In the building and construction industry, success too often depends on how well you can cope with chaos. Builders and business owners push through stress, manage personality clashes, juggle client demands and deal with endless daily challenges. But what if the problem is not the pressure, but the lack of preparation for it?
That was the message from leadership coach Dan Urquhart when he joined The Good Builder Podcast for a deep conversation about why training teams like elite athletes could change everything for builders.
The analogy that hits home
“Performance-driven teams don’t just hope for success. They train for it. They know what’s on the line and they can’t afford to fail,” said Urquhart.
He pointed out that the military, emergency services and professional sports teams all train relentlessly so they can perform under pressure. “You get the Army. They’re always training for the possibility of war. Emergency services are training for the inevitability of something going wrong. Sporting teams train 40 to 50 hours a week for a two-hour game at the weekend.”
But in business, he said, we take the opposite approach. Builders and business owners work 40 to 50 hours a week, but invest little to no time training themselves or their teams to handle what that work throws at them.
“We fall to the level of our training. We don’t rise to the level of the occasion,” he said.
The toll of going unprepared
The cost of this lack of preparation is enormous. Urquhart spoke candidly about his own journey in business. “Five years into our building business, I was looking to get out. I was one of those 443,000 businesses that pulled up shop. And the reason was burnout. I wasn’t the coach in the stand. I was the player on the field. I was putting out every fire. Everyone came to me. It wouldn’t have mattered how much money I was making. I was just done.”
What changed was a shift in mindset. “I realised I couldn’t be a builder of homes. I had to be a builder of people,” he said.
That mindset shift allowed Urquhart to begin creating a structure and culture that could support the business and ease the burden on his shoulders. “When we shifted and had that mindset change, it was like OK, what does it look like to build people? What does winning look like in our business? And when I could define this, I could be strategic around how we got to win, how we got consistent, how we got strong and healthy.”
The hidden weight of success
It is a point that resonated with host Aaron Ng, who reflected on how easily leaders fall into the trap of working harder rather than working smarter.
“We just work harder, which means we have less time for those around us and more pressure and stress. We need good teams that can help carry the load,” Ng said.
Urquhart agreed. “Success has weight. You need to build the foundations to carry that weight. The day-to-day operations of a business are hefty. It’s not meant to be carried on the backs of a leader. It’s meant to be carried on a proper foundation that’s built to withstand the pressures of business and the weight of success.”
The cost of doing nothing
Statistics shared during the discussion brought home just how high the stakes are. “Nearly 450,000 businesses shut down in Australia last year. Not all of them set out to pull up shop. But for whatever reason, they shut up shop. The number one cause of stress in business is people. That’s why armies train full tilt. That’s why emergency services train full tilt. Because to get the best out of each other, we need to be a unified team,” said Urquhart.
What’s the difference between businesses that stay standing and those that fall? Urquhart believes it often comes down to whether they are structurally sound or just momentarily stable.
“Structurally sound means you’ve developed a foundation that enables you to carry the day-to-day rigours of business. Momentarily stable means any issue or problem hurts so much more,” he said.
He described the painful reality for many builders who have not built that foundation. “There’s always more to do than time to do it. When you look around for help, you haven’t got the people you need to step up when you need them most.”
The role of culture
The solution lies in building a high-performance culture — but Urquhart warns this can’t be done overnight or with a quick-fix approach. “Performance-driven teams don’t look for if they can improve. They look for where. They just look for where.”
He shared the powerful analogy of culture as the vehicle that gets a business where it wants to go. “If the culture is broken, your vehicle is broken. Someone’s got to get out and push. It means you get there slower. It means everything is a struggle. What happens if you can get your people fit and your culture healthy? It drives it for you. It’s a lot easier to achieve your goals.”
Ng reflected on how rare it is for businesses to actually build that kind of culture. “Everyone talks about culture. But I think very few know how to actually shape a culture. And if you don’t do it, the cracks will show sooner or later.”
A way forward for builders
Urquhart believes communication is the first small step builders can take to start shaping their culture and building the kind of teams that can win.
“Communication is the biggest one. Making sure we’re talking to our teams. That they know why we exist as an organisation. That they know the vision of the company, where we’re going and how to get there. That there are standards and we’re all accountable to one another. It’s not a hierarchy. We’re all in this together,” he said.
He also encourages builders to seek help. “Leaders aren’t meant to do things alone. It’s one of those things in Australia. People keep to themselves and work harder. But without change, nothing will change. And there are people who can help.”
Urquhart is offering 10 per cent off his Hand Head Heart program for anyone who mentions The Good Builder when they reach out. Just head to his website at thousandfeetdeep.com.au to learn more or get in touch.
If you’ve got a story to tell or a perspective to share, get in touch with us here at The Good Builder.
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