key to his success with Rheia.
- The areas construction industry leaders could work towards improving today.
- Solutions for leaders to take to tackle the labor shortage challenge.
- Leadership challenges on the horizon for leaders in the construction industry.
- The top characteristics or attributes to look for when looking to promote someone.
- Leadership mistakes leaders typically make that we should all avoid.
- Advice for young emerging leaders who want to have a successful career in the construction industry.
Get your notebook ready, you’ll take away many insightful nuggets from this conversation.
The shared values and practices of employees shape the culture of companies. Leaders have tremendous influence on those values and practices. Their influence comes from their strategies, controllable actions, and inaction.
Their influence can be positive and constructive in forming the company culture and employee retention. Or their influence can be damaging and destructive to achieving the culture they desire and employee retention success.
Host Randy Goruk shares:
- 3 – Leadership strategies for employee retention success.
- The top 5 - actions exceptional leaders take to achieve employee retention success.
- The 3 – biggest mistakes leaders make impacting employee retention success.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk, has a conversation with Sara McElroy, a former hustle culture devotee, ex-chief marketing officer, the Wall Street Journal’s poster girl for pandemic career burnout, and a two-time member of the Great Resignation: class of 2021 and 2022.
In this episode you will learn:
- About Raze to Rise, an organization created to amplify women’s voices from the Great Resignation and to inspire others.
- What is causing the Great Resignation for many, and what leaders can do about it.
- Why the distinction between male populated industries versus male dominated industries is important.
- The key success factors for women to be successful in a male populated industry?
- Advice for company leaders to eliminate biases against women in the workplace.
- Advice company leaders to attract and retain female talent to the building materials and construction industry?
In this episode we meet with award winning entrepreneur and author Mr. Walter Hill Jr to discuss his book, Think Red Flags – A Proactive and Practical Approach for Your Small Business.
In this episode you will learn:
- What red flag thinking is and how it helps with profitability.
- How companies have applied red flag thinking.
- You will hear specific example of what red flagging can do for a leader?
- How red flagging help companies with retaining their employees?
- How you can become more of a red flag thinker.
In this episode we meet with award winning entrepreneur and author Mr. Walter Hill Jr to discuss his book, Think Red Flags – A Proactive and Practical Approach for Your Small Business.
In this episode you will learn:
- What red flag thinking is and how it helps with profitability.
- How companies have applied red flag thinking.
- You will hear specific example of what red flagging can do for a leader?
- How red flagging help companies with retaining their employees?
- How you can become more of a red flag thinker.
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk shares a segment from a recent a webinar titled: A Leaders Guide to Employee Retention success.
You will learn the 3 – biggest mistakes leaders make impacting employee retention success and how what to do about them.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk, has a conversation with life-long friends, military veterans and authors, John Buford and Sean Georges. We discuss their new book, Mission Focused Leadership and the key role leaders have in attracting, recruiting, and retaining top talent.
In this episode you will learn the importance:
- The importance for leaders to focus on people – up and down the chain of command.
- How leaders should not focus on what to do, but how they should focus on what their team needs – and why.
- A leader’s best and highest role to serve their teammates to accomplish the mission.
- The importance of the quality of leadership and quality of relationships to attract, recruit and retain top talent.
- Servant leadership is not about being warm and fuzzy – it’s so much more.
- Sharing the why of the mission - with context
- A few reasons leaders typically fail.
- A powerful question you can ask someone.
- Balancing managing and leading.
- Three pieces of advice for someone making the transition from management role to a leadership role.
- The one thing that separates exceptional leaders from the others.
- How exceptional leaders spend their time and recognizing a leadership moment not to be wasted.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk, has a conversation with Ben Juncker, the co-founder and CEO of Craftsman’s Choice, a leading exterior remodeling contractor in Minnesota ... and one of the highest volume James Hardie siding installers in the United States talk leadership.
In this episode you will learn:
- How he built a family like culture in the business.
- How he intentionally and brilliantly scaled the business.
- Advice on CRM’s and the value of repeatable processes.
- The importance of identifying the important tasks and knowing what takes you away from doing them.
- A creative marketing technique or two.
- Unique ways to provide incentives that grow the business and reward your people.
In this episode, we tackle the very challenging issue of the labor pool impacting building material manufacturing companies, construction companies and distribution and lumber yard operations.
We explore the benefits of Team Engine’s proprietary software tool specifically created to help blue-collar companies hire and retain the best workforce possible with CEO, Carlos del Pozo.
In this episode you will learn:
- What Team Engine’s software does for building material and construction companies.
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How the software is different than other available software.
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How companies need to adjust their approach to attracting and retaining top talent – tip; be competitive but the solution isn’t more money.
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How different the 2022 recruiting process is compared to 2019 and how you can adapt to it.
- The biggest mistakes employers make when it comes to hiring and/or retention.
- The best way organizations should engage / communicate with prospects.
- How leadership is still key to retaining your talent.
Host Randy Goruk shares a story from Miles Levin, a young blogger who lost his battle with cancer at age 18 and a leadership tip.
The overall message in this short podcast episode is ... If you aren’t at your best and don’t prepare like it matters, you miss opportunities you’ll never get back.
