95. Construction Has a People Problem: Why Inclusive Leadership Is the Industry’s Biggest Opportunity with Cathryn Greville
About this episode
This episode discusses the importance of inclusive leadership in the construction industry and its impact on productivity and retention.
In this episode of Building Doors, host Lauren Karan sits down with Cathryn Greville, CEO of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), a lawyer, governance expert, and one of the industry's most passionate advocates for systemic cultural change. From collaborative contracting to parental leave, from male allyship to psychological safety, Cathryn makes a powerful case that construction's biggest challenges: productivity, skills shortages, and retention won't be solved by technology alone. They'll be solved by leadership. Cathryn shares the evidence: inclusive teams make better decisions 87% of the time, and twice as fast. She explains why the single biggest risk time for losing women in construction is pregnancy and return to work, and why getting more men to take parental leave is a retention strategy, not a social one. She also pulls back the curtain on NAWIC's $5 million "Allyship in Action" project, including site-based allyship programs, sponsorship training, and a cultural ambassadors program designed to reach young tradies before bad habits set in. Tune in for a frank, data-driven, and hopeful conversation about what it actually takes to build workplaces…
More episodes of Building Doors with Lauren Karan
- 94. The Productivity Paradox: Why Infrastructure Is Stuck in 1990 and How AI Can Actually Help with Daryl Sadgrove
- 93. Construction Has a Thinking Problem: Challenging the Assumptions That Hold the Industry Back with Adam Woodley
- 91. Sustainability Is Everyone's Problem: Engineering, Values, and Raising the Next Generation with Ashley Hernandez
- 90. The Power of People: Leadership, Vulnerability, and Building a Better Construction Culture with Paul Rhoden
- 89. Finding Calm Amid the Chaos: The Leadership Shift Every Construction Professional Needs to Hear with Alex Prenzel
- 88. How to Pivot and Thrive When Your Business Faces Market Shifts with James Gleeson
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