Activating Curiosity™ | Leading Change in the Construction Industry
Activating Curiosity™ helps AEC and construction leaders lead change confidently and transform their organizations through practical leadership strategies and innovation insights. Hosted by Ryan Ware, this podcast features conversations that inspire action and build resilient, agile teams. Hosted by Ryan Ware—AEC coach in change management and leadership development, keynote speaker, and founder of Connective Consulting Group and Connective Coaching—this show dives deep into conversations with innovators and industry shapers around this powerful question: What’s the most important problem you’re trying to solve—and why? Each episode uncovers real stories, hidden challenges, and practical tools to help you lead through change, build psychologically safe teams, and respond with agility in an industry transforming faster than ever. New guest episodes drop twice per month, alongside bonus insights designed to help you activate curiosity in your leadership immediately. Listen, follow, and subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter— and share episodes with fellow construction leaders navigating change. Let’s build what’s next—together. If you'd like to support the show or explore partnership opportunities, please visit our Support page to learn more. ⭐ If this podcast resonates with you, leaving a rating or review helps more construction industry leaders discover it.
Episodes
In this bonus episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Tom Raftery—speaker, sustainability strategist, and host of the Resilient Supply Chain and Climate Confident podcasts—to explore how global energy disruptions are reshaping construction, supply chains, and the future of resilience.
Using lessons from the 1970s energy crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and today's geopolitical u...
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, we explore a hard truth about construction: we’re not just facing a labor shortage—we’re facing a productivity problem.
If the construction industry is “busy” every day, why are projects getting slower, more expensive, and harder to deliver? This conversation challenges the idea that we’re solving problems and reveals how often we’re just firefightin...
What happens when architects and construction leaders stop accepting the limits of traditional building materials—and start asking better questions?
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Allison Dring, CEO and Co-Founder of Made of Air, to explore how discomfort drives curiosity, innovation, and change in the built environment. Explore how biochar is becoming a key tool for sustainable building pra...
What if the AEC industry’s biggest challenge isn’t a staffing shortage—but a work model problem?
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Erin Fantozz, Founder of EFDesigns, to explore how architecture and construction firms are navigating a deeper shift in leadership, change management, and the future of work.
As workforce pressure continues across the AEC industry, many firms focus on hir...
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Vikas Murali, Co-Founder and CEO of Offsight, to explore why limited visibility inside prefab factories remains one of the biggest barriers to scaling offsite construction.
As contractors and manufacturers expand into prefabrication, modular construction, and industrialized construction, many still rely on manual processes, disconnected systems, and limited productio...
Construction leadership development today requires more than toughness—it demands a human-centered approach to leading change.
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Ed DeAngelis, CEO and Founder of EDA Contractors, to explore how trust, emotional intelligence, and curiosity are reshaping leadership in the construction industry.
As the AEC industry faces workforce challenges, change resistance, and i...
Affordable housing isn’t just about building more homes—it’s about whether people can actually sustain a place to live.
In this bonus episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Nneoma Albert-Benson, founder of BEFA Women and Child Care Foundation, to explore how construction leadership and change in the AEC industry must go beyond supply and into the systems that determine long-term stability.
This c...
The housing crisis isn’t just a policy problem—it’s a production problem hiding in plain sight.
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Ryan Smith, Co-Founder of ModX, to explore how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry must evolve to address housing affordability at scale.
This conversation challenges a common assumption: that better policy alone will solve th...
Climate policy shifts happen fast—but construction leadership in change management is what separates winning AEC firms from reactive ones. In this bonus episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan and Laura Steinbrink (CEO, Emerald Built Environments) dive into the mindset shifts and industry transformation needed when policy changes overnight. Discover the strategic framework for navigating regulatory uncertainty and building org...
Mass timber isn’t just a material shift—it’s a mindset shift critical for construction leadership development.
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Kristen Slavin, founder of Conifer Advising, to explore how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry must evolve to explore how construction leadership, change management, and modular construction in the AEC industr...
Mini Series Part 6:
Change fatigue is real in construction—but it’s not caused by change itself. It’s caused by our relationship with it.
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry can shift from resistance to resilience by building a stronger relationship with change. Discover proven change leadership tips and strategies for bui...
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™ | Leading Change in the Construction Industry, Ryan Ware sits down with Kristin Kautz of JAM Idea Agency to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the AEC industry—and why most firms are approaching it the wrong way.
This conversation challenges a common assumption: that AI is a tool to implement. Instead, Kristin reframes it as something closer to “air”—an e...
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Ali Salman of Workspace Modular Structures to explore how prefab and modular construction can help solve some of the construction industry’s biggest challenges.
This conversation challenges a common assumption: that the industry’s current methods are sufficient. Instead, Ali reframes the opportunity—highlighting how modular construction offers a sca...
Mini Series Part 5:
Curiosity isn’t a soft skill—it’s a leadership advantage in construction.
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how curiosity drives effective change leadership in the AEC industry and why it’s essential for navigating uncertainty, overcoming resistance, and building stronger teams.
This conversation reframes a common challenge: leaders often focus on managing change, ...
Friction slows down decision-making in construction—but removing it doesn’t mean replacing expertise.
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Scott Reynolds, Co-Founder and CEO of UpCodes, to explore how construction leaders can reduce friction in decision-making while maintaining control, judgment, and expertise.
This conversation reframes a critical challenge in the AEC industry: too much time...
Access to healthcare isn’t just a policy issue—it’s a delivery problem.
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Peter Nicholson, Co-Founder and CEO of Modern Clinical Planning, to explore how micro hospitals are reshaping healthcare access in rural and underserved communities.
This conversation reframes a critical challenge: healthcare systems often struggle to justify investment in low-de...
Mini Series Part 4:
Leadership in change management often fails not because teams lack initial alignment, but because commitment fades when motivation does. In this mini-series installment of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction and AEC leaders can shift from motivational fixes to building sustainable commitment—the daily disciplines, rituals, and accountability structures that keep teams executing change...
The future of construction isn’t just about technology—it’s about how leaders respond to change.
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Brian Turmail, Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), to explore what construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry will require moving into 2026 and beyond.
T...
Mini Series Part 3:
Clarity doesn’t come before change—it’s built through it.
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware explores how construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry often stall because leaders wait for clarity that never arrives.
This conversation reframes a common belief: that teams need full clarity before taking action. Instead, Ryan highlights that clarity is personal, ...
Leadership in construction isn’t just about getting work done—it’s about how you bring people with you.
In this episode of Activating Curiosity™, Ryan Ware sits down with Andrea Janzen, Founder of Ambition Theory, to explore how transformational leadership is reshaping construction leadership and change management in the AEC industry.
This conversation challenges a long-standing norm: construction has traditionally ...
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