We’ve all heard the saying, “there is safety in numbers.” And, it’s true. It’s always better to embark on a journey with the comfort and protection of a group of like-minded individuals. And, that’s how we feel about our membership in the Construction Leadership Network (CLN).

CLN is made up of a diverse group of general contractors and commercial construction industry providers from throughout the U.S. and Canada. The organization was formed around the principle of bringing together top construction entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and share best practices to improve the construction industry and design-build companies like ours. The mission is simple: Share…Learn…Build.

Our membership in CLN enables us to exchange information, share successes and lessons learned, and form life-long relationships with other construction professionals. Recently, Dow Smith spent three days in Houston at the 2020 Construction Leadership Network conference. Among other continuing education activities, he attended a focus group on “How to Improve Your Culture by Improving Your Communication,” a two-hour session presented by a fellow design-build contractor from Wisconsin. 

Other highlights from the conference include a keynote from Merril Hoge, former NFL player and football analyst for ESPN. A Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor, Merril shared his story of grit and determination to not only become an NFL player, but to ultimately beat cancer. Special guest speaker Karoline Hood, PE, PMP, LEED AP, daughter of CLN member Dan Hood spoke about her cutting-edge work at the nearby Johnson Space Center. 

Another focus group Dow participated in was titled, “Relationships Matter—The Value of Great Teams.” Dow learned that a good team is like a well-oiled machine, but it can get messy and you have to keep oil in the machine or it will seize up. Dow also learned about the EOS or Entrepreneurial Operating System—a system he feels might help Dow Smith Company better implement its values, mission, vision and strategy.

Dow has been attending these conferences since 2002 and enjoys coming back to our team to share the ideas and the energy. Dow also attended a two-hour panel discussion on marketing and business development, and participated in peer group roundtables with other contractors—many of them have been friends and colleagues of Dow’s for nearly 20 years!

“I have learned so much from these events. Growing in wisdom energizes me and enables me to come back to my team and share that energy,” adds Dow.

Throughout the year, CLN members are connected by a web-based tool that enables everyone to communicate in forums, share forms and documents, learn about each other’s capabilities and strengthen their friendships. Dow Smith Company values our membership in CLN because it makes us better design-builders and we can use the information we learn in our businesses as well as on the job site.

“We are already looking forward to next year’s CLN meeting where we will have the opportunity to connect with our friends and mentors who share the same values and out-of-the-box thinking that we enjoy,” adds Dow.