The Future is Now, with Gary Bridgewater

Wise leaders have their eyes on the future of the companies they lead. Exceptional leaders prioritize the development of future leaders now. 

One such leader, Gary Bridgewater, CEO at Baker Group, says this:  “I want to look at this company at some point, and I actually want to have a twinge of jealousy about how good they're doing.” Gary has prioritized leadership development that aims at WHO a leader is. He has put energy, time, and money toward developing Others Focused and Inwardly Sound leaders—including himself.

In this episode you will hear about the foundation that was laid at a young age for Gary, how he prioritizes the future of Baker by developing leaders now, and the work that he is currently engaged in to become an even more exceptional leader.

 

Show Notes

Transcript of the episode

In this episode you’ll Hear:

  • Considering the future helps companies prioritize leadership development today.

  • How Baker prioritized developing WHO their leaders are.

  • Being Inwardly Sound can further enable a leader’s capacity to be Others Focused

Things to listen for:

[2:21] About Gary
[6:24] Gary’s history at Baker
[9:37] What led to Baker’s high value for investment in leadership and culture
[15:10] The role of worldview in leadership
[19:31] How organizations go after developing WHO their leaders are
[25:20] A construction industry countercultural leadership model
[29:21] How the last 10 years have progressed and Baker’s succession plan
[33:59] Developing Inwardly Sound leaders
[35:47] Tim’s Take

Additional Resources

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn
Connect with Gary on LinkedIn
Connect with The Aperio
The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, by Stephen M. R. Covey
Gary’s Diagram [attached]
Enneagram
Armon, Cheryl & Dawson, Theo. (1997). Developmental Trajectories in Moral Reasoning Across the Life Span. Journal of Moral Education - J MORAL EDUC. 26. 433-453. 10.1080/0305724970260404.

About GAry . . .

Gary is a University of Northern Iowa graduate, starting with Baker Group right out of college in 1985. For 38 years, he believes very strongly that success only comes when all of the stakeholders on the project are also successful. This philosophy drives our support of the entire construction team with cost-effective design, thorough pre-construction planning, and intense jobsite schedule coordination. He also plays an important role in business development and is an active leader in the community.