The Question Every AEC Leader Should Be Asking Today

📰 Redefining leadership through the “Give to Get” framework: why great leaders ask what life their team members want to build, and help them get there. Plus, the cost of replacing talent vs. retaining it, and how generational shifts are reshaping AEC firms.

The Question Every AEC Leader Should Be Asking Today
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This newsletter provide key insights for forward-thinking leaders seeking innovation in AEC who are short on time, offering the context of each conversation without the need to listen to the full episode. It’s designed to keep you updated, spark your interest, and encourage you to tune in if the ideas resonate.

Does innovation have to center around technology? Not at all. Innovation is multi-dimensional, and this conversation explores how to implement innovation from a completely different angle—through leadership and firm culture.

Summary

This edition is a powerful reframing of leadership for AEC firms. I recently sat down with Phil Putnam. Phil is a leadership coach, author, and former tech exec whose “Give to Get” model places empathy, curiosity, and generational awareness at the center of modern leadership. We unpacked how intentionally-developed leaders can transform not only careers, but lives—changing the trajectory of individuals, firms, and the AEC industry itself.

Depending on your leadership upbringing (aka indoctrination), here’s some potentially uncomfortable truth for the modern workplace:

“Employees don’t work to make your firm successful. They work to build the lives they desire. And when leaders support that, it transforms lives.” – Phil Putnam

If that makes your stomach squirm, read on to learn something new that might challenge your current thinking. And if you are nodding along in agreement, read on for what to look for in firm leadership to help you achieve success and fulfillment in your career.

Key Takeaways

Here are my top takeaways from the podcast episode. Then we'll get into the deeper analysis.