Construcciones Yamaro: Building great construction leaders
Exploring the final chapter of her book, Dr Gretchen Gagel offers advice for construction leaders seeking to elevate their impact.
By Dr Gretchen Gagel.
I have had such fun sharing the highlights of my book, Building Women Leaders: A Blueprint for Women Thriving in Construction, in this year’s Inside Construction editorials. I am thrilled to know that men are also reading my book, an homage to your care for your own leadership and for the women in our industry.
The final portion of my book focuses on how we lead our industry. I believe my peers inducted me into the US National Academy of Construction in 2021 for this very reason: that in addition to my leadership position, I care deeply about our industry and seek out opportunities to contribute. This editorial is a perfect example – three years of taking the time to share my thoughts with you because I care about how we think strategically and make the construction industry better. You will find the following thoughts on leading the construction industry, and more, expanded upon in my book.
Love the industry. We know that this industry can create stress and heartache. We also know that we build and maintain the assets of civilisation. Without us, society would not have clean drinking water, refrigeration for food, beautiful museums or the homes we live in. We need to share our joy and passion for construction with others so that we receive the level of respect and appreciation we deserve. I advocate for our industry at every opportunity.
Take individual action. These can be big or small actions that improve our industry. After a recent keynote presentation about my book, a young man asked me how he could be an ally. I gave him three critical actions: when you see someone being spoken over in a meeting, point out that we might want to fully listen to their idea; after the meeting, thank that person for having the courage to share their idea; and privately point out to the person who spoke over them that you love their enthusiasm but they might be mindful of others’ voices in the room. Each action we take as leaders to support others improves our industry.
Raise your hand to lead. Leadership can be a thankless job, especially as you take on greater responsibility. It can also be incredibly gratifying to enable the success of others and see teams grow. I applaud those who take on responsibility and invest in their leadership skills, because this in turn leads to a better construction industry.
Join industry associations. When I moved to Australia I knew one person, Mark Bumpstead, who was then leading Quanta Services in Australia and was a former US client. Mark encouraged me to join the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association, where I delivered a paper on energy company–contractor alliances in the US just two weeks after arriving in Australia. The wonderful people of this association became my first “tribe” in Australia and remain some of my best friends to this day. Associations work hard to improve our industry, and they need your leadership.
Join groups working to change the industry. Years ago, I heard about the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT), a group dedicated to improving the culture of construction in Australia. The wonderful Gabrielle Trainor invited me to join. This group has rolled up its sleeves and made an incredible impact upon the Australian construction industry. It has been such a gift to contribute in a small way by sharing elements of similar efforts in the US.
Start a group to change the industry. Some may know that I have now started a global institute to help us attract, develop and retain women in construction – a passion I hope to share with you all in greater detail next year. I see an opportunity to support a bold, global conversation about how we accelerate the success of women in our industry. When you see an opportunity that no one is filling, do not be afraid to take it on.
Find like-minded people. Way back when I worked at FMI in the 1990s, I printed a large sign and posted it in my office that read “Wild Duck Congregate Here”. If someone who was a “wild duck” saw it, they immediately knew what it meant. Others were baffled. This sign made a statement about my desire to create change in the industry and helped me find others who shared my passion.
Engage in social media. We do not all need to be loud voices on social media, but finding and following people who care about the construction industry allows us to add our voices to theirs.
In the conclusion of my book, I speak about the importance of asking for help, an incredible strength of great leaders. Asking for help demonstrates our understanding that none of us has all the answers, and that we value others, their ideas and their great thinking. Our industry can use our help as leaders.
Hopefully, I have provided you with some ideas on how you can make an impact, not only via your individual contributions but also through your leadership of our industry.
Dr Gretchen Gagel, GAICD, founder and CEO of the International Institute for Women in Construction (www.womenthrivinginconstruction.org) is the former chair of Brinkman Construction (US) and a member of the Risk Committee for GHD Engineering, the National Academy of Construction (US), the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (AUS), and the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America National Culture of Care Committee. Gretchen is passionate about leading change in the construction industry and developing future leaders. You can hear more from Gretchen on Greatness Podcast and her book, Building Women Leaders: A Blueprint for Women Thriving in Construction, is available on Amazon. Find out more at gretchengagel.com
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