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“Leadership is not domination, but the art of persuading people to work toward a common goal.”
— Daniel Goleman
THE ART OF LEADERSHIP
Persuasion Beats Domination
Goleman Shows Emotional Intelligence Fuels Cooperative Team Goals
Domination triggers fear, and fear narrows the mind. My research on emotional intelligence shows that neural circuitry entrusted with insight shuts down when hierarchies flex raw power. Instead, effective leaders attune to group mood, mirror optimism, and articulate a goal that feels personal to every listener. Persuasion begins there, in shared limbic resonance.
Persuasion is not flattery; it is data revealed through empathy. A manager senses frustration behind polite compliance and surfaces it gently, converting silence into contribution. Once voices feel valued, systems thinking accelerates. Team members propose fixes even before spreadsheets request them, because emotional safety has primed the prefrontal cortex for imaginative problem solving.
Finally, persuasion solidifies through consistent, transparent action. Announce the timeline, supply resources, revisit progress with curiosity, not judgment. The brain registers congruence and releases trust hormones that deepen engagement. Over repeated cycles, collective identity eclipses individual doubt; the vision belongs to everyone. Results follow as a neurological inevitability, not an imposed demand upon execution.
Listen for emotional cues, state a clear purpose, invite input, and act congruently to reinforce trust.
Former Zillow exec targets $1.3T
The top companies target big markets. Like Nvidia growing ~200% in 2024 on AI’s $214B tailwind. That’s why the same VCs behind Uber and Venmo also backed Pacaso. Created by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso’s co-ownership tech transforms a $1.3 trillion market. With $110M+ in gross profit to date, Pacaso just reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
Employee‑Owners Insulate the Heartland Faster
Kinzler expands safety-first insulation, fireproofing, gypsum services across Midwest markets
With labor tight and schedules fierce, Midwestern builders are leaning on employee‑owned specialists like Kinzler Construction Services to keep projects moving. The 40‑year‑old firm installs insulation, gypsum concrete, and fireproofing, scaling from homes to commercial jobs. Founded by Kevin and Yvonne Kinzler, the company grew from a garage startup to a multistate operator.
Its safety mantra “Safe Today. Home Tonight.” is backed by regular training and OSHA/DOT compliance, plus site‑specific plans developed alongside owner teams. Core values emphasize building relationships, integrity, dedication, a servant heart, and solving problems. That culture underpins capacity across Iowa, with additional branches in Denver and Michigan supporting regional contractors facing tough weather windows.
As demand rebounds for fireproofing and high-performance envelopes, Kinzler’s capability, capacity, and customer-service focus position it as a preferred partner on fast-track schools, warehouses, and healthcare projects. The firm is part of Kinzler Corporation’s employee‑owned family, which also includes materials distribution and garage‑door services, an ecosystem designed to shorten lead times when every hour counts.
INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY
Mon‑Fayette Bulldozers Finally Roar Today
Ground Breaks On Final Mon‑Fayette Expressway Section Linking Pittsburgh South
Excavators churned Monday beside Coal Valley Road as state and federal officials kicked off the last nine‑mile leg of the Mon‑Fayette Expressway, a $2.3 billion project set to relieve traffic on PA‑51 and fuel steel‑mill redevelopment south of Pittsburgh. Crowds cheered while a Komatsu ripper exposed the first hillside seam, signalling that decades of lawsuits and funding gaps are finally over.
Design‑build joint venture Trumbull‑Kokosing will blast twin rock cuts up to 180 feet deep, erect eight girder bridges spanning Monongahela tributaries, and pour pervious concrete shoulders seeded with native switchgrass to filter runoff. A diverging diamond interchange at Jefferson Hills will slipform overnight, keeping ambulance routes open; precast box culverts give bats and black bears safer crossings.
Financing blends a $600 million federal Rural Corridors grant, Pennsylvania Turnpike revenue bonds, and a cargo‑hub tax‑increment district near Smithfield. Agreements guarantee 2,100 union jobs, with thirty percent of contracts reserved for small businesses in Fayette and Washington counties. Substantial completion is slated for autumn 2033.
RESIDENTIAL RESEARCH
Sheep Wool Walls Warm Wyoming
Wyoming Embraces Sheep‑Wool Batts, Cutting Heating Bills And Emissions Statewide
Wyoming’s Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety voted unanimously Tuesday to classify factory‑scoured sheep‑wool batts as a prescriptive insulation option for one‑ and two‑family dwellings statewide, effective August 7. The amendment references University of Wyoming lab tests showing Class B flame-spread, R-4.3 per inch performance, and moisture buffering that suppresses mold growth.
Jackson Hole builder Teton Green Homes installed the wool in a 2,000‑square‑foot ranch on Wednesday, sliding forty‑eight batts between studs in ninety minutes without masks or knives. Infrared scans taken four hours later revealed wall temperatures three degrees warmer than adjacent fiberglass control sections, while humidity sensors reported a seven‑point drop during afternoon thunderstorms.
State energy analysts calculate the batts add six hundred dollars to material budgets yet trim annual heating bills one hundred twenty dollars, paying back within five winters. Bank of the West will roll projected savings into mortgage ratios, and Mountain West Farm Bureau announced four‑percent premium cuts after tests showed wool self‑extinguishes in twenty‑one seconds, outpacing cellulose.
TOOLBOX TALK
The Importance of Safe Use of Magnetic Lifting Devices
Introduction
Good morning, Team! Today’s toolbox talk addresses the safe use of magnetic lifting devices. Electromagnets and permanent lifting magnets move steel plates and beams quickly, but a single misstep can drop tons of metal.
Why It Matters
A magnet that releases because of dirt, overloading, or power loss can crush workers and destroy equipment in seconds.
Strategies for Safe Magnetic Lifting
Confirm Rating – Select magnets whose capacity exceeds the load plus a safety factor.
Clean Contact Surfaces – Remove rust, paint, and debris on both the magnet and the load before lifting.
Check Power & Cables – Verify battery/line power, indicator lights, and cords before each use.
Use Tag Lines – Guide the load; never place yourself beneath or between the load and fixed objects.
Test Lift – Raise the load 6 in (150 mm) and hold briefly to confirm full adhesion before traveling.
Discussion Questions
Have you seen or heard of a magnet disengaging unexpectedly?
What additional controls could improve our steel‑lifting safety?
Conclusion
Proper selection, inspection, and handling of magnetic lifters keep heavy steel secure.
Hold fast, lift safe!
How 1,500+ Marketers Are Using AI to Move Faster in 2025
Is your team using AI like the leaders—or still stuck experimenting?
Masters in Marketing’s AI Trends Report breaks down how top marketers are using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Breeze to scale content, personalize outreach, and drive real results.
Inside the report, you’ll discover:
What AI use cases are delivering the strongest ROI today
How high-performing teams are integrating AI into workflows
The biggest blockers slowing others down—and how to avoid them
A 2025 action plan to upgrade your own AI strategy
Download the report. Free when you subscribe to the Masters in Marketing newsletter.
Learn what’s working now, and what’s next.