The NEXT Academy

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Daniel Coyle’s  The Culture Code  and translate its lessons into the construction world, where safety, trust, vulnerability, and purpose determine whether teams speak up early or hide problems until they become expensive. You’ll learn how to build belonging, model honest vulnerability, and establish a clear purpose so your project team...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down  The Checklist Manifesto  and translate Atul Gawande’s lessons into the construction world, where complexity, pressure, and handoffs can cause even great teams to miss critical steps. You’ll learn how simple, well-designed checklists can reduce rework, improve safety, strengthen communication, and help skilled professionals consistently...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Liz Wiseman’s  Multipliers  and explore why some construction leaders unlock the intelligence, ownership, and capability of everyone around them while others unintentionally cause good people to stop thinking. You’ll learn how to become a Talent Magnet, Liberator, Challenger, Debate Maker, and Investor—and build a team that solves more...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Patrick Lencioni’s  The Motive  and confront the uncomfortable difference between leaders who pursue the rewards of authority and those willing to accept its responsibilities. You’ll learn why great construction leaders build cohesive teams, manage their people, have hard conversations, run meaningful meetings, and communicate relentles...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down  Turn the Ship Around!  and translate Captain David Marquet’s leader-leader model into the construction world, where too many projects slow down because every decision has to climb the chain of command. You’ll learn how to move authority closer to the work, use “I intend to” leadership, and build the competence and clarity your team nee...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Annie Duke’s  Thinking in Bets  and translate decision-making under uncertainty into the real world of construction, where every schedule, estimate, and recovery plan is a bet made without all the facts. You’ll learn how to separate good decisions from lucky outcomes, think in probabilities, invite dissent, and become the kind of leader...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Brené Brown’s  Dare to Lead  and translate courageous leadership into the real world of construction, where avoided conversations, weak trust, and vague values can quietly create major project risk. You’ll learn how to rumble with vulnerability, live values visibly, build trust through specific behaviors, and lead teams that can tell th...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down  The Fifth Discipline  and translate Peter Senge’s idea of the learning organization into the real world of construction, where recurring rework, poor handoffs, and “same old problems” are usually signs of a broken system, not bad luck. You’ll learn how systems thinking, shared vision, and better team learning can help you stop treating...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down  Essentialism  and translate Greg McKeown’s “disciplined pursuit of less” into the real world of construction, where leaders are constantly pulled by urgent demands, shifting priorities, and the pressure to say yes to everything. You’ll learn how to protect the critical few, stop confusing activity with contribution, and build a week, a...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down  Atomic Habits  and translate James Clear’s ideas into the real world of construction, where small daily behaviors quietly shape schedule, safety, communication, and culture. You’ll learn how better systems beat bigger goals, why every action is a vote for the kind of leader you’re becoming, and how tiny improvements can compound into r...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf. we break down  The Goal  and translate Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints into the real world of construction, where one bottleneck can quietly dictate the pace of an entire project. You’ll learn how to find your job’s “Herbie,” stop mistaking busyness for progress, and lead work in a way that improves flow, protects margin, and gets the whole system m...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we unpack Ron Shaich’s  Know What Matters  and explore how construction leaders can stop confusing busyness with progress by telling themselves the truth, identifying what actually matters, and acting on it with intention. You’ll learn how future-back thinking, smart bets, and honest priorities can help you build not just a stronger company, but a li...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down  The Founder’s Mentality  and explore why so many growing construction companies lose the very edge that made them successful in the first place—speed, clarity, and obsession with the front line. You’ll learn how to protect an insurgent mission, stay close to the field, and build an owner’s mindset so your company can grow without becom...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Daniel Pink’s  Drive  and translate autonomy, mastery, and purpose into the jobsite—where “carrots and sticks” might get compliance, but rarely get commitment. You’ll learn how to motivate construction teams without micromanaging, build pride in craft, and create a culture where people bring their brains to work, not just their bodies....

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down  Move Fast and Fix Things  and translate its “trusted leader” playbook into the jobsite—where speed is often demanded, but trust and clarity are the real fuel. You’ll learn how to fix the system (not blame the people), build psychological safety so bad news travels fast, and create faster, cleaner execution without breaking your team. E...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down  Leadership on the Line  and explore why leading real change is dangerous—because it threatens people’s habits, identities, and comfort, not just their to-do list. You’ll learn how to “get on the balcony,” manage the heat, give the work back to the team, and stay steady long enough for adaptive change to actually stick. Enjoy Episode 12...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down Adam Grant’s  Think Again  and translate the “scientist mindset” into the real world of construction—where strong opinions, jobsite folklore, and ego can quietly cost you time, money, and trust. You’ll learn how to rethink faster, argue less, learn more, and become the kind of leader who stays adaptable, sharp, and dangerous in a changi...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down  The Outsiders  and explore how eight low-ego, radically rational CEOs built extraordinary results by mastering the unsexy skill that actually drives long-term success: capital allocation. You’ll learn how to think like an owner, avoid “growth for growth’s sake,” and make calmer, smarter decisions about where your time, money, and atten...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we unpack Michael Watkins’ The First 90 Days and turn it into a practical game plan for stepping into a new role in construction—whether you’re a first-time PM, a new superintendent, or taking over a tough project. You’ll learn how to accelerate your learning, secure early wins, align with your boss and stakeholders, and treat your first three months...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we unpack Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s  Extreme Ownership  and translate its combat-tested leadership lessons directly onto the jobsite—where excuses are common, stakes are high, and results are visible in concrete and steel. You’ll learn how taking radical responsibility for schedule, safety, quality, and communication can transform you from a fin...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we unpack Jim Collins’  Good to Great  and translate its biggest ideas into the world of construction—Level 5 leadership, getting the right people on the bus, finding your “Hedgehog,” and pushing the flywheel project after project. You’ll learn how disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action can transform a “good contractor” into...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we unpack Daniel Goleman’s  Primal Leadership  and explore how a leader’s mood, presence, and emotional intelligence quietly drive safety, performance, and culture on every jobsite. You’ll learn how to use the six leadership styles to create resonance instead of burnout, and become the kind of PM, superintendent, or foreman people actually do their b...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we break down  Blue Ocean Strategy  and show construction leaders how to escape the bloody low-bid race by designing offers that make competitors almost irrelevant. You’ll learn how to use value innovation to eliminate waste, raise what owners truly care about, and carve out a market space where your firm is the obvious, uncontested choice. Enjoy Epi...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we unpack Clayton Christensen’s  The Innovator’s Dilemma  and explore why even the best-run construction companies can get blindsided by prefab, modular, drones, and AI. You’ll learn how to spot disruptive shifts early, run experiments without wrecking your core business, and become the builder that drives the change instead of getting run over by it...

In this episode of The Builder's Bookshelf, we unpack  Playing to Win  and translate Lafley & Martin’s strategy playbook into the world of bids, projects, and construction companies that are tired of just “staying busy.” You’ll learn how to choose where you’ll play, how you’ll win, and how to align your people, processes, and projects so your firm stops playing not to lose and starts truly...