Superintendent Commandments: 10 Rules You Can’t Break

The 10 Commandments for Superintendents: Rules You Can’t Break

This blog was inspired by a request from one of our readers on our YouTube channel, LinkedIn, and podcast community. It’s also a topic I get asked about all the time.

The idea for these commandments comes from years of research and a survey of 50–100 superintendents. The goal? To uncover the most crucial habits and rules every superintendent must follow to succeed not just for their projects, but for their careers and teams.

While there are more than ten in the full list, this blog distills them down to the Top 10 Superintendent Commandments – the essential practices you must embrace to excel in this role.

1. Always Have a Plan:

A superintendent never starts the day like an accident. Begin with a strategic plan for the next six weeks, the upcoming week, and the day ahead. Be prepared with time-blocked schedules, resources ready, and a clear end goal in mind. Don’t start anything until you’re ready to finish it with a full kit for yourself, your crew, and the job.

2. Study Like a Builder:

Spend 15–30 minutes daily studying the drawings. This deep familiarity lets you proactively address needs whether it’s adding items to the procurement log, checking trade partner readiness, or confirming orders. Your skill lies in turning plans into reality, and daily study is the foundation.

3. Walk the Job with Purpose:

A purposeful site walk helps you connect your plans to reality. You’ll spot upcoming needs, identify issues early, and trigger actions for the team. Whether it’s arranging safety steps, prepping for meetings, or capturing progress photos, your walk turns the theoretical into the practical.

4. Maintain Production Plans & Vision:

Keep the strategic plan visible and understood by everyone from the 120-day outlook to the weekly work plan. Use visuals, sketches, and logistics maps to ensure the entire team sees, knows, and acts as one. Clear vision fuels coordinated action.

5. Always Be Prepared:

Your role is more about preparation than execution. Equip yourself and the site with the right tools, PPE, resources, and information. Align labor, materials, and expectations before work begins. A well-prepared site runs smoothly.

6. Protect Flow & Safety:

Safety is a core value, not just a priority. Keep the site clean, organized, and stable so work can flow without bottlenecks. Proactively remove roadblocks, optimize material flow, and ensure everyone goes home safe each day.

7. Stay Connected:

Every stakeholder is your customer from owners and designers to trade partners and neighbors. Maintain strong communication, share updates, and nurture relationships. A connected superintendent can see the future of the project and anticipate needs before they become problems.

8. Ask Great Questions:

Don’t lead with assumptions or commands. Ask insightful, constructive questions to tap into the wisdom of your team and partners. Collaboration leads to better plans, stronger relationships, and smarter decisions.

9. Commit to Continuous Learning:

Read, attend trainings, tour other job sites, and explore new methods like Last Planner, Scrum, or Kanban. Learning fuels leadership, and leadership fuels project improvement. The cycle is simple: learn → share → improve.

10. Lead a Sustainable Life:

Reject the toxic hustle culture. Take PTO, protect your health, and maintain balance in your life. A burned-out superintendent can’t lead effectively. Model a healthy work-life balance so your team sees that success doesn’t require sacrificing well-being.

Final Thoughts:

These 10 superintendent commandments aren’t just rules they’re a mindset for sustained success. By applying them daily, you’ll protect your team, advance your career, and keep your projects running like clockwork.