90. The Power of People: Leadership, Vulnerability, and Building a Better Construction Culture with Paul Rhoden

About this episode

Paul Rhoden discusses the importance of leadership, vulnerability, and the human aspect of construction culture.

In this episode of Building Doors, host Lauren Karan sits down with Paul Rhoden, a seasoned infrastructure leader, podcaster, and consultant with over 30 years of experience across the UK and Australia. Paul is the founder of Vulpra Contractors and the host of the Construction Matters podcast, where he champions the human side of construction. Paul shares why he believes the industry’s greatest asset is its people, and how authentic, vulnerable leadership can transform project cultures. From his early days in the Royal Navy to leading major infrastructure projects, Paul opens up about his journey through grief, burnout, and purpose. He offers powerful insights on male allyship, the importance of listening to your supply chain, and why sometimes the best way to save a failing project is to simply stop and ask for help. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Leadership and Vulnerability: Why authentic leadership means admitting you don’t have all the answers. How leaders can create psychological safety by being vulnerable first. The power of “stopping” a project to reset culture and solve underlying problems. Male Allyship and Gender Diversity: Practical ways men can use their…

People in this episode

Host: Lauren Karan

Guest: Paul Rhoden

Topics covered

• leadership
• vulnerability
• construction culture
• male allyship
• mental health
• psychosocial safety

Keywords

• leadership
• vulnerability
• construction
• male allyship
• mental health
• psychosocial safety
• project culture
• supply chain

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vulpra Contractors, Construction Matters

Places: UK, Australia

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