Live every day shooting as if it’s your last shot.
Creating an innovative culture for most organizations is critical to long-term survival, however it is not an easy thing to do. In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk is joined by Karen Hold, an established innovation expert.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- What leaders can do to create and sustain an innovative culture.
- How some companies have had success creating an innovative culture and why some have not.
- What ‘design thinking’ means, where the term originates and how you can get your organization on board with it.
- The role of empathy in innovation – it’s not what you think.
- Advice to get you started with an innovative culture.
When relationships are critical to your business, your reputation is one of the most important assets you manage. In today’s podcast, host Randy Goruk is joined by Bill Coletti - a highly experienced and sought-after reputation management strategist and speaker.
We do a deep dive into the world of corporate crisis management.
You’ll learn:
- The different types of crises that can impact your reputation.
- Why you will want to avoid public outcry.
- How leaders of companies are not prepared for crises and what they can do to be better prepared.
- Best practices to be prepared to handle a crisis.
- The number one mistakes leaders make when faced with a crisis.
- Examples of crisis that impact a company’s reputation.
- How single event crisis can negatively impact an entire industry.
- How to be better prepared should a crisis occur.
We are Celebrating Women in Construction week by sharing the stories, the experiences, the perspectives, the suggestions for recruitment and other insights from guest Stefanie Couch.
We are Celebrating Women in Construction week by sharing the stories, the experiences, the perspectives, the suggestions for recruitment and other insights from guest Holly Brenner.
We are Celebrating Women in Construction week by sharing the stories, the experiences, the perspectives, the suggestions for recruitment and other insights from guest Shawna Peddle.
We are Celebrating Women in Construction week by sharing the stories, the experiences, the perspectives, the suggestions for recruitment and other insights from guest Sydne Jacques.
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk visits with Maisha Hagan, an expert in helping women in male dominated industries strategically position themselves for career growth and promotion.
Listen as they discuss:
- A candidate’s perspective on attracting and recruiting top female talent to a building materials or construction company.
- The effectiveness of traditional methods of recruiting people today.
- The importance of how the job description is written to attract top female talent.
- Non-traditional ways for leaders in building materials and construction companies to attract women to their companies.
- Suggestions for leaders of companies that don’t have a culture of embracing diversity.
- A game plan for hiring the next generation of future leaders.
Leaders who intentionally attract and recruit top female talent to their organization will have much greater success in their business than those that don’t.
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk visits with Joseph O’Connor to have a conversation on Emotional Intelligence.
Joseph is an author of nineteen books, including the most recent book, Coaching the Brain, co-founder of the International Coaching Community (ICC), which boasts over 15,000 members worldwide and founder of the Neuroscience Coaching Centre.
Listen as they discuss what emotional intelligence is and how it can help you become a more effective leader.
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk visits with Canadian and USA Professional Speaker Hall of Fame, Olympian and New York Times Best-Selling Author, Vince Poscente. They discuss the leadership lessons from Vince’s new book Earthquake – Your Journey from Setback to Breakthrough.
Listen as they discuss:
- The power of the conscious and sub-conscious mind
- Safety training effectiveness
- Supply chain challenges
- The different phases of the Solution Loop
- Staying curious and creative
- Bending with the oncoming
- Accepting a new reality – workforce challenges
- Bend with the oncoming force rather than fighting it
- Sometimes the hard way is the only way we learn
Apply the lessons from the Earthquake to your business and your personal life.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk, has a conversation with subject matter expert, Shawna Schuh. The subject is Neuro-Linguistic Programming and how it applies to leadership.
In this episode you will learn:
- What Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is.
- How NLP can help you become a better leader.
- Why well-crafted questions are important for leaders.
- How to turn a customer with a bad experience into an ally.
- How we all need to take a close at opportunities to clean up old programs.
Host Randy Goruk shares a Leadership Tip on Elevating Performance. He challenges you to identify opportunities for elevating your performance by reflecting on your recent actions, decisions, and time spent, then make the needed changes.
To help you get started he offers a number of questions for you and your team to answer.
Host Randy Goruk, shares a Leadership Tip around the topic of micromanagers.
He describes how micromanagers impact an organization and how to stop being the leader who micromanages the business.
Host Randy Goruk has a conversation with Russ Stephens, co-founder of Association of Professional Builders, a company dedicated to helping residential builders profitably grow their business.
In this episode you will learn:
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Why planning is a lost art and why it’s important to achieve growth.
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The impact your mindset has on success.
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The top leadership attributes for success.
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What you encourage is what you tolerate.
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The difference between coaching and mentoring.
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The traps sales leaders should be on the lookout for.
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How you can leverage social media to effectively grow your business.
The conversation is geared to all leaders of all types of businesses.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk has an engaging conversation with the no BS Performance Coach Paul Glover. The two executive coaches talk about developing leaders. They run the table talking about:
- The importance of 360 – degree feedback surveys.
- Successes and failures of 360 – degree feedback surveys.
- Leadership attributes of importance.
- Leadership blind-spots and how to fix them.
- Employee engagement and how to achieve it.
- Coaching executives.
- Take-aways from Paul’s book ‘Work Quake’.
You will want to take notes listening to this conversation.
