Alpha Dog – Book Review

 

 

The Book Review Series

 

 

I met Mark Breslin in February 2024, and after a brief conversation about the construction industry, I obtained his book The Five Minute Foreman. Spoiler alert: that book is fantastic, and is recommended reading for every apprentice I teach, with special reference during Foreman Training.

What’s more, I also wrote a book review of The Five Minute Foreman, published it, and at some point, The Breslin Team found out about it. After some communication and discussion via email, Alpha Dog was sent to me (Thanks, Mark, and team!). Well, I’m not about to pass up an opportunity to review another great resource.

Alpha Dog predates The Five Minute Foreman by a few years, published in 2010. Don’t let that fool you, though; some books have a timeless message, and this is one of them. What follows, then, is Alpha Dog – Book Review, here at The Wealthy Ironworker, with some of the most worthy inclusions from the book, along with my thoughts.

 

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Related: Read The Five Minute Foreman – Book Review

 

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Introduction

“There is no business as interesting, challenging, and provoking as construction. In twenty-five years on the front lines of this business I have been schooled by some of the most remarkable leaders in North America. These people are hard-driving, visionary, and concerned only with who you are and what you can do. I have dedicated my professional life to this industry because I cannot imagine working with anyone else. I would never have fit in anyplace else.” – Page 15

The longer I’m in the construction industry, the more I understand just how different it is from almost every other major industry. There are numerous reasons why, but what I find absolutely fascinating is how many do not understand this. This has to be why so many believe a “plug and play” strategy works; that which works for other industries (motivation, leadership, structure, workflow, management – you name it, and it’s included here) will work in this one.

Except it doesn’t. The people we should be paying attention to should come from the industry, not to it.

 

Chapter 1 Alpha Dog

 

“Through leadership all that is possible occurs. Through leadership the progress of man, society, technology, art, sport, and every other endeavor is determined. And since the beginning of time people just like you and me have looked at the Alpha leader role and asked themselves one question: ‘Why not me?'” – Page 20

 

“If you embrace leadership in the construction industry over the next ten to fifteen years, an unprecedented opportunity is waiting for you.” – Page 23

I KNOW the above is true. At the time this book was published, in 2010, I was 29 with eight years of experience. It was also the first time I became a foreman. Looking back, I had (and still have, to be frank) a lot to learn. But what Breslin said was true for me, and all these years later (do the math – 16 years takes us to 2026, which is this year), the opportunity is still there. Up to this point, we’ve experienced roughly two-thirds of the baby boomers retiring; the rest will be in the next 10 years. Couple that with an entire generation largely absent from the industry (Millennials), and the opportunity is enormous.

“Most importantly, in terms of industry leadership, the majority of all Boomer foremen, superintendents, and lead workers will soon be moving toward retirement. Tens of thousands of construction management and supervisory positions will be opening up each year, all at the same time.” – Page 24

Again, the author was, and remains, right.

 

Speaking about some of the challenges of construction leadership transition, he notes that there will be “unseasoned younger people thrust into positions they may not be ready to handle.” – Page 26

I’ve said the same thing for a while now. Due to generational absence, younger people will find themselves in positions they normally wouldn’t, lacking the necessary experience they’d normally have. Indeed, it does create opportunity, but not all opportunities are the same. It does cost something.

 

“To be a good leader, you really have to understand your own ‘why’ because it will be reflected in everything you do. From motivating others to personal ethics, it will define your leadership style…A leader without the capacity of self-reflection will never be much good to anyone.” – Pages 27, 28

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

 

 

Chapter 2 The Mirror

 

“To know one’s purpose takes some searching, but life is too short not to face the challenge.” – Page 33

“In the absence of the hard look in the mirror, we tend to use others as our reflection of our ability, worth, or potential. We are unduly influenced by others’ opinions rather than our own insights.” – Page 37

“You have to accept that you are not and never will be as good as you can be as a manager or leader or person. As soon as you accept that without doubting yourself or becoming defensive, you are in the right mindset to lead.” – Page 39

“Being tough-minded does not mean acting in an offensive manner. It means you have to deal with things in a very straightforward way. It often requires you to put outcomes ahead of everyone’s approval. Leaders frequently find it lonely when their decisions are not universally liked. In fact, most leaders recognize that a certain number of people will not agree with them or even actively dislike them, and yet they are not influenced by that fact.” – Page 42

And this is yet another reason why I appreciate Mark Breslin. In one quote, he has reinforced the relational nature of leadership while taking the overemphasis on relational-led leadership to task. People matter – but so do outcomes. In an age of wild swings, I applaud his balanced approach.

