From Blueprint to Breakthrough

As an engineer who has led construction businesses for years, I focus on hiring competent people and developing their technical skills. Success is measured by productivity, on-time delivery, and meeting quality standards. People who perform well are rewarded. If not, they are seen as lacking.

This approach promoted competition between departments. Project and department managers focused on winning their part, often at the expense of the organization's overall interest. I often found myself mediating tension, trying to restore connection and harmony.

Eventually, I realized the mindset had to shift from competition to collaboration, and it had to begin with leadership, with me.

I began to observe how we worked together, not just what we did. It became clear we were all playing a game with no shared rules. The solution? Define the way we work and agree on values that guide us.

I started by living our values, growth, transparency, honesty, respect, and playfulness, and bringing them to the forefront of team conversations. These values gradually became as important as productivity, sometimes more so.

Ironically, by prioritizing values, collaboration improved. And so did productivity.

I believed success came from Blueprint, designs, plans, and execution. But real growth and expansion emerged when people aligned, collaborated, and prioritized shared success over personal gain.

That was the Breakthrough.