We take a deep dive into the topic of advocacy with advocacy expert, Roger Rickard, Founder and President of a company called Voices in Advocacy.
He has had a life-long passion of working with organizations who want to inspire, educate, engage, and activate their teams to become even better influential advocates.
Roger Rickard is clearly a leading expert in the Advocacy space.
Listen as he shares:
- How at an early age, he found his passion for government affairs and political science. Then learned the importance of “we can agree to disagree without being disagreeable”.
- What advocacy really is.
- How an advocate and an activist can be similar but yet different.
- The difference between an advocate and a lobbyist.
- Seven habits of a highly effective advocate.
- How he at the age of 18, ran for political office against an incumbent who had the position for 22 years.
- The biggest mistake advocates make.
- Why some people don’t get involved.
- Why leaders who aren’t involved in issues, need to get involved
Steve Klessig, VP Architecture & Engineer of Wisconsin based Keller, Inc talks leadership with host Randy Goruk. Steve discusses, how he got started in the construction industry and the importance of his involvement in the community and the construction industry.
He talks a little about his role as the 2021 National Chair for Associated Builders and Contractors and the priorities for the Association.
He shares his views on work-life balance, advice for emerging leaders, the keys to building successful teams and his suggestions for the books to read for personal and professional growth.
Lots of nuggets to pick up in this conversation.
Mass Timber is taking North America by storm. Impressive structures are popping up everywhere. Building codes are changing. New manufacturing plants are being built. Jobs are being created and it’s an exciting time to be in the mass timber space.
In this episode, you’ll hear Hardy Wentzel, CEO of Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation, provide a description of what mass timber is and why its popularity is rising.
He talks about the vision, mission and values he and his team of associates have embraced.
You’ll hear about the production ramp up schedule for the new manufacturing plant in Conway, Arkansas how they were able to stay on schedule and budget despite the COVID 19 – pandemic.
4th Generation owner of Ward Lumber, Jay Ward describes how and why he took a family-owned business and turned it into an employee owned cooperative.
Listen, as he discusses ownership transition options and why the employee-owned coop was the best answer for Ward Lumber.
Jay is a great leader, and you’ll find many things he said in this short conversation to be examples of exceptional leadership.
What does it take to be a Leader of Excellence ? This keynote presentation replay will clearly answer the question and leave no doubt in your mind of what you will need to do.
Everyone knows about the importance of being a good listener. However, in this fast -paced world of distractions, it is a challenge we are all faced with.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk shares a little content from his Coaching Skills Course and a handful of practical techniques and tips to becoming a more effective listener.
The shared values and practices of employees shape the culture of companies. Leaders have tremendous influence on those values and practices. Their influence comes from their controllable actions, inactions, behaviors, or the words they choose, or choose not to say.
Their influence can be positive and constructive in forming the company culture. Or their influence can be damaging and destructive to achieving the culture they desire.
In this podcast presentation participants will learn:
- What company culture is and how leaders create one that attracts and retains top talent.
- The actions leaders can take to support and reinforce their company culture.
- The mistakes leaders can make that undermine their company culture and how to avoid them.
- The actions leaders can take to repair a broken or damaged company culture.
Learn why there is such a big gap in time between this episode and the last episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast ... and how it is now fixed.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk, has a conversation with accomplished customer service consultant, coach, trainer, speaker and customer service enthusiast, Charlotte Purvis. They discuss customer service and her new book ‘The Customer Communication Formula – How to communicate with your customers and boost your customer service brand.’
In this episode you will learn:
- How a young girl fascinated with customer service turned it into a life-long career.
- How to define excellent customer service and communication.
- The formula for ensuring best in class service for your internal and external customers.
- The importance of focusing on the customer, not the process.
- Customer service challenges leaders should pay attention during global crisis.
- Many practical and helpful insights into communicating effectively with customers.
In this first segment of the podcast, host Randy Goruk shares an introduction to his Live Online Live Coaching Skills Training Course.
This is to state a case for coaching and to give you some context of what you can expect from this unique approach to developing and refining your coaching skills.
The second part of this podcast shares an audio segment of the course highlighting the causes of a disengaged workforce and the drivers of an engaged workforce. This is foundational information every leader should clearly understand.
In this episode you will learn:
- Why Coaching Skills are Important for a Leaders Success.
- How you can tap into the Live Online Coaching Skills Course.
- The top 10 – causes of a disengaged workforce.
- The top 10 – drivers to achieve an engaged workforce.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk, has a conversation with guest Chip Bell about his new book - Inside your Customers Imagination: 5 Secrets for Creating Breakthrough Products, Service and Solutions. They explore the secrets and provide many examples of co-creation and leadership best practices to ensure a unique and differentiated Customer Experience.
In this episode you will learn:
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How the ‘Customer Experience’ can be a key differentiator for companies.
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Innovation is key to survival.
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The traits of successful innovative companies.
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The importance of co-creating products, services and solutions with your customers, not just on behalf of your customers.
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How co-creating products with your customers leads to customer loyalty.
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The power behind asking ‘dreamer questions.’
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The value of ‘being the customer’.
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How leaders who listen to learn are more effective with customers and employees.
