Elevate Construction official logo
Contact us

Month: August 2025

Stop Signs & Opportunities – The Truth

Posted on by Jason Schroeder
Read 3 min

Problems Are Not Stop Signs

In construction, it is easy to look at obstacles and treat them as immovable stop signs. I have seen it happen again and again, especially when working with concrete crews. The moment I suggest shortening a cycle time or splitting a deck placement, the pushback comes fast: “It costs more,” “the pumps won’t work,” “the rebar won’t fit,” or “we can’t coordinate with the core.”

Here is the truth. Most of the time, those excuses are not backed by data. They are emotional decisions justified with logic after the fact. I have been in concrete my entire life, from hanging off columns 28 stories in the air to forming, finishing, and operating equipment. I know what can be done. What I ask for is simple: if you tell me something cannot be done, show me the numbers, show me the RFI, show me the analysis. Words are not enough.

Every challenge we face in construction is not a stop sign. It is a point of research. A shorter workday? That is an opportunity to rethink logistics. A tricky deck-to-core interface? That is a chance to innovate. Resistance from the team? That is the time to collaborate and break down assumptions.

Problems are not barriers meant to stop us. They are opportunities to test ideas, run the analysis, and prove what is possible. If you want to reject an idea, put it on paper first. Show the cost, the time impact, and the data. Otherwise, you do not know. In Elevate, we do not accept “we can’t” without proof. We trust but verify.

When we stop treating problems as stop signs and start treating them as opportunities for research, we unlock a new level of performance. That is when cycle times shorten, crews align, and projects gain rhythm.

Key Takeaway

Challenges on the job are not dead ends. They are opportunities for research and innovation. Do not accept excuses without data, demand analysis, numbers, and proof before saying “it cannot be done.”

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

On we go

Posted in All

Visibility with all LPS Deliverables

Posted on by Jason Schroeder
Read 3 min

Why One View of the Plan is Never Enough

I recently had a breakthrough about why so many teams struggle with the Last Planner System. It hit me during a session when I was mapping out different plans: macro Takt plan, norm Takt plan, pull plan, look ahead, weekly work plan, and day plan. At first I thought of these as separate tools. Then I realized something powerful.

All of these deliverables are simply different views of the same plan. Each one exists for a specific audience, with a specific purpose. The macro Takt plan gives owners and executives the big-picture strategy. The pull plan shows the sequence and zoning so last planners can see how the work fits together. The look ahead reveals rhythm, flow, and roadblocks to make work ready. The weekly work plan highlights commitments and handoffs. The day plan makes the daily strategy visible for workers in a clear, visual way.

Here’s the problem I see on too many projects. Teams proudly put their pull plan on the wall and think they have visibility. But that is only one view out of six. Owners cannot see strategy. Planners cannot see production details. Foremen cannot see roadblocks. Workers cannot see the daily plan. You end up with one-seventh of the visibility you need, and the system feels broken.

If we want Last Planner to truly work, we must provide all the views. Macro and norm level plans should be visible in the trailer. Pull plans should be on the wall or screen. Look aheads and weekly work plans must be formatted for foremen to identify handoffs, commitments, and roadblocks. Day plans must be clear and visual for every worker on site. Zone maps and logistics plans should be up on the wall so teams can solve problems in real time.

There is no rule that says stickies have to be handwritten, or that they must be on a physical board. What matters is that the right people see the right view in the right format at the right time. When you create visibility across all seven deliverables, you give your team the full picture. That is when the Last Planner System actually works the way it was designed.

Key Takeaway

One pull plan on the wall is not enough. To truly make the Last Planner System work, you need every view visible, macro, norm, pull, look ahead, weekly work plan, day plan, and logistics. Each view serves a different audience and purpose, and together they create the full picture your project needs.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

On we go

Posted in All

Principles of Preparation

Posted on by Jason Schroeder
Read 3 min

Don’t Start Until You Know You Can Win

I just got back from some incredible boot camps, and I want to share a few lessons that really stood out. These all come back to one theme: preparation. If we want to build projects that flow smoothly, we can’t just dive in and hope things work out. We must prepare properly, plan intentionally, and never start until we know we can win.

