THE ART OF LEADERSHIP
“Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”
Brené Brown
Clarity Is Kind: The Fastest Way Leaders Build Trust
Unclear leadership doesn’t feel neutral; it feels threatening. When people don’t know what “good” looks like, they fill the gap with assumptions, rumors, and overwork. Ambiguity turns small problems into stress, rework, and quiet resentment.
Clarity is a form of care because it reduces cognitive load and protects dignity. It means stating what matters, naming trade-offs, and providing feedback specific enough to act on. Kind leaders don’t avoid hard truths; they deliver them cleanly, with standards and support.
Make clarity a habit in every interaction. Start meetings with the purpose, the decision needed, and who owns it. End with the next step, deadline, and definition of done. In feedback, describe the observed behavior, the impact, and the requested change, then confirm understanding.
Deliver one clear decision, expectation, and next step in every conversation this week.
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
How does the HITT Way turn vision into trusted builds?
HITT describes itself as a national commercial general contractor providing construction services throughout a project’s full life cycle, from small jobs to major campuses. It frames its promise as earning trust through attention to detail, smart use of technology, and a love for the craft, grounded in decades of growth.
The company organizes its culture around the HITT Way, a set of shared values. Work hard and stay humble set the tone for safety, respect, and pride in artistry. Elevate the building business to drive continuous improvement. Be the good and take the high road, reinforce ethics and inclusiveness. Every little detail and deliver with passion keep standards high.
Those values show up in how teams collaborate and how the firm invests in the future. It highlights innovation, belonging, and appreciation, alongside focus areas like safety, research and development, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. The result is a culture designed to make complex projects feel predictable, supportive, and consistently excellent.
Shared values and relentless detail turn ambitious builds into lasting trust.
INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY
How will lead pipe replacement deadlines reshape utility construction crews?
Across U.S. cities, utilities are accelerating lead service line replacements as new drinking-water rules and federal funding push for faster timelines. That means thousands of short, disruptive street-and-yard jobs that look small individually but add up to major program work for civil contractors.
The hard part is coordination: locating unknown lines, securing homeowner access, keeping water quality stable during cutovers, and restoring pavement to municipal standards. Crews are pairing vacuum excavation and trenchless pulls with standardized connection kits to reduce onsite time and minimize traffic impacts.
Winning teams run it like a manufacturing line, not one-off repairs. They build block-by-block schedules, preload permits and notifications, stage materials close to the work, and track reinstatement so final asphalt doesn’t lag months behind pipe work. Firms that can demonstrate production rates and low rework will secure multi-year utility programs.
Pre-plan access, materials, and restoration to expedite lead line replacement.
RESIDENTIAL RESEARCH
How will rising insurance costs reshape new-home construction budgets?
Insurance is becoming a front-end constraint for residential construction, not an afterthought. Builder’s risk, general liability, and umbrella coverage are seeing higher premiums, tighter exclusions, and larger deductibles, especially in wildfire-, hurricane-, and hail-prone regions. Lenders and investors are reacting as well, asking for stronger proof of coverage before they greenlight the start.
That pressure is changing what gets built and how. Builders are reworking pro formas to include higher carrying and contingency costs, then pushing more value engineering into early design. Plans that once appeared standard are now rechecked for roof geometry, window protection, drainage, defensible space, and materials that reduce loss severity. In some markets, the real limiter is not demand or land, but insurability at a price the deal can support.
The practical play is to treat insurance like a design input. Engage brokers before final plans, document mitigation choices, and align subs with clear scopes, safety standards, and punch-list discipline. The teams that can demonstrate lower risk through specifications and processes will win approvals faster and protect margins when premiums jump.
Price insurance early and redesign to reduce risk and premiums.
TOOLBOX TALK
Preventing hand and finger injuries with smart tool use
Good morning, Team. Today, we’re focusing on protecting hands and fingers. Most hand injuries happen during routine tasks when we rush, lose focus, or use the wrong tool. Slow down at the point of risk, keep a safe grip, and keep your hands out of pinch points. If a task feels awkward, stop and fix the setup before you continue.
Hands are injured by cuts, crushing, pinching, burns, and vibration. Control the hazard by choosing the right glove for the job, using tools that keep a distance from the danger, and securing materials so they don’t shift. Keep blades sharp, guards in place, and work areas clean, so you’re not fighting the job. Plan each move before you apply force.
Identify pinch points before you place your hands
Use clamps, vices, and fixtures instead of holding by hand
Select the right glove type for the hazard and task
Keep guards on tools and never bypass safety devices
Use the correct tool, not a makeshift substitute
Cut away from your body and keep your off-hand clear
Maintain sharp blades and bits to reduce slip and kickback
Keep your hands clear of rotating parts and moving machinery
Lift and carry materials with safe grips, not fingertips
Report damaged tools immediately and tag them out
Protecting hands is about habits. Set up the work so you don’t have to “hold it and hope.” Take the extra minute to clamp, align, and control the material. If you can’t clearly see where your hands will be when the tool moves, stop and reset. Strong production comes from steady work and fewer injuries.
Name two ways to keep hands out of pinch points during material handling
When should you stop work and tag a tool out of service
Why do dull blades and bits increase the risk of hand injuries
Keep your hands safe by controlling the work, not muscling it.
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