Chapter 3 Alpha Leader

 

This is, admittedly, a very long chapter. That’s not a mark against it; indeed, there is plenty to like about Alpha Leader. But it did make it difficult for me to narrow down and select the quotes I’d include in this book review. There is so much in this chapter to highlight, so at the outset, let me say – this chapter is worth every second you take to read – Do not skip it. In fact, I’d wager it’s worth the time to read it twice, it’s that good.

 

“If you want to be fulfilled as a leader as you accomplish your organizational goals, you will also feel the pride of having developed people and not employees.

It is nearly impossible to motivate an employee to achieve his or her highest ability. You have to reach people at a deeper level to get their best.” – Page 49

I like this perspective and happen to agree with it. Too often, while at work, we only see employees and not people. IF you want to have subpar employees, ignore Breslin’s advice and take no action.

 

As much as I hate to admit it, when Breslin talks about image (which is what follows the above quote), he is absolutely right. I have experienced my fair share of judgment concerning my appearance over the years. What’s more, as I have risen through the ranks – from apprentice to journeyman, foreman, superintendent, construction manager, and safety director – with each successive position, people have judged me. They judged me on my demeanor. On how I carried myself. On my confidence level. On my experience. On my credentials. On what I wore.

I struggle with this even today. I have a beard that’s often judged unprofessional. Not by the guys in the field, but by the guys in the office. After many get a chance to speak to me for any length of time, I often hear, “Are you sure you are an ironworker?” or “Have you always been an ironworker?”

I enjoy breaking stereotypes and consider my own career a testament to that. Still, I know Mark Breslin is right. I know people are judged on their appearance, even when they bring a lot to the table. Now, I don’t speak to C-suite individuals, but I do speak to everyone else – from apprentices to superintendents, project managers, other safety professionals, and even owners.

And, to this day, I am still judged. And so are you.

I say all that not to complain; instead, I merely acknowledge the author’s point and add weight to it from my personal experience.

 

“Your main role is always to be yourself when it comes to values, integrity, and self-pride. Wow. What a basic concept. Being real. What a challenge. What a burden. Just being who you really are…

“Being yourself, positively, unapologetically, and straight up, is something people respect. People don’t have to try to figure out what your agenda is. They aren’t trying to filter out the ‘fake you’ factor. Love you or hate you, you are always better being yourself 24-7.” – Page 54

 

“Power is a weird thing. It is hard to describe it exactly at a personal level, but it is very visible when it is being used.” – Page 65

Although many leaders are more worried about failure, what they really should be worried about is success. Success seduces. Success whispers in your ear. Success more than anything allows you to rationalize whatever you do…Success can become an excuse. Success can kill your work ethic. Success can make you lay back. Success can bring about boredom. Success can sometimes stand as an obstacle to constant improvement and to monitoring and evaluating performance or systems.” – Pages 65, 66

This is one of the GREAT statements in this chapter. Many people fear failure, but success can – and often is – more dangerous. Breslin is right, and I appreciate this greatly. Read it several times and commit it to memory.

 

“Your leadership ethic is most important of all. If leaders cannot display uncompromising integrity and ethics, they simply invite less than that among their employees and associates.” – Page 69

For my part, not only is he right, but he’s also timely. Currently, culture does not value integrity, seeing it as an obstacle rather than a necessity. I’m reminded of a quote from John Maxwell, here:

 

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“Leaders cannot rise above the limitations of their character.”

