Taking on additional responsibilities may seem like an added burden to the day to day responsibilities of running a contracting business, but dividends will appear in the form of smoothly run projects and pleased owners. General contractors equipped with these leadership skills are fast gaining an advantage in the marketplace over ordinary contractors. In times past, architects were the prime candidates for filling leadership roles, but architects have relegated themselves to a position of reacting to assignments instead of giving them and it is rare to see an architect lead out. If we step back and look at the structure of organization in a construction project we see that the owner hires the contractor for his resources, technical and management expertise. The fortunate customer gets a General Contractor that also understands sound leadership principles and can covertly train the customer on how to lead if the need is there.
Contractors have the most to lose if there is poor leadership.
Compensation and recognition for this extra effort may not be immediate, but should come in the form of a smoothly run project. Remember the captain of the ship must know his destination, resources and capabilities in order to begin his journey. The captain may have the best and most efficient crew in the ocean but if he sails to the wrong island, what does it matter. This section provides a background and explores the importance of implementing sound leadership principles from the top down. All rights reserved.