Binswanger Glass CEO Blake Hancock recently appeared on The Construction Leadership Podcast with host Bradley Hartmann. During their conversation, Blake and Bradley explored situational leadership and the importance of adapting perspectives and actions to build trust with others. Check out The Construction Leadership Podcast to hear the full discussion, or read the highlights below.
CEO Blake Hancock has over 25 years of global business executive experience in mid-size and Fortune 500 industrial manufacturing companies in the USA, China and Europe. Blake has visited over 40 different countries and lived all over the world. He has worked with teams in a variety of cultural backgrounds and has learned to adjust his leadership style and the way he develops trust in those around him.
“When I moved to China, the first thing I realized is that there are hardworking, smart people all over the world,” says Blake. “And then I became a better listener. You really have to pay attention to non-verbal communication with people.”
Blake notes the importance of carefully choosing your words, as even within the English language, misunderstandings can arise. “Having people repeat what you are asking them to do is good practice.”
“The idea that communication just cascades down, it doesn’t,” says Blake. “If you say something, it won’t immediately resonate with people. You have to say it again, and again in different forms, however the best form is face-to-face. There really is no replacement for face-to-face.”
Communication is also about building trust. “How can you build trust over an email,” asks Blake. “You can’t. You build trust face to face, talking to people. Right now, I’m doing a road show across all our location on Binswanger’s Core Values. I presented our Values a couple times in our Operations meetings, and then I’d go to different locations and I’d ask people one of our Values and there wouldn’t be a response. I know they were on the call. That’s when it hit me that I need to keep doing this again and again. And face-to-face is absolutely the best way. Zoom is better than an email. Being able to shake hands afterwards, to me, that is the most effective communication. But you have to use all forms of communication.”
“If I’ve made one consistent mistake it was not establishing trust fast enough,” shares Blake. “I’ve been the CEO of Binswanger Glass for two years and we didn’t have core values. We were working hard. We were doing all kinds of initiatives. But we didn’t have a system. We were talking about a few things but they were never established as a system.”
“If I really want others to believe in and live these values, I have to go in person,” says Blake. “I have to be their face to face. I have to keep on doing it. We must keep on sending a message and making sure people understand.”
Blake reveals that Binswanger is a different company. “Our first Value is to Do What Is Right For the Customer, Period. I don’t care if you’re in the office or on a job, do what is right for the customer. I happily tell people you do not have to call your boss. If you know what is right for the customer, if you screwed up on a job, you don’t need to ask permission. Fix it. Because if they call me, I’m going to fix it. So why create bureaucracy for our customers? Do what is right for the customer, period. I want them to hear it from my voice and my story behind it. And know that we’re really serious about this. It’s not just a pin-up on the wall.”
Blake tells his team to be thoughtful. “If an employee came to me tomorrow and said they just bought a Maserati so they could get to their customers faster, that’s not being thoughtful.”
“We want you to be thoughtful. If there is a major, major issue and you are really unsure about it, then call your boss. A lot of the times that they call their boss, they already know what to do and they already know what the boss is going to say. Let’s just try to cut those out first.”
If you hire someone to come into your home, what are your expectations? Blake wants his people to say what you’re going to do and do what you say. “Pick up the phone when a customer calls. And if something goes wrong, keep communicating. Be transparent. Good old-fashioned customer service. That is important. Give the same customer service that you expect in your own household. Treat everyone like they are a family member, because they are.”
Communicating in both English and Spanish is important to Blake. “My experience is when you try to relate to someone in their same language, that is a major builder of trust. It is meaningful to people. You are actively trying to bridge the gap to them and they recognize that and are thankful.”
When people are really comfortable with the situation they are in, Blake knows they will share their ideas. “The one thing I value about our business the most is every idea on the table. If we can make people more comfortable, more ideas will start pouring out and we’re going to create value. We have a continuous improvement initiative that is all about getting ideas on the table. In the first year, we had 70,000 hours saved.”
Blake’s continuous improvement objective is about getting ideas on the table and then working on them as a team.
“In a former life, I had an employee who told me I was the first person in 35 years that asked me what I thought. There are moments in life that change you. That was a moment that changed my life. It’s crazy that no one asked these people what they thought. I realized that I didn’t want to work for a company that didn’t want every idea on the table. I want people’s ideas.”
“We had a person come to us. He has CNC fabrication skills. He sought us out. He heard we were using our CNC equipment in ways that other people aren’t and came to us and asked for a job. We were really excited about that. He’s rocking right now.”
Blake feels the most common error is not taking the time to clarify. “The mistake that causes the most issues is not taking the time to build trust first. If you aren’t transparent, and you don’t tell everyone everything, people fill in the blanks negatively. We are very open about our financials, our communication. Everything is an open book. Anyone that wants to attend our Operations meetings is welcome to know the State of our Nation.”
Blake Hancock’s insights on leadership and communication provide a powerful reminder of the importance of adaptability, trust, and clarity in building strong teams and delivering excellence to customers. From emphasizing face-to-face interaction to fostering a culture where every idea matters, Blake demonstrates what it takes to lead with authenticity and purpose. His approach to empowering employees, establishing core values, and prioritizing trust lays the foundation for long-term success.
For team members at Binswanger Glass, these principles are more than just ideas—they’re part of the company’s DNA. By “doing what’s right for the customer, period” and creating a culture of safety for our families in an open, collaborative environment, there’s a clear call to action for all employees to take ownership, communicate transparently, and deliver extraordinary service as a team. Together, these efforts drive continuous improvement, innovation, and a shared vision for excellence.