How Growing Up in a Household of Women Shapes a General Contractor’s Leadership

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

In a world where men often dominate construction sites, Chance Raser, Partner and Vice President of Estimating, Heavy Civil Division at Haydon, uses his experience living in a household full of women to shape an inclusive approach to leadership. With his two daughters, Brinley and Bitty (ages 11 and 8), his wife of 15 years, Whitney, Chance has learned invaluable lessons about empathy, collaboration, and the importance of diverse perspectives—principles that not only guide his family life, but also his professional philosophy.

He said light-heartedly about his home life, “First and foremost, I realize I’m always wrong. If somebody’s wrong, it’s always me. If I start picking on one of them, they all gang up on me.”

As a father and husband, he navigates the complexities of communicating with others  who don’t always see things the way he does. His daughters, both of whom are involved in dance, gymnastics, and ballet, offer him perspectives which challenge him to think differently.

“Having kids in general is enlightening,” he shares. “You have to figure out how to explain things when I have a concrete understanding in my head of what I’m trying to say. It’s made me aware I can come off harshly.”

Having two daughters has taught him the importance of listening to different perspectives, especially in a male-dominated industry where women are often in the minority.

“Women in construction sometimes have a harder time because they are so few and far between,” he said. “But I would like to think if my girls wanted to go into construction, they would have an opportunity to do that and they would be welcomed.”

It’s about creating a work environment celebrating different experiences.

“The variance in all of that makes good teams and companies better because you’re not as narrow minded,” he said. “It’s about mutual respect for each other.”

At home, he loves to build and create. Whether it’s a school project with his daughters or a full-on kitchen renovation, he’s always eager to involve them in the process.

“They want to be out there with me,” he said about Brinley and Bitty working with him on woodworking in the garage. “So I set them up with a little workstation where they can tinker and mess around with whatever they want.” Even the dreaded task of sanding—which most woodworkers love to hate—has become a family affair. “I tried to get them to help me sand the new kitchen center island because everyone in woodworking hates sanding,” he recalls, laughing. “They quickly realized they also hate sanding.”

Leadership for Haydon isn’t just about getting the job done—it’s about getting the job done together. “Collaboration, teamwork, and compromise are a big thing,” he said. “If you can build a positive work culture focusing on collaboration and mutual respect, everyone benefits,” he shared.

“We all have preconceived notions. You should put yourself in someone else’s perspective. Just like I teach my daughters, it’s about accepting people for who they are. Differences in perspective and information make good teams. Embracing a multi-division company culture is what we do. If the Building division approaches a project differently than the Civil division, no one is right or wrong. It’s about marrying different approaches and having mutual respect. Haydon excels at that.”

And while he might joke about always being “wrong” at home, his leadership style is grounded in the recognition that learning from others, challenging assumptions, and promoting inclusivity are the keys to success, both on the job site and in life.