You can have the best project plan, the best tools, and the best people—yet still miss deadlines, blow budgets, and burn out your team. The real issue? It’s not what you’re building. It’s how you’re leading.
The Construction Industry’s Leadership Wake-Up Call
The construction industry has never been for the faint of heart—but today’s environment is testing even the most seasoned professionals. Between rising costs, labor shortages, and unrelenting project complexity, most leaders are stuck in firefighting mode, struggling to move from chaos to control.
According to KPMG’s Global Construction Survey, only 29% of projects come within 10% of their original budget, and just 31% are delivered on time. The pressure to improve performance is mounting—and it’s exposing the limits of outdated leadership models.
Construction doesn’t need more tech. It needs a transformation in how teams are built, led, and empowered.
4 Growing Challenges Facing Construction Leaders
1. A Shrinking Workforce with Rising Expectations
The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) estimates that the construction industry needs to hire over half a million additional workers in 2024 just to meet demand. Meanwhile, younger workers entering the trades want clarity, empowerment, and growth—not just top-down orders.
2. Complexity and Communication Breakdowns
Every jobsite is a web of moving parts—subcontractors, GCs, vendors, inspectors, and owners. A 2023 Autodesk + FMI study found that miscommunication and data mistakes cost the U.S. construction industry over $31 billion in rework annually.
3. The Burnout Factor
Superintendents and PMs are drowning in decisions, stretched across too many priorities with little support. Leadership bottlenecks and reactive management are leading to missed deadlines, team frustration, and turnover.
4. Siloed Planning and Misalignment
Everyone has their own tools, checklists, and dashboards—but no shared playbook. Without clear alignment from jobsite to back office, teams operate in silos, chasing short-term fixes instead of long-term success.
What’s Missing: A Modern, Simple, Human-Centered Leadership System
Construction doesn’t need more layers of bureaucracy or meetings—it needs a shift in how leaders lead and how teams work together. One that empowers people to make decisions, aligns field and office teams, and creates a culture that performs under pressure.
That’s what Fast Attack Leadership was built for.
Created by Marc Koehler, a former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer turned leadership expert, Fast Attack Leadership™ is a five-part leadership framework that equips construction leaders with the mindset, structure, and habits to create high-performing, adaptable, and aligned teams that thrive in today’s unpredictable environment.
A Field-Tested Solution: The One Page Purpose Plan™
At the center of Marc’s system is the One Page Purpose Plan™—a simple but powerful tool created from the one-page captain’s plan on the submarine that replaces outdated project binders and disconnected goal sheets with a clear, living blueprint that unites everyone from foreman to executive.
It includes:
- ✅ A clear mission and values
- ✅ Annual priorities and jobsite-level objectives
- ✅ Key actions by team or role
- ✅ Metrics that matter
When every person can see the big picture and how they contribute to it, execution accelerates—and silos vanish.
How Fast Attack Leadership Solves Real Construction Pain Points
➤ Speed Without the Chaos
In the field, delays cost money. Marc teaches decision-making techniques that allow leaders and crews to move quickly with confidence—even when they don’t have perfect information. No more waiting for top-down direction.
➤ Field and Office on the Same Page
Fast Attack’s One Page Purpose Plan™ creates total clarity across departments, disciplines, and locations. From preconstruction through punch list, everyone knows the mission, priorities, and path forward—without confusion or crossed wires.
➤ A Culture Built for Today’s Workforce
Millennial and Gen Z workers aren’t motivated by “because I said so.” They want autonomy, purpose, and development. Marc’s recognition and engagement tools (like the Bravo Zulu system) deliver 79% higher engagement and 67% more effort, according to O.C. Tanner data.
➤ Simple Habits That Drive Consistency
Marc emphasizes three lightweight, high-impact habits:
- Daily 15-minute standups (perfect for jobsite huddles)
- Weekly 1-hour leadership syncs
- Monthly 1-on-1s to develop talent and boost retention
These routines reduce surprises, build trust, and keep projects on course—even when disruptions strike.
It’s Not Just the Plan—It’s the People
Construction leaders often invest millions in tools and equipment but overlook the system that aligns their people. Fast Attack Leadership closes that gap.
By shifting how decisions are made, how teams are aligned, and how culture is reinforced, companies gain a massive edge—not just in margins, but in momentum.
The Bottom Line: Elite Projects Require Elite Teams
If your projects are running late, your team is burning out, or your talent is turning over—it’s not your bid process or Gantt chart that needs fixing. It’s your leadership system.
Marc Koehler’s Fast Attack Leadership keynote delivers a battle-tested, practical system that construction teams can implement immediately. It’s clear. It’s human. It works. And it might just be what your company needs to thrive in 2025.
About Marc Koehler:
Marc Koehler is a former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer and Turnaround CEO who helps construction, manufacturing, and field-based teams build elite leadership systems. He’s the creator of Fast Attack Leadership™ and the One Page Purpose Plan™, used by companies around the country to create fully aligned, future-ready teams. Learn more at www.marckoehlerspeaks.com.
Sources:
- KPMG: Global Construction Survey 2023
- Autodesk + FMI: “Harnessing the Data Advantage in Construction”
- Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) 2024 Workforce Outlook
- McKinsey: “Reinventing Construction” Report
- Workforce Institute: 2023 Employee Recognition Study
- O.C. Tanner: Global Culture Report