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The importance for leaders to demonstrate humility and authenticity to create an environment where employees can make a difference.
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The importance for a leader to create an atmosphere of trust and transparency in their organization.
Leadership credibility killers are serious business. They are things you do or say as a leader that negatively impact your leadership credibility.
They are also those things that you don’t do or don’t say that you should do or say, but because if you don’t it could negatively impact your leadership credibility.
In this episode, podcast host Randy Goruk shares 10 – Leadership credibility killers to serve as a reminder to always be on the lookout for actions, words, behaviors that could undermine your credibility.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk, has a conversation with guest Dr. Mittie Cannon about her passion for the construction industry and how she is making a difference in the lives of women and the construction industry.
In this episode you will learn:
- The one important leadership characteristic that steered young Mittie, headed to medical school, away to have a life-long passion for making a difference in the construction industry.
- How Mittie’s organization, PowerUpLoud.org, is making a difference by bringing mothers and daughters together to become engaged and educated about exploring and discovering construction careers.
- How she is making a difference in schools today by educating kids of all ages about the construction industry.
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The advice she shares with women interested in joining the construction industry.
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The lessons she shares from her career in the construction industry.
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The tools she is working on today to help companies measure their productivity.
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How you can help her make a difference.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk, has a conversation with guest Doug Stevenson about Strategic Story Telling in Business.
Doug is the founder and president of Story Theater International, a speaking, training and consulting company, based in Tucson, Arizona. His company trains thousands of professionals and executives each year.
Doug’ Strategic Storytelling Methodology is the science of the art of storytelling for business presentations. His methodology is designed to improve your ability to influence, persuade and sell.
In this episode you will learn:
- The benefits for a leader to be good at storytelling.
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The importance of speaking from your head but with your heart wide-open.
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Common mistakes leaders typically make when they try to tell a story.
- Guidelines for telling personal stories.
- How to effectively tell the stories of others.
- Tips on crafting a compelling story.
- How to discover your stories to tell.
With COVID-19 continuing to linger, in this episode host Randy Goruk shares suggestions to help you lead your organization through the balance of 2020.
In this episode you will learn:
- The five most common traps that can ruin your business or curtail your career and how to avoid them.
- Strategies to re-emerge successfully after the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- How to become grounded and consistent in decision making.
- The importance of developing and refining your coaching skills.
- The importance of patience during the latter part of 2020.
- The power behind delivering a random act of kindness.
Host Randy Goruk shares a recent presentation describing how ineffective communication in construction can lead to a disengaged workforce which can lead to costly mistakes, quality problems missed opportunities, productivity challenges, safety concerns and employee turnover.
Regardless of your role in construction there is an opportunity to improve your communication effectiveness with these take-aways:
- You will have 7 - proven effective and implementable communication strategies to fully engage your team and elevate their performance in 2020.
- You will know, which strategy and technique to use in each situation.
- You will feel even more confident in setting expectations, holding people accountable and in delivering your safety and pep talks.
Teams that are fully engaged simply do more and deliver better results.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, Wally Adamchik, speaker, author and friend of host Randy Goruk, shares the findings and insights from his most recent People in Construction study.
In this podcast you will learn:
- How the research was obtained.
- The demographics of the participants.
- The 3 – biggest takeaways from the report.
- A few surprise findings and a few shocking findings.
- Some encouraging news.
- How big the gap is between the office and field and how to close it.
- What leaders of companies should be doing now to keep the people they have engaged and reinforce their desired culture.
- Two additional bonus tips for all levels of leader.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, guest Don Schwabe, CEO and President of RedBuilt, LLC shares his guiding principles of leadership with host, Randy Goruk.
In addition to learning five guiding principles of leadership, by listening to this podcast you will learn:
- The single most important leadership lesson Don learned the hard way.
- Don’s most gratifying leadership moment thus far in his career.
- The importance for leaders to demonstrate they genuinely care about their people.
- How to keep your organization focused on the most strategic aspects of your business.
- The power of empowerment.
- How staying curious helps leaders be more effective.
- Three excellent pieces of advice for all leaders.
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning podcast, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with Brian Carlson, President of Huber Engineered Woods, recently selected as one of the best managed companies in the United States by Deloitte.
Listen and you will learn:
- The value and importance of connection for leaders.
- The challenge most leaders are faced with and must learn to overcome.
- How to establish an innovative culture in your company.
- Three keys to strategy development strategy success.
- Three keys to strategy execution success.
- The one leadership characteristic that contributes the most to a company’s success in achieving a desirable culture.
- With the COVID-19 pandemic, what leaders should be doing today if they aren’t already.
- Three pieces of advice to help emerging leaders prepare for future leadership roles.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk and his guest, Bill Goodspeed, explore family businesses and leadership. Bill is a former President of Huber Engineered Wood Products and is now active on the Boards of multiple family businesses.
In this episode you will learn:
- Not to mimic someone else’s leadership style and the importance of getting results by being who you are as a leader.
- The simple thing leaders can do to harness the energy of the organization.
- The top 3 – mistakes family businesses typically make.
- The special sauce recipe for long-term family business success.
- The most important attributes, characteristics, or qualities a leader must possess to get the most out of their organization.
