67 - Millennial Myth Buster: How to Use Humility & Hard Work to Achieve Career Success

Resource Links: A free copy of my Kick-Ass Meeting Report (https://www.ericanderton.com/kickassmeetings) Millennials are now the largest generational cohort in the workplace, and it's great to have them! They have the reputation of being lazy, and unwilling to communicate "man-to-man", but I think that's overblown. I know many Millennials who are extremely talented, and deeply committed to the construction industry, and I'm looking forward to seeing them lead the industry for the next three or four decades.  In today's episode, we have construction lifer, Preston Hoopes, who talks about succeeding in a multi-generational environment through the combination of drive and humility. He also shares key insights that could help young people develop their careers. If you're a young professional looking to start a career in construction, or a Gen Xer or baby boomer curious to hear more about this Millennial, tune in to this episode now.  What's Discussed In This Episode: The reputation of millennials in construction [02:30] How are millennials impacting the industry? [03:32] How Preston got into construction [04:56] Overcoming the struggles of being the CEO's son [07:08] How to motivate the younger generation [08:58] Differences in maturity and commitment [10:52] The rookie mistakes Preston made [13:51] What Preston looks for in a mentor [15:42] Stepping into a leadership role [16:33] Deciding to get an MBA and what it taught him [17:46] Challenges of being more people-focused [20:38] Handling a multi-generational team [21:45] The key difference of a high performing team [23:38] Managing long agendaless meetings [24:48] The challenges to developing leaders [26:13] How Preston checks his ego [28:38] The future of the construction industry [30:00] Preston's advice to young project engineers [32:37] The rotation system in their company [33:21] How to become a sales-oriented construction professional [34:32] Preston's favorite restaurant [35:22] About Our Guest: Preston Hoopes is an operations manager for Swinerton, a multi-billion dollar construction company. He followed in his father's footsteps into the construction business and faced the struggles of the expectations that came with his last name. Eventually, he was able to prove himself and become a successful leader.  Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to the Construction Genius: A Leadership Master-Class Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. Thank you for tuning in!