Related: Read The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader – Book Review

 

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Not only do I believe the above, but there is overwhelming evidence to support it. Ignore Breslin’s words to your own peril.

 

“In any event, the key here is to try not to allow yourself to be riled or ruled by reactions. Don’t let them interfere with your decision making. Don’t show your employees that emotions are the way to deal with each other or project difficulties. Yelling, cursing, complaining, venting, or whining on any ongoing basis diminishes anyone as a person and leader. Nothing fazes the professional.” – Page 80

A worthy inclusion, given the nature of too many in the construction industry today.

The Personal Leadership Strategies (PLS) and Tactics are fantastic, with one notable inclusion, which I’ll note here:

“There are always exceptions to the rule when it comes to people. I am not suggesting you violate company policies. I am suggesting that you should not get so caught up in the structure and rules that you lose sight of what is reasonable. Or critical. Or human. I leave you to struggle with the gray areas by using your best judgment, logic, and empathy combined.”  – Pages 92, 93

The above demonstrates the need for good leadership on the jobsite. Company policies are all fine and good, but they seek to dehumanize everything. And, as we all know, the construction industry is made up of human beings. Couple that with ever-changing job site conditions, different contractors, and even different employees throughout careers, and you have a recipe for policies being ineffective. Or at least binding to a debilitating degree. Management cannot replace leadership, even though it has been helpful. Leadership is more important than most acknowledge.

 

Chapter 4 Alpha Manager

 

I dump on management a bit on platforms, not because it isn’t important, but rather, because too much emphasis has been placed on it in the past 100-plus years. This in itself would not be a bad thing IF leadership were not cast aside and/or dismissed.

From my perspective, however, this is exactly what’s happened.

In any case, management does have its place, and in this lengthy chapter, Breslin does a remarkable job of exploring it. There are some real gems contained in this chapter.

 

“The cultivation of concentration and focus as a strategic approach is a powerful tool. Coaching to not be reactive. To not be too many things to too many people. To not be spread too thin. To spend undivided time with key people. This is a rare investment of time but a very worthwhile one for a professional manager in our industry.” – Page 97

 

“Most policies are reflective of things that have gone wrong. If nothing went wrong, who would need policies? We would all just do the right things all the time, every day. Since we are all imperfect (some more than others), policies play a critical role.” – Page 98

The author has just described what has been taking place at work for over a hundred years.

 

“You cannot be a good manager or leader without The Line. You must draw it yourself; your employees won’t. You must define its limits and parameters. But don’t think you can jump back and forth across it because the bottom line is, you can’t.” – Page 100

I have known far too many who have done precisely what Breslin says you can’t, and every single instance I can recall, it has not been good. Boundaries exist for a reason; they need to be set early and reinforced when needed.

 

“In the construction industry, people and companies like to build projects but are far less enthused about building the internal infrastructure and systems of an organization. It is not as fun. It is not as interesting. It does not seem to pay the bills. It is often an area of weakness for senior management. It is usually an area of weakness for field managers. This is a short-sighted and undisciplined approach.” – Page 105

 

“There are no absolute rules when dealing with people working for you who are having problems. Drug and alcohol problems. Health problems. Attitude problems. If you lead long enough, you will experience them all. And though it is often tempting, you just can’t fire everyone with a problem.” – Page 147

 

“Safety is not about policies and rules. Safety is about shaping decisions and behaviors. How do you shape these behaviors? Not by getting people to read and sign a hundred-page safety policy manual.” – Page 157

I include the above because I am a safety director who knows it to be true. Moreover, despite the significant growth it has seen over the last 20 years, safety is still often viewed as a liability, a drain, and a burden on a company’s operations, rather than as an investment in the most important resource a company has: its human labor. I encourage everyone to read this chapter several times, underlining the key points that stand out. At a later date, do it again, and you may be surprised at what else stands out to you. In my opinion, this is a valuable resource for you throughout your career.

 

In some ways, this chapter has more to offer than Alpha Leader, the previous chapter. It is full of practical advice for the aspiring individual, and I believe many will be rewarded by reading it.

