Ambition Theory: Rethinking Leadership in Construction

Data center work is growing so fast that people are being promoted into leadership with far fewer years in the field than they used to have, and the leaders above them have to figure out how to support them while they learn on the job. This episode was recorded live at an Ambition Theory Rethink Series session. Andrea is joined by Valerie Crafton, chief revenue officer at Mod42; Stephen Ayers, int...

Zachry's foremen weren't moving up to superintendent, and the real reason had nothing to do with how good they were at the job. Ranjeet Gadhoke has spent about twenty years at Zachry, where he's now Senior Vice President of Operational Controls and Intelligence. Jason Westenskow runs human resources for Zachry Corporation and has been there about ten years. Together, they shape how the company dev...

A little over two years ago, Lizan Gilbert noticed that Dan Nosbush did something most people don’t: he took her advice, acted on it, and came back to tell her what he’d learned. She saw someone who could become one of the company’s top leaders, and she decided to sponsor him. Lizan, a project sponsor at Kiewit with 27 years in the industry, develops people by handing them the next meeting before...

When Jacqueline Quinn moved from sales into a role where her results depended on other people, her plan was to simply take her old numbers and multiply them by 1,000. Jacqueline leads strategy for connected and indoor air quality on Ferguson's dealer development team, working with Ferguson associates and the contractors they serve. She came up through the contractor side and outside sales, where s...

Jessica Herrala has sat on enough construction task forces to call them “the death to innovation.” She’s seen technology decisions from both sides – spending years in the C-suite at three large construction companies, and now leading the sales organization at Buildots, which uses AI to track construction progress against the plan and schedule. She and Andrea get into why so many companies still se...

Tim Coldwell went from a job at Chandos Construction at 17 to president of the company, and then eventually realized his skills weren't what Chandos needed to take it to the next level. Tim is president and CEO of Énska, which he launched with Wes Hall to bring together capital, land and teams for real estate and infrastructure projects owned by First Nations. He's a member of the Mohawks of the B...

Throwing more people and more hours at a data center schedule usually makes the project slower, less safe and more expensive, according to Nancy Novak. Novak is Chief Innovation Officer Emeritus and Compass Ambassador at Compass Datacenters. She and Andrea talk about her path from general contractor executive to building data centers, and what it takes to lead people through fast, high-pressure pr...

We keep promoting people because they're great at the work, then handing them a team and hoping they figure out the rest. Across a year of in-depth conversations with leaders throughout the industry, this was one of four patterns that kept coming up, no matter who we were speaking to. In this solo episode, Andrea Janzen breaks down those four patterns, then takes on the question almost everyone as...

Welcome to Rethinking Leadership in Construction. This is where we unpack what’s getting in the way of progress—and explore the ideas, people, and strategies that can actually move the industry forward. From workforce challenges to culture shifts, we’re here to spark the conversations that create real change. In this episode, Ambition Theory's CEO, Andrea Janzen , and Director of Marketing, Amanda...

Welcome to Rethinking Leadership in Construction. This is where we unpack what’s getting in the way of progress—and explore the ideas, people, and strategies that can actually move the industry forward. From workforce challenges to culture shifts, we’re here to spark the conversations that create real change. Join Ambition Theory's CEO, Andrea Janzen , and Director of Marketing, Amanda Portinari ,...

In this conversation, we reverse-engineered the behaviors and steps required to start a sponsorship relationship. We also discussed what was in it for Sophie (the protege), what was in it for Brian (the sponsor), and what the value was to Kiewit, the company where they both work. If you want to learn how to start using sponsorship to advance your career,  uplift others, and provide exponential val...

In this episode, Dr. Giovanna Brasfield (Popularly known as Dr. G), the CEO and Principal Consultant at Brasfield Associates, discusses her journey in the construction industry, focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Dr. G is an award-winning diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) advocate and changemaker with over 18 years of experience in leadership consulting and DEI program developm...

