“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.”
— Max De Pree
THE ART OF LEADERSHIP
Define Reality, Serve People, Express Gratitude
Max De Pree’s Servant Leadership Compass For Organizations In Flux
The statement begins where many leadership texts end: with unflinching confrontation of the present. Whether the marketplace howls or morale wavers, someone must articulate the truth without varnish so people can anchor themselves to something solid. Facts, spoken yet respectfully, dissolve rumor’s fog and provide the starting line for collective movement.
Yet illumination alone does not carry payrolls. The speaker quickly shifts from spotlight to work gloves, asking what service is required between dawn and dusk. Titles are stripped away; everyone becomes a steward of talent, capital, and trust. By tending to the smallest detail, fresh paint, timely feedback, and tools that fit, leaders preach dignity without a pulpit.
Finally comes gratitude, the soft echo that turns effort into memory. A sincere thank-you completes the arc, reminding weary contributors that their fingerprints remain on every victory. When reality, service, and appreciation braid together, organizations become communities capable of weathering storms and welcoming sunsets. Results follow naturally, like healthy fruit growing from well-rooted vines.
Confront uncomfortable facts, serve teammates intentionally, and close the day by expressing specific heartfelt gratitude publicly.
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COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
Vertical Green Casino Tower Breaks Ground
Las Vegas is launching its first timber supercasino, featuring a rooftop forest and skywalk amenities.
Excavators rolled across the north Strip on Thursday as Evergreen Resorts and HKS Architects officially kicked off construction of Verdant Rise. This 38‑story hybrid‑timber casino hotel, developers claim, will become the world’s tallest mass‑timber structure. The $1.6 billion project replaces the shuttered Riviera parcels with 2,100 rooms and a botanical atrium.
Crews will stack laminated‑beech mega‑columns around a concrete service core, shaving eleven months from the schedule and cutting embodied carbon by forty‑five percent versus conventional steel towers. A prefabricated façade of photovoltaic glass and shading fins targets net‑zero energy. At the same time, wastewater will nourish a seventy‑five‑foot vertical forest cascading over south‑facing terraces and cantilevered balconies.
The project is projected to create 3,400 union construction jobs and 1,700 permanent hospitality positions when the gaming floor, skywalk observatory, and carbon-neutral event center open in spring 2028. Analysts note that Verdant Rise could spark a timber-technology cluster in Clark County, anchoring supply chains for glue-lam beams, fire-resistant coatings, innovative façade modules, and research partnerships.
INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY
New Orleans Starts Monster Stormwater Tunnel
Historic Uptown Flood Storage Tube Breaks Ground, Promises Seventy‑Eight Percent Street Relief
Tunnel borers arrived Tuesday beneath New Orleans’ Napoleon Avenue, marking the start of the $1.7‑billion Uptown Stormwater Storage Tunnel, the city’s biggest flood‑control dig since Katrina. Overseen by Sewerage & Water Board with Army Corps support, the 20‑foot‑diameter tube will stretch 5.5 miles to the Mississippi River, storing ninety million gallons.
Crews from Traylor‑Kiewit lowered the 900‑ton cutter head into a launch shaft beside Freret Street, installing pressurized bentonite slurry to stabilize soft delta clays. A conveyor will ferry spoil to barges for coastal marsh restoration, while precast concrete liner rings lock behind the advance at thirty feet per day, two mid‑route vent shafts double as green stormwater parks.
Funding combines FEMA Hazard Mitigation grants, city bonds, and a drainage fee on short‑term rentals approved last fall. Engineers predict the tunnel will cut Uptown street flooding by seventy‑eight percent when it comes online in late 2030, giving streetcar tracks and historic homes a badly needed safety margin. Construction is slated through 2029.
RESIDENTIAL RESEARCH
California Approves 3D‑Printed Home Foundations
Vacaville Tract First to Use Robot‑Poured Concrete Bases in Tract Homes Project
California building officials on Tuesday certified the nation’s first mass‑produced 3D‑printed concrete foundation system for single‑family tract homes, clearing Bay‑Area startup FormFooting to break ground on a 74‑lot subdivision in Vacaville next week. The robotic gantry pours a fiber-reinforced mix directly into rebar grids, eliminating the need for form boards and reducing the schedule cycle by two days.
Early strength testing witnessed by UC‑Davis engineers showed compressive loads surpassing traditional slab‑on‑grade by fourteen percent, while shrinkage cracks measured 60 percent lower after seven curing days. FormFooting’s quality‑assurance camera suite flagged voids under three millimeters, allowing real‑time mixture tweaks that preserved tight tolerance without work‑stoppages despite last‑minute blueprint changes requested by inspectors Tuesday night.
Lennar, D.R. Horton, and Habitat for Humanity attended the demonstration to seek cost savings amid rising interest rates. FormFooting projects its printed footings to cut per‑home concrete volumes by twenty‑eight percent and labor hours by forty, translating to $4,600 in direct savings on the 1,900‑square‑foot model. Deployment could start statewide in September.
TOOLBOX TALK
The Importance of Preventing Tire Blowouts on Construction Vehicles
Introduction
Good morning, Team! Today’s toolbox talk covers preventing tire blowouts on construction vehicles. Tire blowouts can cause serious accidents, injuries, and equipment damage.
Why It Matters
Blowouts lead to sudden loss of vehicle control, risking rollovers, collisions, or injuries to drivers and nearby workers.
Strategies to Prevent Blowouts
Regular Inspections:
Check tires daily for cuts, bulges, proper inflation, and tread wear.
Maintain Proper Tire Pressure:
Always inflate tires according to the manufacturer’s recommended PSI.
Avoid Overloading:
Do not exceed vehicle load limits, as heavy loads increase tire stress.
Drive Carefully:
Avoid sharp turns, sudden braking, and driving over debris.
Report Tire Issues:
Immediately report and replace damaged or worn tires.
Discussion Questions
Have you experienced or witnessed a tire blowout incident?
How can we improve tire safety practices?
Conclusion
Preventing tire blowouts requires vigilance, regular inspections, and careful vehicle operation.
Check your tires to stay safe!