Activating Curiosity™ | Leading Change in the Construction Industry

Mini Series Part 5: Curiosity isn’t a soft skill—it’s a leadership advantage in construction. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how curiosity drives effective change leadership in the AEC industry and why it’s essential for navigating uncertainty, overcoming resistance, and building stronger teams. This conversation reframes a common challenge: leaders often focus on man...

Friction slows down decision-making in construction—but removing it doesn’t mean replacing expertise. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware sits down with Scott Reynolds , Co-Founder and CEO of UpCodes , to explore how construction leaders can reduce friction in decision-making while maintaining control, judgment, and expertise. This conversation reframes a critical challenge in the...

Access to healthcare isn’t just a policy issue—it’s a delivery problem. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware sits down with Peter Nicholson , Co-Founder and CEO of Modern Clinical Planning , to explore how micro hospitals are reshaping healthcare access in rural and underserved communities. This conversation reframes a critical challenge: healthcare systems often struggle to justif...

Mini Series Part 4: Leadership in change management often fails not because teams lack initial alignment, but because commitment fades when motivation does. In this mini-series installment of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction and AEC leaders can shift from motivational fixes to building sustainable commitment—the daily disciplines, rituals, and accountability structures th...

The future of construction isn’t just about technology—it’s about how leaders respond to change. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware sits down with Brian Turmail, Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) , to explore what construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry will require moving in...

Mini Series Part 3: Clarity doesn’t come before change—it’s built through it. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry often stall because leaders wait for clarity that never arrives. This conversation reframes a common belief: that teams need full clarity before taking action. Instead, Ryan highlights that c...

Leadership in construction isn’t just about getting work done—it’s about how you bring people with you. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Andrea Janzen, Founder of Ambition Theory, to explore how transformational leadership is reshaping construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry. This conversation challenges a long-standing norm: construction...

Efficiency in construction isn’t just about speed—it’s about how teams work together. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware sits down with Brian Skripac of the Design-Build Institute of America ( DBIA ) to explore how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry are evolving through collaboration, technology, and design-build delivery. This conversation breaks d...

Mini Series Part 2: Control feels like safety—but in change, it’s often an illusion. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware explores how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry are shaped by our relationship with control—and why holding onto it can limit our ability to lead effectively. This conversation reframes a common belief: that more control leads to b...

Construction doesn’t have a people problem—it has a connection problem. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware sits down with Angelo Suntres , founder of The Human Side of Construction, to explore how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry must evolve to better support the people behind the work. This conversation challenges a long-standing norm: that tough...

Change doesn’t start with strategy—it starts with choice. In this Mini Series Part 1 of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware breaks down the first step in building a stronger relationship with change: understanding how we make decisions and how those decisions impact others. In the construction and AEC industry, change often feels imposed—new technology, shifting delivery models, or evolving business...

How are construction leaders managing decentralized teams in an industry built for command-and-control? In this episode of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware explores decentralized work models and how AI is reshaping staffing in AEC with Mandy McGill, founder of Aedifico . From construction leadership culture to labor productivity, discover why decentralization isn't just a trend—it's the...

Big change doesn’t start with systems—it starts with people willing to think differently. In this bonus episode of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware explores how real change in the construction industry happens over time—and why it requires both individual ownership and collective action. Using the U.S. Green Building Council ( USGBC ) and the Design-Build Institute of America ( DBIA ) as examples...

You can build great projects—and still run an unhealthy business. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware sits down with Jessica Krause , Founder and CEO of New Lyfe Accounting , to explore why financial clarity is one of the most overlooked drivers of construction leadership and decision making. In the AEC industry, many construction leaders treat financials as a "back office&qu...

Curiosity isn’t a soft skill—it’s a leadership advantage in times of change. In this bonus episode of Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware explores how construction leaders in the AEC industry can use curiosity to navigate uncertainty, reduce resistance, and lead change more effectively. In an industry shaped by constant disruption—new technologies, shifting delivery models, and evolving workforce ex...

Change isn’t slowing down in construction—but how we lead through it needs to. In this short trailer for Activating Curiosity™ , Ryan Ware introduces a new kind of conversation for construction and AEC leaders—one focused not just on solutions, but on how we think about and respond to change. This podcast is built around a simple but powerful question: What is the most important problem you’re try...