Learning Leadership Skills from Professionals in the Construction Industry

Organizational personnel must have well-developed interpersonal skills to deal with the different stakeholders and departments, to work at different levels in the hierarchy, and to meet varying performance requirements. Many leadership development and mentoring programs are designed to expose students as well as construction professionals to contemporary leadership techniques and skills. Leadership skills generally separate into three decision-making styles with varying degrees: 1) Autocratic, 2) Participate, and 3) Free-rein. This paper describes the study of leadership styles among 174 construction professionals and addresses the most appropriate leadership style for a project executive and a project manager in relation to compare with the characteristic leadership style and job functions. The study supports the growing importance of leadership skills as a component of managerial functions and provides a benchmark to identify a dominant leadership skill for a specific managerial position.