Let’s set the scene. You are approached by your supervisor, who says management feels you are doing very well. You have the respect of the rest of the crew and are ready for a leadership role. The question becomes, what does that look like? What do you look like as a leader? 

Key leadership styles and traits 

If you are given the opportunity to prove yourself as a leader, it is likely because you are good at your job and someone saw potential in you. But before you can be an effective leader, there are some key leadership styles and traits to identify. 

In my opinion, two distinctive styles of leadership stand out: transformational and transactional leaders. A transformational leader inspires and motivates the team to innovate and work toward the goal. This usually results in high-performing teams with high morale. 

A transactional leader focuses more on structured goals and rewards. This type of leadership style emphasizes clearly defined roles and performance metrics. Everyone knows the part they play, what needs to be accomplished and what is expected. Things are more black and white.

Regardless of which type of leadership you choose to practice, below are a few traits all good leaders possess:

• Professionalism—We should carry ourselves as professionals, from the way we talk (profanity is not necessary every other word) to the way we dress (consider wearing a shirt with a collar and buttons and a clean pair of khaki pants or jeans).
• Compassion/empathy—Remember that we were once in our employees’ shoes. Understand that everyone is at different levels of experience.
• Knowledge—Know the project and process for what you are trying to accomplish. As leaders, it is not necessary to have all the answers, but we must be willing to do some research and find them.
• Dependability—A good leader strives to do what they say they will do.
• Motivation—Be the person your team can look up to when times get tough.
• Problem-solving—Be creative with solutions to problems, especially with more complex projects with shorter completion times. Think of them as chances for excellence.
• Accountability—Leaders hold the overall accountability for a project’s results (whether good or bad). We also hold individual team members accountable for their portion of the work.

Key leadership skills 

One of the most important skills—and often the most neglected—in leadership is communication. When communicating, be clear and concise. Make things as black-and-white as possible, eliminating gray areas. Provide expectations of what you want your team to do and what they can anticipate from you. 

Speak simply and directly, but read the room. You may speak differently to a room full of engineers, project managers and company owners than to your crew out in the field, but each group deserves your forethought, tact and clarity. 

Planning is another important skill for any leader, as we are the ones that need to come up with the game plan. But before we can do that, we must be proficient with our project. This means having a thorough understanding of the project drawings, specifications and project schedule. Study the construction documents in detail, write down any questions that may require some explanation and start building a picture in your head of how this project will be coming together based on the schedule.

Leaders must also be proficient in mentorship and delegation. We were given an opportunity to prove ourselves by being good at our jobs, so we have the responsibility to pass on those learned skills to those who will be working for us. It is important that our crews see that we honestly care about their career development and are willing to take the necessary steps to help get them to the next level. 

You can think of it as preparing them for their chance at a leadership role. Part of that process is delegation. Let them be responsible for certain portions of the project. Start small in the beginning so they do not get overwhelmed or are set up to fail. Delegation also has an added benefit of freeing up some time, allowing you to focus on other tasks.

Collaborative decision-making 

One thing to consider as a leader is the significant amount of resources we can use in our decision-making process(es). First, we should be using our direct team’s input. They are the ones actually performing the work and can see things from different perspectives than we can, and we need to factor in their thoughts and ideas. We do not necessarily have to move forward with their ideas, but need to at least look at them as alternate methods.

Don’t overlook peer input. Most of us have a much larger peer group than we realize. Just consider how many people you know and how many years of experience they have. If you are unsure of something, ask one of them. There is a good chance that someone has run into the same scenario before and can help you make an informed decision.

However, if you consistently go to one person for answers to every question, you may be perceived as less capable or confident. To avoid that pitfall, try to spread your questions out among your entire group. As a bonus, you’ll get to learn from their different leadership styles and points of view. 

Another way to use peer input is by seeking feedback for your ideas. Identify the problem, research possibilities and come up with a solution on your own. Then go to your peers, lay out the problem and the solution and ask, “Here is what I came up with. What do you think?” 

Industry professionals 

In speaking with some of my own peers, several of whom have had a huge effect on me as a leader, several themes about leadership emerged. First, becoming a good leader can be summed up in two words: expectations and culture. Set expectations early, both what you want from your crew and what you will do, and then follow up to make sure things are done correctly. Newer leaders tend to not follow up, and it’s essential. 

Set up the culture you want on your job site(s) early. This culture should establish the “what we are doing” and the “why we are doing it.”

My peer group also pondered whether everyone is capable of being a leader, and, in truth, it depends on the personality. If the person is a straight shooter with a get-it-done type of attitude, they can grow into a leadership role with mentorship and learning over time. 

Take notes on your projects about what was and was not successful, how the team worked, etc., and then compile them in a sort of personal database or how-to manual that you can refer back to. 

Another point that several of my peers brought up is that leaders improve over time. It is a learning process. We won’t get things right every time. But we learn just as much from mistakes as we do with our successes. This is also true with the crews that work for us. We learn what makes them tick, how they handle situations and how they react to us as leaders. 

Leadership is more of a journey than a single destination. As leaders, having knowledge about a project is not enough. It is about inspiring employees to think as professionals and supporting them in getting the work done. Yes, we will need some specific traits and skills, but being a leader is also about guiding others to achieve their goals. Being a good leader takes practice and career-long learning and refining. Remember this: leadership is a marathon, not a sprint, and great leadership is built up brick by brick over time.

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