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
From Gun QS to Commercial Leader: The Habits That Matter Most - Question Time (EP 270)
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In this Own the Build Question Time episode, Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber, COO and Co-Founder of C-Link, to answer listener questions sparked by the recent Leadership Series featuring some of the UK construction industry’s leading Commercial Directors.
The conversation explores the consistent themes emerging from those leadership interviews — and what they reveal about how strong commercial leaders are actually built.
Paul and Chris discuss:
- why becoming a “gun QS” still matters before stepping into leadership;
- the importance of exposure, reps and difficult projects early in your career;
- how mentors and advocates often shape progression more than qualifications;
- why good commercial leaders create clear frameworks and guardrails for their teams; and
- how culture, payment practices and communication directly impact supply chain relationships.
The episode also tackles:
- simplifying contract administration at project level;
- how to reduce adversarial behaviours between contractors and subcontractors; and
- managing relationships on projects where commercial pressure is intense.
The underlying message is clear:
great commercial leadership is built through consistency, ownership, empathy and experience under pressure.
A practical and honest conversation for QSs, Commercial Managers and aspiring leaders looking to accelerate their development and build stronger teams.
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📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:
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.