- The mistakes organizations typically make when they hire for a senior leadership position.
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The mistakes senior leaders typically make when they take over the top spot.
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The biggest complaints most employees have about company senior leadership.
- 3 – pieces of leadership advice for someone who just landed their first management position?
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk talks sales leadership with author, speaker and subject matter expert guest, Mark Hunter.
In this episode you will learn:
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Nuggets taken from Marks new book A Mind for Sales.
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The top 5 – obstacles facing most sales professionals today with suggestions on how to overcome them for greater sales success.
- The top 3 – obstacles facing most sales professionals when transitioning from sales to sales manager with suggestions on how to overcome them for greater career success.
- The top 5 – obstacles facing most sales managers today with suggestions on how to overcome them for greater career success.
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The value of a properly designed sales call.
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3 – pieces of leadership advice for the managers of sales managers.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk talks with building material industry veteran, Bob Scarborough about past industry challenges and current opportunities for leaders to lead, post COVID-19.
In this episode you will learn:
- How the past challenges to the industry are similar but different than the challenges of today and how leaders should deal with them.
- Who is likely to be the most affected by the pandemic.
- The biggest mistake companies should avoid post pandemic.
- The greatest opportunity leaders have post pandemic.
- The best practices to implement today to capitalize on future opportunities.
- The importance of creating a ‘playbook’ and ‘scorecard’ with your team.
- How to plan around all of the moving parts we’re experiencing.
- The kinds of questions leaders need to be asking their team, their customers, and suppliers right now.
- 4 – pieces of leadership advice for emerging leaders.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk talks with the new CEO of Boise Cascade, Nate Jorgensen about his leadership journey and the lessons learned along the way. Nate shares how his past experiences help him lead in today’s challenging world and have prepared him to lead in an uncertain future.
In this episode you will learn:
- Nate’s views on Servant Leadership.
- What Nate learned from the previous CEO that helps him today.
- Nate’s biggest leadership challenge and how he overcomes it.
- The aspect of leadership that gives Nate the greatest satisfaction.
- Nate’s proudest career accomplishment so far.
- How he is leading his organization through the Covid-19 pandemic.
- How Nate stays mentally tough during challenging times.
- How he approaches making difficult decisions.
- Nate’s insights into the future and how leaders need to be thinking about the future.
- 3 – pieces of leadership advice for emerging leaders.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk talks leadership with guest Matt Consalvo, CEO of Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service.
In this episode you will learn:
- Why you should surround yourself with a variety and diversity of perspectives.
- How a team working together contributes to better decision making of the organization.
- The importance for a leader to be a life-long learner who encourages others to as well.
- Why and how you should encourage your team to be involved in industry activities.
- Matt's views on work-life balance / harmony.
- Why leaders should keep an eye on the horizon.
- Status quo is not a viable long-term strategy.
- Why executive leaders must be multi-faceted.
- How to develop a leadership team that produces results.
- What cultivating, nurturing and transparency does for leaders.
- How to solve conflict between teammates.
- Why leaders need to learn, listen and be prepared to step-into the moment to lead.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk talks leadership success with guest David Chapin, President and 4th generation co-owner of Willmar Electric Services – celebrating 100 years of business success.
In this episode you will learn:
- The 100-year history of the Chapin family business. How it started, survived, and thrived while other companies have not.
- The importance of ensuring employee values are aligned with the company’s and the techniques for success.
- How the company culture has evolved over the years with the power of a simple phrase; ‘People making a difference for people’, with an example that will warm your heart.
- What drives the importance he puts on employee education and a continuous learning focus.
- David’s BLOG and his views on different generations.
- The benefits of getting involved in the industry as he did in 2016 – as the Associated Builders and Contractors National Chair.
- COVID-19 and what we might expect in the construction industry.
- Dave’s 3 – pieces of advice for all emerging leaders.
Host, Randy Goruk and guest Wendy Minichiello, the Engineered Wood Products Sales Director for North America with Weyerhaeuser talk leadership and COVID-19.
In this episode, you will learn the leadership attributes that helped Wendy successfully transition from the sporting goods industry to the building materials industry. You will also learn what fuels her success today.
Additionally, she shares her passion for helping people be successful and the leadership characteristic to embrace that will help you learn in a non-threating way while establishing better relationships.
Wendy also shares her thoughts on what leaders should be thinking right now during COVID-19 and what the industry could look like post pandemic.
Host, Randy Goruk and guest Jay Ward, 4th generation owner of Ward Lumber, Jay, New York, talk leadership and COVID-19.
In this conversation, while leading during the pandemic you will learn Jay’s best practices for keeping your employees, customers, and vendors safe. You will also learn many of Jay’s actions demonstrating exceptional leadership.
Jay also shares his views on what to expect in the ‘new reality’.
When you have a good employee, direct report or not, as leaders we must do everything possible to retain them as employees.
Peer to peer communication should remain positive with feedback being constructive and helpful.
Leaders must be mindful of the signals they send. Their actions, behaviors and decisions are observed critically by everyone. Leaders whose values are not aligned with the organization’s values will not go unnoticed.
