416 :: Ben Breen of the Project Management Institute on Building $4B Projects and Developing Better Project Managers

In episode 416, Ben Breen of the Project Management Institute (PMI) joins the show from Australia. Ben is the Global Director of Construction at PMI and he discusses his background in international construction and the leadership principles that have guided his career from construction student, builder, consultant, and leader within PMI. Ben describes how to best learn from mentors around you and why the industry should ditch the phrase "soft skills" for "power skills" to describe the suite of leadership behaviors that include intentional listening, empathy, and servant leadership. Ben closes by detailing the value of the PMI Construction Professional certification (PMI-CP)™. Project Management Institute (PMI) is the world's leading association for those who consider project, program or portfolio management their profession. Through global advocacy, collaboration, education and research, PMI works to prepare more than three million professionals around the world for the Project Economy: the coming economy in which work, and individuals, are organized around projects Chapters 01:02 Passion for Construction and Architecture 03:34 Key Leadership Principles 06:27 Making Tough Decisions as a Leader 09:13 Developing Soft Skills in Project Managers 11:27 The Importance of Power Skills 12:45 What Not to Do in Developing Project Managers 14:11 The Role of Zooming In and Out as a Leader 20:22 PMI's Role in the Construction Industry   At Bradley Hartmann & Company, we help construction teams improve sales, leadership,  and communication by reducing miscommunication, strengthening teamwork, and bridging language gaps between English and Spanish speakers. To learn more about our product offerings, visit bradleyhartmannandco.com. The Construction Leadership Podcast dives into essential leadership topics in construction, including strategy, emotional intelligence, communication skills, confidence, innovation, and effective decision-making. You'll also gain insights into delegation, cultural intelligence, goal setting, team building, employee engagement, and how to overcome common culture problems—whether you're leading a crew or managing an entire organization. Have topic ideas or guest recommendations? Contact us at [email protected]. New podcasts are dropped every Tuesday and Thursday.   This episode is brought to you by The Construction Spanish Toolbox —the most practical way for construction teams to learn jobsite-ready Spanish in just minutes a day over 6 months.