Thought Leadership Episodes

Friction slows down decision-making in construction—but removing it doesn’t mean replacing expertise. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Scott Reynolds, Co-Founder and CEO of UpCodes, to explore how construction leaders can reduce friction in decision-making while maintaining control, judgment, and expertise. This conversation reframes a critical challenge in the AEC industry: too much time is spent searching, verifying, and stitching together fragmented inform...

Access to healthcare isn’t just a policy issue—it’s a delivery problem. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Peter Nicholson, Co-Founder and CEO of Modern Clinical Planning, to explore how micro hospitals are reshaping healthcare access in rural and underserved communities. This conversation reframes a critical challenge: healthcare systems often struggle to justify investment in low-density regions, leaving communities without reliable access. Instead, Peter int...

Mini Series Part 4: Leadership in change management often fails not because teams lack initial alignment, but because commitment fades when motivation does. In this mini-series installment of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction and AEC leaders can shift from motivational fixes to building sustainable commitment—the daily disciplines, rituals, and accountability structures that keep teams executing change long after the launch energy wears off. Learn mindful change manag...

The future of construction isn’t just about technology—it’s about how leaders respond to change. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Brian Turmail, Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), to explore what construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry will require moving into 2026 and beyond. This conversation reframes a common challenge: many change initiatives fail not...

Mini Series Part 3: Clarity doesn’t come before change—it’s built through it. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry often stall because leaders wait for clarity that never arrives. This conversation reframes a common belief: that teams need full clarity before taking action. Instead, Ryan highlights that clarity is personal, evolving, and developed through movement—not planning alone. Through th...

Leadership in construction isn’t just about getting work done—it’s about how you bring people with you. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Andrea Janzen, Founder of Ambition Theory, to explore how transformational leadership is reshaping construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry. This conversation challenges a long-standing norm: construction has traditionally relied on transactional leadership—focused on control, output, and experience....

Efficiency in construction isn’t just about speed—it’s about how teams work together. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Brian Skripac of the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) to explore how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry are evolving through collaboration, technology, and design-build delivery. This conversation breaks down a critical shift: moving from fragmented workflows to integrated teams. From early BIM adoption...

Mini Series Part 2: Control feels like safety—but in change, it’s often an illusion. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry are shaped by our relationship with control—and why holding onto it can limit our ability to lead effectively. This conversation reframes a common belief: that more control leads to better outcomes. Instead, Ryan highlights that control often masks fear—especially when change is i...

Construction doesn’t have a people problem—it has a connection problem. In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Angelo Suntres, founder of The Human Side of Construction, to explore how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry must evolve to better support the people behind the work. This conversation challenges a long-standing norm: that toughness and technical skill define success in construction. Instead, Angelo highlights how empathy, co...

Change doesn’t start with strategy—it starts with choice. In this Mini Series Part 1 of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware breaks down the first step in building a stronger relationship with change: understanding how we make decisions and how those decisions impact others. In the construction and AEC industry, change often feels imposed—new technology, shifting delivery models, or evolving business strategies. But before we can lead change effectively, we need to understand how we personally re...