Any construction executive search will look for candidates with integrity, but integrity is important for any construction leadership role, regardless of its level.

The Importance of Honesty in Leadership

Good construction leadership will always be honest with their team. They will let them know what is happening within the organization, both the good and the bad. They will also be honest and transparent about how each role or task fits into the larger picture.

People in general respect and appreciate leaders who are honest and keep their teams informed. Therefore, by being honest, you will gain more support from your team. Honesty will build trust, and transparency helps promote the feeling of equality, even with differences in roles.

Honesty Is Simply Easier for All Parties Involved

Being honest also makes your job as a leader much easier. After all, you don’t have to remember a story or which information you shared and what you left out. Hiding or lying about information can easily result in being caught, hurting the trust that your team has in you.

You’ll Eventually Build Trust

As mentioned, honesty leads to trust. This is because your construction team will trust that you share the relevant information with them.

This is crucial, as surveys consistently show that without enough trust, people will struggle to build relationships with each other.

Trust is challenging to gain, with the Harvard Business Review reporting that “the standards of trustworthiness have risen significantly as the world’s experience of honesty and trust has descended into a freefall.” As such, good construction leadership will take every opportunity they have to earn the trust of their team.

Honesty Encourages Honesty in the Construction Industry

There is also the fact that those in construction careers are more likely to be honest if their leaders are honest. This is a classic situation where leading by example will deliver benefits.

Then, your workers will likely be honest with you about any mistakes or issues that could delay the project. This will let you come up with a solution more quickly, reducing the potential delays.

This mutual honesty dynamic is especially true if you have already built trust with your employees. In that case, they will trust you to be fair and not punish them for something that was outside of their control, so they will be upfront with you about mistakes they have made.

Honesty is not just a virtue; it will help you lead your construction team, too.

How can we help you?

Searching for an opportunity in the construction industry? Contact The Birmingham Group’s team of seasoned commercial construction recruiters today to discuss your career path or browse our open positions.

Are you a hiring authority in need of construction talent? Submit a search request today.