An opportunity to show genuine and sincere appreciation and to properly recognize accomplishments and contributions should never be wasted. Preparation and communication are fundamentals that leaders must master to earn trust and credibility.
A culture that embraces accountability is a great culture for leaders to develop and nurture.
When making crucial decisions, it’s important to receive input from various sources. Which is exactly what Gord’s meeting is all about. He receives and considers different perspectives as he is about to make an important decision on the next Vice President of Operations.
Have you ever been yelled at by someone on the telephone? Do you feel disrespected and shallow? Is that how we should treat people? Or is there a better way?
We don’t know it all, but if we can learn to think we will make better decisions. It is better to become a problem avoider than a problem solver.
Ineffective communication can lead to many problems. There are many different techniques and strategies to communicate effectively. Exceptional leaders arm themselves with as many different communication strategies to ensure effective communication.
Internal competition between managers can be healthy. Depending on personalities and how situations are handled, it can also be unhealthy.
Leaders must demonstrate they care about their employees. There are many ways to do this, Jack share why and how he shows that he genuinely cares about others.
A leader always has a choice of telling people what to do or to coach them through a situation. Kyle Anderson has a problem and Jack coach’s him through a practical solution. Even though Kyle doesn’t report to Jack. Could this lead to a bigger or different problem for Jack?
A routine drive to work can turn into an adventure and require you to demonstrate leadership.
Windshield time is a great opportunity to think, reflect and make plans. There is plenty on Jack’s mind as he waits for the decision of who will get the promotion to Vice President of Operations.
In this season I’m bringing you the entire audio version of a book I wrote a few years ago ... it’s called Sparks.
Sparks is a business fable that unveils a leadership platform containing six core leadership competencies and over 90 leadership action items. To reveal the competencies and the leadership lessons that accompany them, we spend a day in the life of Jack Sparks who is competing for a promotion with the older more experienced John Saunders.
It’s important to listen to the episodes in order of the timeline. We start with Jack’s dream job.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk and guest John Kostaras, VP Material Sales for Katerra, recap their favorite moments of Season 1 of The Leadership and Learning Podcast.
Hear the highlights from the brilliance of leaders like:
- Tom Corrick, CEO Boise Cascade
- John K Smith, CEO Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company
- Jim Sobeck, CEO New South Construction Supply
- Brad Southern, CEO Louisiana Pacific Building Solutions
- Hardy Wentzel, CEO Structurlam
The areas covered include:
- The role of listening in decision making.
- How to learn from others without experiencing the pain.
- Why leaders must continue to learn.
- Why you must love doing what you do.
- How to get ahead in your career.
- What competitive advantage really is.
- Understanding ‘value destruction’.
- The characteristics of exceptional teams.
Now we are ready for Season 2 of The Leadership and Learning Podcast.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk visits with long-time friend and professional engineer, Gary Schweizer – Director of Engineering at Weyerhaeuser. The conversation focus is on providing leadership as one navigates through the complexity of addressing various degrees of field problems.
Listen to this episode and learn:
- The importance of continuing education.
- The one thing that defines the engineering profession.
- Why good forensics are important in conflict resolution.
- The best way to analyze a situation where a customer is unsatisfied.
- The three buckets to consider when there is a field issue.
- Preparing the team to handle field issues.
- The value of learning from and sharing mistakes.
- Why listening and observing are valuable skills to develop.
- When a field issue becomes a field problem.
- Common issues causing field problems.
- Knowing the difference between being an expert and having an awareness.
- Having the right tools to help identify solutions to field problems.
- The importance of preparing for possible litigation.
- Gary’s top 3 – pieces of advice for any leader.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk provides some thought provoking questions around competitive advantage. As you plan your business for next year, Randy shares three quotes from Jack Welsh, former CEO of General Electric and his thoughts on competitive advantage. His hope is you will be inspired to think differently about how you compete and to achieve a true competitive advantage.
In this short podcast, you’ll:
- Learn what a competitive advantage is.
- Be challenged to ‘critically evaluate your true competitive advantage and strengthen it’.
- Learn five critical questions to ask yourself or your team about your products and services.
This thought-provoking topic may just change the way you compete.
Companies that have a true competitive advantage flourish. And those that don’t, don’t.
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with Brad Southern, CEO LP Building Solutions. They discuss career advice for leaders, developing and implementing strategy, the importance of innovation and managing change.
You’ll also learn:
- What it takes to prepare to become the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company.
- The importance of broadening your experience that takes you out of your comfort zone.
- The importance of delegating responsibility and holding people accountable for achieving goals.
- Empowerment is more effective than telling people how to do something.
- The bias for action and the impact of the ripple effect.
- Learning to be confident around your judgement and experiences is a key leadership development trait.
- Leadership can set a pace around decision making and action that can turn a team into a high-performance team.
- The value of having a disciplined, rigorous and quantitative strategic planning process.
- How to transition areas of ‘value destruction’ to ‘opportunities for value creation’.
- What to do to address the challenges that come with change.
- Communication must be transparent, forthright and interesting.
- How aligning the reward system with strategy implementation can help overcome change resistance.
- Change for the sake of change doesn’t make sense, however constantly looking for ways to improve is important to long term success (and survival).
- Forget vendor, think true business partner.
