Own The Build
Own the Build is the podcast for Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Directors who want to sharpen their commercial edge and lead with confidence.
Hosted by Paul Heming, former Commercial leader and now co-founder of C-Link, each week’s conversation dives into the realities of modern commercial management — from procurement and contracts to digital transformation and leadership in construction.
Through honest discussions with industry leaders, forensic planners, and forward-thinking QSs, Paul explores how the best commercial teams deliver profit, performance, and project certainty in a changing industry.
If you’re serious about mastering the commercial side of construction — this is where you build your advantage.
Own The Build
The Habit of Excellence – What Construction Can Learn from Army Leadership (EP 225)
In today’s episode, Paul is joined by Langley Sharp, former Head of the Centre for Army Leadership at Sandhurst, Commanding Officer of the Parachute Regiment, and now MD of Frontier Leadership.
With over 20 years’ experience leading teams in the British Army—including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan—Langley brings a rare and proven insight into how leadership really works under pressure. He’s also the author of the bestselling book The Habit of Excellence and today, he’s helping construction teams rethink how leadership shows up on site.
In this conversation, Paul and Langley discuss:
💥 Why construction often confuses leadership with management—and what the Army does differently
🧠 “Leadership is a role, not a position” – unpacking one of the most misunderstood ideas in team dynamics
🎯 Mission Command – how to brief better, empower your people, and stop micromanaging
🔗 Followership – the surprising secret to high-performing teams (and why it matters in chaotic construction environments)
🔐 Trust and culture – how elite teams build cohesion, resilience, and results
🏗️ Real-world advice for QSs, PMs, and Directors on becoming better leaders and followers
This one’s packed with leadership gold—whether you’re running a site, a team, or your own development business.
📩 If you'd like to read the two Own the Build eBooks based on 200+ episodes — Mastering Your Career in Quantity Surveying and The AI Revolution in Quantity Surveying — head to the show notes to download your free copy.
Download them here - Free eBook Downloads.
Want to connect with Paul?
Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com or through, C-Link.
C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.
Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here.
