“Empathy makes you a better innovator.”
by Satya Nadella
THE ART OF LEADERSHIP
Can Empathy Become Your Most Disruptive Leadership Advantage?
Empathy is a technology for leadership because it reveals unmet needs before metrics confirm them. When you ask a customer to narrate a struggle, patterns surface faster than code compiles. Managers who listen deeply earn questions, which unlock better products. Indra Nooyi wrote letters to families. Tim Cook visits factories. Curiosity outruns certainty.
Inside teams, empathy turns a know-it-all posture into a learn it habit. Replace the loudest opinion with short experiments and humble metrics. Ask engineers to shadow support. Invite designers to ship with sales. Sundar Pichai calls this default openness. It scales decision-making because context replaces permission across the company.
Leaders then bake empathy into the operating rhythm. Schedule listening tours with real users, not slide decks. Review failures without blame and commit to the next small bet. Teach managers to model patience and urgency together. When people feel understood, they push harder and smarter, and innovation arrives on time because trust keeps the runway clear.
Schedule listening tour, shadow support, share context, run small experiments, review candidly, reward learnings publicly consistently.
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
What drives number one results year after year?
Associated Builders and Contractors named Turner Industries number one on its 2025 Top Performers list for the fourth consecutive year, a streak that underscores the company’s consistent execution on complex industrial projects. Stephen Toups credited more than 20,000 employees for the win and celebrated strong Gulf Coast representation, pointing to a shared commitment to safe and productive job sites.
The ranking recognizes safety, quality, merit, and project excellence, and is based on the number of hours worked. Turner also achieved Gold or higher in ABC STEP, a program tied to incident rates nearly six times safer than the Bureau of Labor Statistics average. Michael Bellaman applauded the company for building enduring, innovative projects and attracting top talent.
With six decades of experience and a ‘One Solution for Your Success’ approach, Turner delivers construction maintenance, turnarounds, fabrication, and heavy lift services across the energy and materials markets. The message to owners and craft professionals is clear. Partner with a team that plans effectively, performs safely, and consistently delivers results year after year.
INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY
Can one intersection change five school commutes safely?
Shovels hit dirt along State Road 16 as Commissioners Sarah Arnold, Christian Whitehurst, Clay Murphy, and Ann Taylor joined Public Works Director Greg Caldwell and Superintendent Dr. Brennan Asplen to break ground on the State Road 16 and International Golf Parkway Improvements Project. The $25 million effort began this week in St. Augustine.
Crews will widen State Road 16 from two to four lanes, add sidewalks, construct new drainage systems, and install a traffic signal at International Golf Parkway. With five nearby schools, including Tocoi High School and Mill Creek Academy, leaders described the work as both a safety upgrade for students and a congestion solution.
Construction is expected to last about eighteen months, with fewer stop-and-go backups as staging aligns with a planned extension of County Road 2209. The county urged patience and promised regular updates while crews reshape the busy approach to Interstate 95.
RESIDENTIAL RESEARCH
Will cutting HOME funding choke small-town construction?
Federal budget talks turned toward housing today as President Donald Trump proposed eliminating the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and House leaders omitted its funding. Senate Republicans signaled that they may keep some dollars in play, but agencies and builders now face planning risks as fall bid calendars fill and lenders tighten draws for rural starts.
On job sites, the stakes are concrete. Cassie Hudson of Partnership Housing in Owsley County said the group already builds a fraction of its former output when construction costs outrun resale appraisals. Joshua Stewart of Fahe warned that without HOME, many Appalachian projects will not pencil because the grant closes gaps that bank loans and tax credits cannot.
The human edge is visible in recent move-ins. Heather Colley in Talbott, Tennessee, and Tiffany Mullins in Hazard, Kentucky, both reached ownership with HOME-backed builds. Tess Hembree of the Council of State Community Development Agencies cautioned that cuts would shrink future supply rather than displace current residents.
TOOLBOX TALK
The Importance of Power Pipe Threader & Roll‑Groover Safety
Introduction
Good morning, Team! Today’s toolbox talk covers the safe use of power pipe threaders and roll-groovers used for steel/rigid conduit preparation.
Why It Matters
These machines combine high torque, rotating chucks, and pinch rollers. A caught glove, unsupported pipe, or bypassed foot switch can lead to fractures, de‑gloving, or severe crush injuries.
Strategies for Safe Operation
Inspect & Guard – Verify foot switch/EM-stop, jaw condition, die head/guarding, and groover pinch-point shields for tag-out defects.
Support the Pipe – Use rated stands at both the infeed/outfeed to maintain a level work surface, preventing whipping and spinning. No freehand “catching.”
Dress for Rotations – No loose sleeves, jewelry, or cloth gloves near the chuck/rollers. Use cut‑resistant/nitrile only for handling away from rotating parts. Hair tied back.
Hands Off the Bite – Use tongs/brush to clear chips; never reach across the chuck. Let the foot switch control the cut; don’t bypass or tape it.
Oil & Housekeeping – Use approved cutting oil; contain drips (absorbent pads), wipe spills immediately (slip hazard), and power from GFCI circuits. Cool parts before handling.
Discussion Questions
Where will we stage stands to keep today’s longest pipe level?
Do all units have working foot switches and visible pinch‑point guards?
Conclusion
A good setup, disciplined controls, and “hands out of the line” keep threading and grooving efficiently and injury-free.
Clamp it, support it, feet on the switch work smart!
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