One lesson came out of a Takt simulation we ran. Teams were pushing, fumbling, and losing time. Instead of letting them fail, I told them to stop, practice, and rehearse until they could consistently hit the target. Once they did that, they crushed the time goal. The insight? Don’t begin the work until you’ve proven you’re ready. Preparation beats pushing every single time.

This also connects to how we run huddles. Morning huddles sound good in theory, but in reality they create shallow conversations because there’s no time to change much. Afternoon huddles are far more effective. They let teams solve problems, remove roadblocks, coordinate handoffs, and prepare for the next day with real planning. That’s when you stop reacting and start building flow.

Another key point:

People often believe that pushing harder gets you there faster. The opposite is true. Pushing creates chaos, idle crews, poor quality, and wasted effort. When teams learn to slow down, follow rhythm, and stick to tact, they suddenly start winning. True productivity comes from preparation, rhythm, and discipline, not frantic speed.

Finally, I realized again that you can’t make work ready if you don’t know how to build. A broker who just moves resources around but doesn’t understand layout, quality, safety, or preparation can’t set the field up for success. Builders prepare work. Brokers just push. If we want projects to flow, we must be builders.

These insights all tie into one simple principle: don’t start until you know you can win. Plan, prepare, and line everything up before you begin. That’s the difference between chaos and flow.

Key Takeaway

Preparation is everything. You cannot push your way to success. Projects only win when leaders slow down, plan properly, and refuse to start until they know the team can deliver with quality and flow.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

On we go

Posted in All

What Is A Work Plan In Construction?

Posted on by Jason Schroeder
Read 4 min

What Is a Work Plan in Construction?

I am so stoked about this blog because I get to break down what I believe a work plan in construction really is. The truth? A work plan is whatever you need it to be so your team has a full kit – everything required to finish the job without delays.

When you understand and apply this concept, you’ll start to see construction in a whole new way. Let’s dive in.

What Is a Full Kit?

Think of a work plan like a box. Inside that box, you should have:

  • People – the right team members, ready to go.
  • Plan – packaged and communicated.
  • Resources – tools, equipment, and materials.
  • Environment – a clear, safe space to work.
  • Expectations – especially around quality and safety.
  • Information – layouts, permissions, and contingency planning.

The bottom line: Don’t start a task until you’re ready to finish it.

Different Ways to Build a Work Plan:

Work plans don’t all look the same. Here are some common formats:

  • Handwritten sheets.
  • Full work packages in PDF or printed binders.
  • Visual kits or illustrated “IKEA-style” instructions.
  • Room-by-room prefab kits with everything you need.

The format doesn’t matter; the key is having a complete, ready-to-go kit.

Real-World Example:

On a bioscience laboratory project, we faced constant drywall changes at the end, what I call the “drywall gremlins.” To solve it, we pre-coordinated every utility, device, and wall in Revit, then pre-cut and prefabbed everything.

Each room had its own pre-kitted box; Room 210 had a labeled box with every device, fitting, and piece of conduit needed. Crews could simply grab a box and build. The result? Faster, smoother, and cheaper than rework.

Using Crew Boards:

On well-run takt projects, crews use a crew board with:

  • Front side: lookahead schedules, weekly work plans, daily plans, logistics maps.
  • Back side: prep meeting agendas, scorecards, success metrics.

Each pocket holds a different work package so crews can pull exactly what they need.

The Work Plan Process:

A strong work plan follows a repeatable process:

  1. Appoint a leader.
  2. Understand the mission.
  3. Gather information (especially from your crew).
  4. Make the plan collaboratively.
  5. Communicate the plan clearly.

The goal? For your team to see as a group, know as a group, and act as a group.

Why Communication Matters:

One of the biggest lessons we can learn comes from Japanese lean culture: total participation. Everyone is aligned, everyone contributes, and nothing starts until the team is unified.

That’s why communicating your plan isn’t optional, it’s essential. It ensures your team moves in the same direction, together.

Key Tip:

If an activity takes X days, then you should spend half that time planning and prepping your full kit before starting. This planning gate prevents wasted time, rework, and frustration in the field.

