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From One Generation to the Next: How to Prepare Tomorrow's Leaders, Today

Jul 21, 2020

Most leaders set career goals, whether it’s becoming a senior partner or a company executive. But the journey towards achieving those goals is the biggest challenge that we actually face. 

In this week’s podcast episode, I have a great discussion with Eric Jones, President, and CEO of Foushée. We talked about his journey from the Naval academy to construction, and how he went in headstrong and gathered experience along the way as he traveled the leadership path towards eventual partnership in his company. We explore the importance of letting go of your ego in making important decisions and how he steered the company towards success when he became CEO. We also discuss how Eric’s journey has prepared him to help the next generation of Foushée leaders travel a similar route with the goal of being the third generation of Foushée partners. 

Tune in to this episode and learn how to remain unfazed and steadfast in your goal and ultimately build the path towards success.

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

  1. Eric’s journey from the Naval academy to construction [03:09]
    1. How he underwent a reflective process at a young age [05:01]
    2. How his youth affected his decision [05:56]
    3. Eric as a son and a father [08:35]
    4. The essence of having field experience [10:44]
    1. Eric’s advice to aspiring partners [19:02]
  3. His entrance to Foushée [13:54]
  4. The value of forging quality relationships with clients [19:41]
  5. How he took his company to greater heights by exploring new opportunities [20:44]
  6. Project managers should focus on mentoring project engineers [22:43]
  7. Taking Eric’s story as an example for aspiring leaders [24:42]
    1. Why not being slated for the leadership role didn’t affect Eric at all [28:21]
    2. Laying down the path towards leadership [29:13]
  8. Transitioning to the partnership role [25:27]
  9. Letting go of your ego is a big part in decision making [30:31]
    1. How the owners removed themselves from the company [33:35]
    2. Creating a dry run for the ownership transition [35:14]
  10. Becoming the president and CEO of Foushée [32:35]
  11. Lesson learned: You can’t plan for things you don’t know [36:43]
    1. The essence of forging a bond and having daily fear of the unknown [39:49]
    2. Passion: A key ingredient in overcoming challenges [40:55]
  12. Navigating the company through the dot-com bubble burst [38:10]
    1. Drawing experience from previous leaders [45:47]
    2. Always prepare for a downturn [46:35]
    3. Maintaining relationships with laid-off employees [48:28]
  13. Using the dot-com bubble experience in today’s crisis [42:49]
  14. Three pieces of advice for other leaders [51:45]
  15. Eric’s favorite restaurant [54:33]

About the Guest:

Eric Jones is the president and CEO of Foushée, a commercial and general contractor based in the greater Seattle area that focuses on pre-construction and construction management for offices, automobile dealerships, parking garages, and athletic clubs.

Resources: 

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!