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