- Why the need for innovation in the industry is so high today.
- Tips for emerging leaders to achieve leadership success.
You will take home plenty of helpful nuggets, including; “An accelerator to developing good leadership skills is when you are managing in uncomfortable situations or when in areas where you’re not the expert.”
In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, Jim, a former colleague of host Randy Goruk, shares leadership lessons he’s learned from leaders he’s worked with over the past 40 - years and he candidly shares his leadership experiences and advice for leadership success.
Listen to this podcast and you’ll learn his views on:
- The importance of family.
- What matters the most in business.
- One simple trick for improving productivity.
- The value of making everyone on the team feel important.
- The two habits every leader should develop.
- The two most important questions to ask.
- The importance of taking the time to think.
You’ll also learn why you’ll be a better leader when you love what you’re doing and how time is a luxury you cannot afford to waste.
Jim Arthurs is down to earth with great stories and sound advice.
Listen as host Randy Goruk shares a communication strategy utilized by many great leaders - asking great questions.
He shares tips on structuring great questions that have impact in any situation and he provides numerous examples to demonstrate his point.
Additionally, he delivers a platform of questions to help you and your team get even better results in the second half of the year (or anytime).
On the Leadership and Learning Podcast we have benefitted from the experience and wisdom of many high-level experienced leaders. In this episode, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with Michael Schumacher, an emerging leader in the construction industry.
Listen to his take on key leadership and development issues. You will learn:
- The importance of, and how to build your personal network.
- The benefits of continuing your education – while you work.
- How to add to your personal Leadership Toolbox
- The value of different mentors and how to look for them.
- How to be an effective mentor.
- How damaging labeling and generalizing people can limit your success.
- How to retain young emerging leaders.
- The importance of maintaining mental agility.
- Plus, so much more
Enjoy this episode as Michael does a great job representing the ‘Leaders of the Future.’
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with security expert Robert Siciliano about how to safeguard your identity, data and money from cyber crooks.
You will learn:
- Why you should do ‘phishing simulation training.’
- What ‘social engineered scams’ are and how to avoid them.
- What ‘cyber social identity protection’ is and why it’s important.
- How to protect your money with a ‘credit freeze strategy’.
- Other simple, cost effective ways to protect yourself, your family and your business.
Robert’s last bit of advice on defending against the ‘bad guys’ is priceless.
Succession planning is a necessity for most organizations or businesses. However, in many cases plans are not created or if they are, they're not executed as they should be.
In this episode, host Randy Goruk talks about what succession planning is, why it is important and identifies the succession planning pitfalls you need to avoid to be successful.
In this episode of the Leadership and Learning podcast, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with Damian Mason, author of Do Business Better – Traits, Habits and Actions to Help You Succeed.
There is no fluff here, it’s all about how to Do Business Better.
- Learn about what vision is, why it’s important for leaders to articulate - execute – update as appropriate.
- Learn about the value of advertising, marketing, sales and branding … and how they are all necessary and must work together to grow your business.
- Learn three of Damian’s Ten Rules to Sales Success and examples of how to implement them.
- Learn what success looks like.
Have you ever experienced any of these awkward business communication situations?
- Not sure how to address a public figure?
- Listening to someone but not really hearing what they’re saying?
- The proper way to leave a telephone message for someone.
- What to say in a handwritten note of appreciation?
- Being distracted while on an important phone call?
- Having no privacy in your cubicle?
- Not sure what your leadership presence is saying about you?
Well in this episode, business etiquette expert Ms. Marla Harr, provides you the solutions to these situations and to many other communication challenges faced by business leaders.
This episode, part 2 of 2, host Randy Goruk continues his conversation with former major league baseball player Bobby Scales about his leadership journey as a professional baseball player in the United States, in Japan then turning in his cleats for an Operations role with the Anaheim Angels.
You’ll learn the lessons he learned when he left baseball entirely for a job in the insurance industry … then finding his way back into baseball.
You’ll hear his stories of the importance of being adaptable, resilient and being open to learn. The value of mentors and of doing what you love. On being a professional and what that means, regardless of the industry you’re in.
Bobby’s final leadership tip is one that you can’t miss.
This episode, part 1 of 2, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with former major league baseball player Bobby Scales about his leadership journey from high school through college.
You'll hear his stories of overcoming challenges, demonstrating humility, perseverance, the importance of goal setting and being visionary, practicing empathy, developing resolve and work ethic.
Bobby also talks about how surrounding yourself with great people to help elevate your greatness through 'healthy jealousy' and what it takes for teams to be successful in business.
In this episode, Randy Goruk replays a podcast interview of him by Michael S. Seaver. They talk about several leadership topics including key learning points along Randy’s leadership journey.
You’ll learn;
· Why leaders should never tolerate mediocrity.
· The importance of creating a 5 – star environment.
· How lessons from your youth shape you as a leader.
· How experience helps you grow as a leader.
· Ways to engage your employees.
· Valuable resources that will inspire your leadership.
· The value of mentoring others, working relationships and inclusion.
· The importance of embracing accountability.
Our world is full of cultural conflict and complexity causing great societal and institutional pain. Many people are well-intentioned but struggle to understand and embrace those different from themselves in a genuine manner. We can only lead people to the highest levels when we know them at the deepest levels and we cannot successfully lead people whom we are emotionally resisting.
