In every industry, you find people who just “get it.”
They have instincts, a natural drive, and an almost intuitive ability to solve problems. In construction, those people often rise into leadership positions because of their results. They can run a job, put out fires, and push a project across the finish line.
But there’s a catch.
Many of these natural operators struggle to explain how they do what they do. They can’t always break down their process into steps that someone else can replicate. They lead by doing, not by teaching.
I have seen this many times throughout my career. I struggled with it myself on occasion. People with natural talent often have difficulty explaining how they do something so well. And those who succeed grow accustomed to measuring their success by their own internal standards. When it comes time to delegate and teach, they struggle—because their instinct has never been translated into a process others can follow.
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Construction project management training is overwhelmingly “on the job.” You don’t sit in a classroom with a well-documented curriculum; you shadow someone, absorb what you can, and learn through trial and error. That model works when the mentor can articulate why decisions were made, how risks were spotted, and what tradeoffs were considered.
When the mentor is a natural doer who never had to formalize their methods, the knowledge transfer falls short. The trainee sees the outcome but doesn’t understand the reasoning behind it. That gap leads to repeat mistakes, inconsistent standards, and teams that struggle when the “hero” project manager isn’t there to save the day.
There is also a long tradition in construction of loading people up with responsibility and giving them little direction. The industry has operated for decades on a sink-or-swim model: hand a young person something important, offer minimal guidance, and see if they figure it out. Those who survive that crucible stay and advance. Those who don’t usually leave the industry altogether.
Experience is a cruel teacher. The test comes first, then the lesson. That’s the reality many young managers face in their early years, and while it hardens some, it drives others out.
This system does serve, to some degree, as a filter. It weeds out people who cannot handle the pressure of a high-stress environment. But it comes with heavy costs. Many who “make it” often burn out professionally or personally. And while this approach identifies individuals who can cope and thrive under stress, it is not conducive to longevity or continuity for the industry. We end up with fewer seasoned leaders, thinner benches, and companies that constantly restart the development cycle instead of building sustainable teams.
The problem is that so many of us were brought up in this system that it has become institutionalized. It’s accepted as normal because “that’s how I came up.” That mindset is passed down from generation to generation, creating a cycle where trial by fire isn’t just tolerated but celebrated as the “right way” to build toughness.
The challenge now is that the workforce has shifted. Gen X leaders were often hardened by this crucible, carrying the mentality that survival equals qualification. Millennials entered the industry expecting more collaboration, mentorship, and balance, but were often met with the same old sink-or-swim approach. Now Gen Z is entering with an even stronger desire for structure, clarity, and growth pathways.
The clash between these expectations creates tension on jobsites and in offices. What was once accepted as “the way things are” no longer aligns with the values of younger generations. If the industry doesn’t adapt, it risks alienating new talent and repeating the burnout cycle, leaving fewer people willing to stay and grow into the leadership roles construction desperately needs.
Shifting the mindset is not easy. It’s one thing to fight through your own stressful workload, it’s another to slow down enough to teach someone else how to survive it. That extra step feels unnatural to those who grew up being told to “just figure it out.” But it’s worth it. Leaders who take the time to teach create teams that can carry the load together instead of individually burning out under it.
A project manager who can’t teach is valuable in the moment but limiting in the long run. Companies depend too heavily on individuals instead of systems. Growth stalls because new managers never fully mature. Culture suffers because staff feel like they’re set up to learn by failure rather than supported with guidance.
Worse, when those natural doers eventually leave, retire, or burn out, they take decades of unwritten knowledge with them. The company starts over instead of building on accumulated experience.
The construction industry has to start formalizing what has always been informal. That doesn’t mean stripping the personality or gut instinct out of project management. It means creating structure around the unspoken:
The best project managers are more than problem-solvers. They are force multipliers who create other problem-solvers. In an industry where too much wisdom lives in the heads of a few, companies that learn to capture and teach the “intangibles” will outlast those that rely on instinct alone.
While the “sink or swim” approach shaped many veteran builders, today’s construction workforce—especially younger professionals—expects more support, structure, and mentorship.
Without adapting, construction companies risk high turnover, inconsistent quality, and burnout. A modern employer that wants to retain talent must evolve its training approach to meet current expectations.
Start by recognizing that tribal knowledge isn’t scalable.
To improve knowledge transfer, construction companies should:
Document repeatable systems and best practices
Encourage senior project managers and supers to explain the “why,” not just the “what”
Pair strong doers with natural communicators or teachers
Build structured onboarding and peer-led training programs
Leadership sets the tone. If project managers and executives prioritize only output, frontline teams won’t make time for development.
But when leaders slow down to mentor, share context, and reward collaboration—not just heroic individual effort—they start multiplying their impact. Construction companies that build a culture of shared learning and accountability are the ones that scale.
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