Final Thoughts:

A work plan in construction isn’t just paperwork, it’s the difference between chaos and flow. Whether you use a handwritten sheet, a prefab kit, or a digital package, the principle stays the same: Don’t start until you’re ready to finish.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

 

On we go

Posted in All

Lean Lies

Posted on by Jason Schroeder
Read 5 min

Lean Lies

Every time I walk into a training or boot camp, I find myself addressing what I call lean lies. These are ideas that get passed around in construction, sometimes even repeated by well-meaning practitioners, but they are simply not true. The problem is that when people believe these lies, they hold back projects, frustrate teams, and block the very results lean is supposed to deliver. Over time, I started writing these down. The list kept growing, and I realized these aren’t just small misunderstandings. They are deep misconceptions that create waste, chaos, and mistrust in our industry. Today, I want to unpack some of the most common ones.

Planning Too Soon

One of the biggest lies I hear is that you can “plan too soon.” In some last planner circles, people actually say you shouldn’t do too much predictive planning, or that you should wait until a three-week pull plan to really think about the work. That mindset is completely backwards. If you wait too long, you won’t have the supply chain lined up, you won’t have a strategic plan, and the last planners won’t be empowered to make meaningful decisions. All you’ll have is chaos. Strategic planning with tact and early alignment of the supply chain sets projects up for stability and flow. Planning late does nothing but guarantee reactivity.

Sticky Notes and Pull Planning

Another myth is that pull planning only works with physical sticky notes. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard, “If it’s not sticky, it’s not lean.” That is just not true. Virtual boards, when used properly, can be incredibly effective. In fact, they often give you better visibility, clearer handwriting, and faster sequencing. What matters is not who physically moves the sticky but whether the trade is owning and declaring the work. The best pull plans are built day by day, with each trade capturing their flow clearly, and with forward and backward passes to check against milestones. When this is done well, the stagger and diagonal trade flow are easy to see and manage. That is what creates rhythm, not whether a sticky is on paper or on a screen.

Morning Huddles

I’ve also spoken many times about foreman huddles. The lie I hear over and over is that morning huddles are the best way to prepare the day. The reality? Morning huddles create variation, wasted time, and materials that are not staged. The most effective huddles happen in the afternoon. That’s when you can reflect on the day’s performance, see what went wrong, and actually prepare for tomorrow. Workers leave the site knowing what to expect, and materials can be staged overnight. It makes for better flow, better accountability, and stronger results.

Implementing Lean Bit by Bit

Another common lie is that you can implement lean systems gradually, one small piece at a time. While it is true that you can improve bit by bit, you cannot implement a system that way. Lean is like a human body or an HVAC system. You can’t install just a heart or just a duct and expect it to work. You need the whole system in place, and then you can improve it step by step. Trying to “start small” by implementing only huddles or only visual boards without the larger system is like trying to drive a car without an engine. It won’t take you anywhere.

Other Lean Lies That Hold Us Back

There are dozens of other myths I see constantly on projects:
  • “People will naturally adopt lean.” Not true. At least a third of people will resist change, and leaders must set standards, incentivize adoption, and create accountability.
  • “Lean tools are bad.” Tools are not the enemy. Tools, when used correctly, bring philosophies to life. A philosophy without tools is powerless.
  • “Trades decide milestones.” The GC and owner decide milestones. Trades decide how to meet them. There is a huge difference.
  • “CPM can fit into lean.” No, it cannot. CPM violates production laws, disrespects people, and overloads systems with work-in-progress.
  • “Constraints and roadblocks are the same thing.” They are not. Constraints are part of the system and must be managed. Roadblocks are obstacles that must be removed.
  • “Lean is about cutting costs.” Wrong again. Lean is about investing upfront in planning, flow, and stability, which saves far more in the long run.

The Truth About Lean

The reality is that lean begins with respect for people and creating stability. From there, we build flow, visual systems, and a culture that supports continuous improvement. Lean is not instant, it is not easy, and it is not optional for leaders to delegate. If you are implementing lean, you must own it. You must live it. You must teach it. That is the only way it works. So the next time you hear someone repeat a lean lie, stop and ask yourself: is this belief helping us build stability, flow, and respect? Or is it keeping us stuck in old ways of thinking? Because lean works. But only if we commit to the truth.

