Hey – Walker and Davis here.
Happy Saturday morning to the Laying Foundations community!
In the month of August, Walker and I have been sharing lessons learned from our first year in construction. Your first year is crucially important because this is where you learn to build good or bad habits
Today’s issue takes about 7 minutes to read and was written for you by Davis Hambrick.
Enjoy!
Quote Of The Week
We have all heard the old adage “You are who you hang around.”
A quote often attributed to Jim Rohn “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”
Dave Ramsey adds “You are the average of the 5 latest podcasts and 5 books you read.” What goes in our minds and resonates in our hearts is what comes out of us.
Said another way, who you hang around matters.
And if you are trying to grow and accelerate your career then finding a mentor can be a great first step.
Before we jump into how to your mentor, let’s discuss the why.
Simon Sinek created an amazing video resource at Ted Talk. His mission in this video is to help others find their why and clarify their vision. As you saw in the quote of the week section “Where there is no vision, the people perish” – Proverbs 29:18.
You might be saying “I am following you Davis, but what is your point?” I am glad you asked.
Vision creates a roadmap.
Vision helps you weather a storm.
Vision gives you purpose and direction.
Vision gives you meaning.
Our friend Ms. Jennifer Lacy says that people just want to matter. I can’t resonate more with any other sentence. At the end of the day, people on our job sites want to know their valued and cared for. And if you read this newsletter, you know that it is our job to lead and shepherd our people.
If you are reading this newsletter you are a part of a tribe that deeply believes in continuous improvement and commitment to leading others. Don’t take that belief and commitment lightly.
1. Clarify Your Vision
You are going to have to do the research. Figure out what your end result is. If you want to be a general superintendent, then figure out your company’s path to be a general superintendent. If you don’t care about your title but want to retire at 45 years old then plan accordingly.
Ask yourself these Q’s
– What gives me purpose?
– What thing could I do for free?
– Who can help me get there?
You have to start with the end in mind. Challenge yourself to figure out what your vision is. A great resource for this is Ken Coleman’s book – Paycheck to Purpose.
2. Make A List Of Attributes
Make of qualities and attributes you want your mentor to have. It would be really easy to walk up to someone and ask them to be your mentor without any foresight. While it is great you have the courage to do so, you may end up with a terrible leader that doesn’t value you. I am going to challenge you. Ask yourself this, are there any leaders in life? I really hope you do. If so, what are the qualities/attributes that they possess that make me gravitate towards them?
Here is my list:
– Do they listen to respond or understand? (Active Listener)
– Are they in this to serve me? (Servant)
– Have they been where I am trying to go? (Competent Leader)
– Are they humble? (Humility)
– Do they care for others? (Servant)
– Are they vulnerable? (vulnerability)
– Are they willing to challenge you? (Accountability)
3. Ask
After you make a list of qualities, you can then compare those qualities to people in your life.
Maybe you know them well.
Maybe their acquaintances.
Or maybe they are complete strangers.
No matter who they are, it is up to you to take the risk and invite people into your life.
Invite that person to grab coffee or lunch. Sit down with them and tell them about your vision for your life.
Tell them how you view them as a person who has the above qualities and is someone you are willing to follow.
And finally, if they are the right person ask them to be your mentor.
Quality of the Week: Curiosity – a wonder and amazement to learn.
20-Year-Old Self Advice: Be humble enough to allow others to speak into your life. A wise person seeks out counsel from others.
After you have developed a relationship and a cadence with a mentor, it is time to build out your Board of Directors.
My Aunt taught me this, for personal growth, you can have many different buckets. One could be financed, one could be relationships, and so on and so forth.
You don’t have to follow this exact system but I credit Dave Ramsey’s book Entreleadership where he talks about the 7 buckets you should have goals in. I believe you should not only have goals but also have someone who is an expert in these areas and acts as a guide for you.
Credit: Ramsey Solutions
1. Spiritual
2. Financial
3. Career
4. Intellectual
5. Fitness
6. Family
7. Social
Again you don’t have to follow this order or even this system to the exact letter. But the more areas in life you begin to be intentional and win in the more areas you can help serve others to a greater degree.
Check out episode 134 on The Laying Foundations Podcast!
Join us for a conversation with Eric Schultz, partner at Journey Alliance. Journey Alliance is a company that helps business owners manage their companies. In this conversation, Eric gives tips for the next generation about the interview process. There are things you can do to stand out and common practices that are red flags. If you want to learn more make sure to tune into part 2 next week!
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways we can help you:
- Next Gen Leadership Group: Learn how to take the next step in your career in construction. People from all age ranges with different life experiences come together in one group.
- Become a sponsor of Laying Foundations: Invest in creating top resources for the next generations of builders.
- Subscribe to the Laying Foundations Podcast: Each week we share actionable tips from the top minds in the construction industry.
