From Job Sites to Pulpits: What Construction Taught Me About Leadership

When people hear I went from building homes to leading churches and nonprofits, they often raise an eyebrow. “That’s a big leap,” they say. And it is. But here’s the truth: the lessons I learned pouring concrete, swinging hammers, and sweating through 90-degree days on job sites have everything to do with how I lead today, from the pulpit to the boardroom.

I didn’t start out trying to become a leader. I just wanted to do good work and be useful. My early days were spent on construction sites, working side by side with people who showed up early, stayed late, and carried more than just physical weight—they had each other. We weren’t just coworkers—we were a team. And when I started to lead, those job site lessons followed me. They became my foundation.

In my book Leading with Faith, I reflect on how those lessons—from teamwork to resilience to the deep-rooted idea of servant leadership—shaped my approach to leadership today. The book shares these lessons and stories, showing that leadership is built not just on titles, but on the daily opportunities we have to serve others with purpose and humility.

Lesson #1: Leadership Means Working Shoulder-to-Shoulder

On a job site, no one cares about your title. What matters is whether you’ll get in the mud with the rest of the crew. Leadership isn’t about giving orders from a distance—it’s about showing up, grabbing a tool, and saying, “Let’s figure this out together.”

I learned early on that people follow leaders who are willing to work alongside them, not above them. Whether you’re lifting beams or carrying the emotional load of a struggling team, servant leadership isn’t soft. Its strength is humility. It’s showing that no job is beneath you. That spirit built trust on those job sites, and it builds trust now in every room I lead.

Lesson #2: Every Person on the Team Matters

In construction, success doesn’t happen if even one person isn’t pulling their weight. The guy tying rebar and the one finishing drywall both matter. No one gets to the finish line alone.

That truth hit me hard when I stepped into church leadership. I saw volunteers doing behind-the-scenes work—making coffee, cleaning bathrooms, folding bulletins. They weren’t on stage, but they were holding the whole thing up. Just like in construction, every role in a team matters. A leader’s job is to see that, celebrate it, and help each person know they’re vital to the mission.

Lesson #3: Vision Without Grit Goes Nowhere

On a build, you start with a blueprint. But anyone who’s ever built anything knows—nothing ever goes exactly according to plan. Weather delays, supply shortages, and foundation cracks. It takes grit, flexibility, and faith to see it through.

Same with leadership.

You can have the most beautiful vision for your organization, but if you don’t have the persistence to walk through the setbacks, that vision will stay on paper. I’ve had seasons where nothing went as planned—budgets crumbled, people quit, the mission felt shaky. But I’d seen before what happens when a team keeps showing up, even when it’s hard. That faith in the process, that refusal to quit, is what gets things built—whether it’s a house or a community.

Lesson #4: Empathy Is as Essential as a Level and a Ladder

One day on a construction site, a guy showed up late. He looked off, quieter than usual. Most would’ve brushed it off—but our foreman took a minute, pulled him aside, and just asked, “You okay?” Turned out, the man had just lost someone close to him. That pause, that simple act of empathy, changed everything.

That moment stuck with me. In leadership, we can get so focused on outcomes that we forget about people. But leading with empathy isn’t a distraction—it’s the most direct path to impact. When people feel seen and heard, they’ll rise higher than you imagined. They’ll trust you enough to tell you when they’re struggling—and lean in harder when they’re strong.

Lesson #5: Faith Isn’t a Crutch. It’s the Framework.

It wasn’t until years later, leading in ministry and nonprofits, that I realized how faith had been quietly shaping my leadership all along. Every decision I make today is framed by faith—faith in something bigger than me, in a purpose beyond profit or popularity. I’ve prayed through tough calls, leaned on Scripture when I felt lost, and found peace when logic offered none.

Back on those job sites, I saw faith in action long before I had the language for it. I saw it in the way a team rallied when someone got injured. In how people gave up their lunch breaks to help finish a job. That kind of selflessness? That’s Kingdom leadership.

Lesson #6: Servant Leadership Isn’t Optional—It’s Essential

Jesus didn’t just talk about leadership. He lived it. He washed his feet. He fed crowds. He wept with people. He led by serving.

Those construction days taught me that real leaders don’t just build structures—they make people. They don’t just hold plans—they have space for others to grow, to fail, to get back up. Servant leadership isn’t about being the smartest or the strongest. It’s about being the one who shows up—fully, humbly, and with a heart to help others rise.

From Blueprints to Purpose

I never planned on ending up in ministry. But looking back, I see how every slab I poured, every roof I helped frame, every team I sweated alongside was preparing me for something more. Construction didn’t just teach me how to build—it taught me how to lead.

Leadership isn’t just found in books or boardrooms. Sometimes it’s found in sawdust, sweat, and shared struggle. And if you’re paying attention, even the toughest jobs can teach you how to serve others well.

I may have traded my hard hat for a pulpit, but the foundation I stand on today? It was poured on the job site—one lesson, one person, one act of service at a time.

This blog integrates the key lessons from both my experiences on job sites and my journey through leadership. Leading with Faith dives deeper into these reflections, exploring the intersection of faith-based leadership and practical application. I hope this resonates with you as you find your leadership path, whether in construction or any other field.