Key Takeaway

Lean only works when it is implemented as a full system with respect for people and a commitment to truth. Myths and shortcuts weaken culture, but clarity and discipline create real transformation.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

On we go

Posted in All

Examples of Pushing

Posted on by Jason Schroeder
Read 3 min

To my knowledge, unless someone signs up with our half-a-million-dollar-a-year retainer option or pays for a massive boot camp, this will be the last time I fly this year. The only exceptions would be a project with High Street Ventures in Canada or a trip to Japan with Paul Akers. I’m excited to be home, working on my health, and feeling good.

Recently, I went through some intense boot camps and assessments, and while they were amazing, they also left me reflecting deeply on how our industry still struggles with pushing versus pulling. I experienced it first-hand in an In-N-Out drive-through and at the airport. In both cases, people thought honking, rushing, and pushing would make things faster. But it didn’t. It caused chaos, frustration, and delays.

That same disease exists in construction. Pushing work, rushing crews, and forcing progress doesn’t lead to success, it wastes time and hurts people. Lean teaches us that flow is created through pull, not push.

Now, let’s connect this with another misconception: the belief that superintendents inherently “know how to run their jobs.” This is simply not true on the aggregate. Too many supers are still trained by the old system to rush, panic, and overload the project. They start too many areas at once, bring in too many crews, order materials too early, and push people until things break down.

Real superintendents, real leaders are system builders. They use Takt, Last Planner, and Scrum. They implement operational excellence and empower teams to deliver with flow and reliability. Companies cannot afford to let dissenting supers dictate whether a proven system gets implemented. The truth is, operational excellence is not optional if we want sustainable success.

The bottom line: pushing creates chaos. Building systems creates results.

On we go.

Key Takeaway

Superintendents don’t succeed by pushing harder or rushing people. Real leadership is about building systems with Takt, Last Planner, and Scrum, because flow and operational excellence, not panic, deliver projects successfully.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

On we go

Posted in All

2 Needed Corrections

Posted on by Jason Schroeder
Read 3 min

Clearing Up Misconceptions

Today I want to clear up two misconceptions I’ve been seeing in our industry. These are important, because when left unchecked, they can weaken teams, put people at risk, and mislead well-intentioned professionals.

Before I dive in, I want to pause. I received a heartfelt message from a listener whose son recently passed away at just 38, leaving behind a wife and three young daughters. He loved this blog, loved learning, and loved building people. My heart goes out to that family. Moments like these remind me why we do what we do: to improve lives, to build people, and to make sure everyone goes home safe.

Now, let’s get into the two misconceptions I want to address.

1. Safety Professionals Are Not Just Advisors

I came across a statement that horrified me: someone claimed, “I am a safety professional. I’m not a police officer. I don’t write citations. My job is to advise, not enforce.”

Let’s be clear: safety professionals are not consultants. They don’t just “advise.” Their role is to prevent incidents, correct bad behavior, and hold the line when it comes to safety.

Yes, communication matters. Yes, a positive attitude matters. But if someone violates a safety rule, you don’t simply suggest that they reconsider, you act. You intervene. You remove people from unsafe situations. Safety leadership is about preparing, preventing, coaching, and holding people accountable. Anything less is a betrayal of our responsibility to send every worker home safe.

A true safety professional says: “I will prevent incidents where possible. I will prepare and coach. But when necessary, I will draw a hard line. My job is to ensure no unsafe behavior is tolerated, ever.”

That’s the standard we need.

2. The Myth of “Overplanning”

Another misconception came from a management post claiming: “More planning doesn’t reduce risk, it just shifts it.”

That is categorically false. Proper planning absolutely reduces risk.

The confusion comes from lumping together rigid CPM-style planning with effective planning methods like Takt, Last Planner, and Scrum. CPM focuses on locking in baselines and micromanaging every possible outcome. That rigidity often fails.

But proper planning, the Pixar method of creating multiple options, anticipating challenges, and preparing flexible pathways, eliminates risk, builds reliability, and sets projects up for success.

In construction, we’re not John Wick or the Equalizer. We can’t wing it. We’re not in the business of firefighting, we’re in the business of preparing. Good planning isn’t overplanning. It’s the foundation of safe, consistent, and reliable execution.