In this episode, Beth Tubbs, the Chief Fire Protection Engineer at ICC, shares her journey of growth, both personally and professionally, within the construction and engineering sectors.  She delves into the significance of building codes for public safety and energy efficiency, her role in developing these codes, and how she finds purpose in her work.  Beth also discusses the impact of attending...

In this episode, Kathryn Payne, a Project Executive with LeChase Construction, shares her inspiring journey in the construction sector. Kathryn fell in love with the field early on at Clemson University, and her passion for problem-solving and creating has driven her career. Sponsors have played a crucial role in Kathryn's growth, facilitating opportunities for her and others. She believes in inve...

Doreen Bartoldus is the past national president of the National Association of Women in Construction and one of the 2023 Construction Power 100 for New York City. She is a certified construction manager recognized by the  Construction Management Association of America with the Champion Coins of Excellence award. Doreen is a trailblazer in the construction industry, someone who holds the door open...

Getting more women into leadership roles is important for every industry but especially for manufacturing. The sector lags behind others in terms of representation, particularly in the C-Suite. What does it take to attract women to the industrial space? What can companies do to retain these women? What guidance do current women leaders have for the next generation to improve their chances for a su...

Sponsorship is one of the most powerful tools to advance women in the construction industry. Once you learn about this concept, it’s easy to want to implement it. But it isn’t always straightforward. There’s no sign-up sheet or 3-step plan; it’s a mutually beneficial relationship. Rachael Ferrera from Zachry Construction unpacks how sponsorship has shown up for her over her 15-year career - even t...

There’s a labor shortage in the construction industry today, which has started a trend of companies wanting to attract more women. While the motivation may have started with getting more people in the door, the truth is that women bring a ton of value to the industry. Today, much of this value is untapped and isn’t leveraged. Dr. Tim Taylor from the National Center for Construction Education and R...

It's actually not all about the money. Well, salary might get women in the door. What they really want as they progress is a clear path to career advancement. This episode is an excerpt from Ambition Theory and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Building Better Report.   Highlights:   What women want when they are looking for career opportunities  Why women don’t a...

The best way to start implementing sponsorship as a tool to advance women is to start by modeling sponsorship behaviors. Cultural transformation is really about behavior change, and all it takes is one person to start, and others will follow.  This episode is an excerpt from Ambition Theory and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Building Better Report.   Highlights...

Investing in your women employees' leadership development is an excellent retention tool. But knowing what kind of training you should invest in can get overwhelming.  Andrea Janzen reads a Forbes Coaches Council article in this episode to show you the difference between 1:1 and group coaching.  Highlights:   The difference between coaching and traditional leadership training   The outcomes you ca...

Transactional leadership involves providing direction, giving praise, and offering critical feedback. On the other hand, transformational leadership involves sharing a vision and inspiring people to contribute to that vision. In the construction industry, you need to leverage both styles of leadership.  Andrea Janzen reads a Forbes Coaches Council article in this episode to show you how to leverag...

In 2019, Andrea Janzen wrote a series of articles in the Forbes Coaches Council about the difference between sponsorship and mentorship. The hypothesis then was that sponsorship, not mentorship, would become the answer to advancing women in the construction industry. Fast forward to today, and Ambition Theory and the National Center for Construction Education and Research have quantitative researc...

In 2019, Andrea Janzen wrote an article in the Forbes Coaches Council about the difference between sponsorship and mentorship. The hypothesis then was that sponsorship, not mentorship, would become the answer to advancing women in the construction industry. Fast forward to today, and Ambition Theory and the National Center for Construction Education and Research have quantitative research that sho...

Liz Wiseman is a New York Times bestselling author and executive advisor. Her books include Multipliers, The Multiplier Effect, Rookie Smarts, and Impact Players. She is the Founder of the Wiseman Group and a leading global authority on leadership. Highlights  What a multiplier is and how they make everyone smarter  What a diminisher is and how to manage our accidental diminisher behaviors like be...