The author of The 6 Stages of Cultural Mastery, Ricardo Gonzalez, walks us through the 6 - stages of Cultural Mastery.
Achieving Cultural Mastery will enable you to more successfully connect, create and collaborate with people of diverse cultures. In addition, becoming a cultural master will protect you from doing or saying things that could potentially damage your reputation, your career, or your company.
In addition to being CEO of New South Construction Supply, Jim Sobeck has over 40 years of experience in the industry and shares much of it in his book, The Real Business 101 – Lessons from the Trenches.
In this conversation with host Randy Goruk about his book, Jim shares a number of leadership lessons for all levels of leaders.
In this episode you will learn:
- One of the most important things to look for when hiring someone.
- What to do when you make a hiring mistake.
- How to successfully hire and develop millennials.
- The actions to take to get ahead in your company and your career.
- Why what you do is more important than what you say.
- Mistakes to avoid when trying to grow your business.
- Tips to become more personally productive.
We are about to enter the Holiday Season where we have many reasons to celebrate. The celebration can be fun and enjoyable. If we’re not careful, the celebration can be hard on our health.
This episode features two nutritional experts who offer us a number of reasonable and practical tips on staying healthy throughout the Holiday season.
In this episode learn:
- Techniques for reducing stress during the Holidays.
- Exercise tips when you have no time to exercise.
- The importance of portion control and how to measure it.
- The Superfoods of the Holidays.
- Valuable lessons about liver and kidney health.
- Drinks to run away from.
- How to determine if you are sleeping enough.
- And so much more
If you believe an important role of a leader is to develop other leaders, you’ll want to listen to this episode. In under seven minutes, host Randy Goruk shares three strategies for leaders to develop other leaders.
He describes the magic of inclusion, provides five suggestions for inspiring those with self-limiting beliefs and how to strengthen your weakest link.
Jim Davis, President and CEO of Barrons Enterprises, Inc. talks with host Randy Goruk about how 'spectacular companies' in the building material industry are typically led by a 'Visionary Leader'. Citing his personal leadership experiences Jim, compares different leader styles and describes what it takes to become a 'visionary leader'.
Jim's leadership story is quite incredible. His journey started as a janitor with Barrons and has landed him in his current role as a major shareholder, President and CEO of the company. His spectacular rise revolves around his ability to be the 'visionary leader' he talks about.
Kirk Grundahl, a professional engineer, the Executive Director of the Structural Building Components Association (SBCA) and the President of Qualtim, Inc., SBCA’s contract management firm, shares insights into ‘Making Relationships Work’ with host Randy Goruk.
In this conversation, Kirk:
- Describes the three diverse types of business relationships he is challenged with.
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Describes the signs he looks for in a healthy relationship in each of the three different groups he mentions.
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Explains the top challenges to making these relationships work and describes a few techniques to overcome each of these challenges.
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Addresses the solutions to fixing a relationship gone bad.
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Provides a simple solution for helping two people resolve a conflict.
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Provides a practical suggestion on how to help someone who wants to get out of a relationship with a supplier or vendor, but they’re not sure how.
- Provides two powerful suggestions on how to maximize your value and time in the industry.
In this conversation Hardy shares:
- His leadership journey across Canada, in the United states, Germany, Belgium and the UK, where he had to adapt to different cultures, different languages, and building traditions.
- He has been successful in tackling a range of businesses; commodities to emerging technologies with varying value propositions.
- How various mentors were important and valuable along the way to help him be successful in these different market segments.
- The valuable leadership traits he had to develop to be successful.
- Examples of the companies who have done a great job of bringing innovation to the building products industry.
- The 9 - important key components you should look for in new team members.
- How to expand the workforce by leveraging diversity.
- How to deal with a situation of someone on the team resisting change.
Ron Schumacher, CEO of Arrow Building Center talks leadership with host Randy Goruk.
In this conversation Ron shares:
- The top leadership characteristics of sales managers.
- The top leadership characteristics of senior leaders.
- Overcoming the hurdles when transitioning to greater responsibility.
- His thoughts on the importance of formally planning your business to be better than ‘good enough’.
- Techniques for getting people on board with your long-range plan.
- Creating an environment where people want to stay.
John K Smith, CEO of Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company talks leadership with host Randy Goruk.
In this conversation, John shares his advice for anyone wanting to excel at providing leadership in any business.
Based on his own leadership journey, John offers ten practical pieces of advice that are essential to shaping your leadership career.
As an added bonus, there are a number of additional nuggets woven throughout the conversation that will be helpful to all levels of leaders.
Tom Corrick, CEO of Boise Cascade talks leadership with host Randy Goruk.
In this candid conversation Tom shares:
- What leadership is and what effective leaders do.
- The four habits that get in the way of providing exceptional leadership.
- The best leaders are intentional.
- The importance for leaders to have a diverse background.
- Three additional leadership tips every leader should follow to be successful.
The host of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, Randy Goruk provides a brief introduction and overview of this new professional development resource for the building material industry. He explains, who the podcast is intended for and what listeners can expect on future episodes.