Key Takeaway

Safety is not about soft suggestions, it’s about firm accountability. And planning is not about rigidity, it’s about flexibility and foresight. When we misunderstand either, we put our teams and projects at risk.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

On we go

Posted in All

The “Fearful”

Posted on by Jason Schroeder
Read 3 min

The Fearful

In this blog, I am going to talk about “the fearful”. 

I hope you are doing well and staying safe out there. I have been dealing with this topic a lot recently, and I want to share some thoughts with you.

First, some feedback I received: someone wrote to me about how much they appreciate the training materials, videos, and mentoring resources we provide. They said our videos were like a free college course they could revisit over and over again. Hearing that makes me grateful, because the goal has always been to equip people with tools they can actually use to grow themselves and elevate their teams.

Now onto today’s topic. This may come across strongly, but it’s important. People who are consistently fearful in your organization are not necessarily the most dangerous, but they are some of the most dangerous. Let me explain.

We all have fragile egos. Some of us avoid mistakes and excuses because of fear. Some learn and grow. Some take control. Others are to blame. The difference is that fear, when it becomes someone’s consistent mode of operation, creates avoidance, excuses, blame, withdrawal, procrastination, and hiding from responsibility.

Fearful people tend to worry excessively, seek constant reassurance, catastrophize small problems, and freeze under pressure. This isn’t just inconvenient, it’s dangerous. They withhold information, disconnect from teams, fail to act, and when safety is at stake, this becomes critical.

I have seen both sides. In my own career, when I was new at DPR, I had to snap out of fear or I would have failed. Some tough words from mentors helped me stand tall and push through. But I’ve also seen people who retreat further when confronted. Coaching, therapy, and support can help, but if someone cannot step out of fear, we must at least put them in roles where they do not endanger the team.

This is not about discarding people. It is about recognizing that consistent fear-driven behavior undermines transparency, safety, and teamwork. If we want strong teams, we must learn how to support people in moving past fear while ensuring that their behavior doesn’t paralyze the group.

Fearful people will hurt you if left unchecked. The challenge for us as leaders is to help them, coach them, and place them wisely.

On we go.

Key Takeaway
Fear-driven behavior creates excuses, avoidance, and hidden risks. Leaders must support people in overcoming fear while ensuring they are not in roles where their paralysis and lack of transparency can harm the team.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

On we go

Posted in All

I Love Taylor Swift. Why Don’t You?

Posted on by Jason Schroeder
Read 3 min

Be careful. Don’t keep reading unless you really want to hear what I have to say. In this blog, I’m going to talk to you about Taylor Swift.

If you’re not already offended at me, you will definitely be after this entry or maybe we’ll have an expanding mind moment where we connect and help each other.

Taylor Swift has been booed at games, criticized for being herself, and labeled by people who think it’s cool to hate. To me, that’s a reflection of the broader negativity that’s been growing since Trump’s election.

I want to be honest when I think about Taylor Swift, I don’t think about her as a celebrity or an idol. I think of her like family. She’s a good human being, a source of hope, and an example of how to live with courage, creativity, and authenticity.

The point isn’t whether you like her music, it’s about what she represents: self-expression, resilience, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, philanthropy, and independence. These are values worth fighting for, not mocking. And yet, in politics and culture, people are told to be afraid and to blame others for their problems. That’s the same old playbook: make people fearful, and then tell them who to hate.

But here’s the truth: you cannot live a small, fearful life at home and expect to build great teams at work.

If you put down women, Mexicans, or the LGBTQ+ community in politics, how can you respect them on the job site? You can’t. Leadership and respect are not compartmentalised. They either shape your whole life, or they don’t exist at all.

So, where do you stand? I’m proud to love and support women, Mexicans, Canadians, LGBTQ+ communities, and anyone who is fighting for their rights. I’m proud to admire Taylor Swift because she stands for what’s good. And I’m proud to keep elevating people instead of putting them down. That’s what Elevate Construction is, and will always be, about.

Key Takeaway

True leadership is about lifting people up, not tearing them down. If we believe in respect, equity, and inclusion at work, we must live those values everywhere else. Taylor Swift reminds me that hope, courage, and kindness are stronger than fear.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.

 

On we go

Posted in All