 

Chapter 5 Alpha Motivator

 

I find it interesting that this chapter follows Alpha Leader and Alpha Manager, because in my own leadership exploration, I highlight inspiration as the pinnacle, not influence.

 

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Related: Read The Leadership Series

 

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To be sure, the author has written another great chapter worth reading.

 

“Simply put, if you are not absolutely committed to your personal and professional potential, you are not only missing an essential competitive strategy, you are shorting yourself and those around you.” – Page 161

Not only is he right, but with the age/experience gap we’re facing, it’s magnified.

 

“Legitimate achievement earns respect…Associate with a group of highly motivated individuals who will not quit on each other. Live for clear and measurable goals that most think unattainable or would not even think to set in the first place. Share credit and acknowledgment of success. And plan enthusiastically for the next objective. Ot is a model that pressed the capacity of both the individual and the team.” – Page 162

 

“Failure as a training opportunity. Your employees will learn more from watching you deal with their failures in a calm, focused, and results-oriented manner than you can imagine.” – Page 168

Learning from failure is painful – but it’s amplified when people can learn from others. It’s even more potent when people learn from a leader/superior. He is absolutely right.

 

“In the field of construction culture, there is no phrase more stupid and short-sighted than ‘you’re not paid to think.’ And yet nearly all construction field hands in the U.S. and Canada tell me they have heard it dozens of times on the jobsite, especially when they were apprentices. Tell me what other business sector commonly communicates the value of dumbing down the workforce?” – Page 173

Do NOT utter these words or some variation of them around me. I’m not working with drones; I’m mentoring the next generation of skilled tradesmen. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is paid to think.

 

“The truth of today’s industry is that thinking is what people are paid to do. We need to turn out ‘knowledge workers,’ not just ‘skilled tradesmen.'” – Page 174

 

“There has never been a time in our industry when mentoring has had more value. With the impact of changing generations on competition, stability, and talent development, mentoring is a strategic necessity. And despite excellent training and strong contractor leadership, no one factor has more upside potential for influencing performance than mentoring does.” – Page 184

 

“Mentoring is the last and final gift a leader gives to his employees, his organization, and industry.” – Page 185

Hear, hear. If you aren’t actively mentoring, I’ll be blunt: you’re not doing your job. At every stage of your life, no matter your experience or where you are, you should be mentoring.

If you are not, you’re not only falling short of your own potential but also failing the next generation.

 

Chapter 6 Words to Live and Lead By

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this concise yet impactful chapter. I like the format, the topic(s), and the one-page devotion to each concept.

 

“Leadership is a test of toughness. Competitors, employees, vendors, allies, and enemies all will generally silently assess you for your toughness. In response, you don’t have to act like a tough guy; you just have to project strength, determination, and resolve in a clear and unequivocal manner that leaves no doubt about where you stand.” – Page 189

 

“Leadership requires risk taking at a much higher threshold than that of an ordinary employee. The manner in which risk is handled is determined by the courage of the leader.” – Page 194

“Courage is not the absence of fear; it is action in the face of it.” – Page 194

 

Conclusion

 

This book is great. It’s easy to read, full of important, factual, and anecdotal information for the aspiring construction professional. If you are looking for a glimpse into the construction environment – and what those who lead it should look like – read this book, and read it several times. Underline sections. Take notes. Compare what you read with who you are and where you are on your journey.

Lastly, I want to compare this book to The Five Minute Foreman.

The Five Minute Foreman is a great book by itself and, in my estimation, should be read BEFORE you read Alpha Dog. Where The Five Minute Foreman is, by its very name, a book designed to help develop you in five-minute increments, Alpha Dog is comprehensive. It has the potential to take you from The Five Minute Foreman to the best construction professional you can be – and that always includes mentoring.

IF you are in charge of training, want to see your company grow, develop the next generation (which is an investment in your own firm), and see substantial growth, invest in your employees (especially and particularly your front-line employees, such as your foremen, superintendents), and be intentional about it.

This book deserves its place on every construction professional’s bookshelf. Get it here.

 

 

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