Servant Leadership in Civil Engineering: The Mindset Behind Lasting Impact

Key Concepts

• Servant Leadership: A leadership philosophy where the leader prioritizes the needs of their employees, customers, clients, and communities over their own or the organization's immediate gain. It emphasizes listening, empathy, inclusion, and empowering others.
• Lifelong Learning & Adaptability: The continuous pursuit of knowledge and skills to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world, fostering curiosity and the ability to adjust to new circumstances.
• Leading with Head and Heart: Balancing analytical, technical decision-making (head) with empathy, emotional intelligence, and consideration for people (heart).
• Inclusion and Belonging: Creating an environment where all individuals feel valued, respected, and have a voice, recognizing that diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes.
• Prioritization and Focus (80/20 Rule): Identifying and concentrating on the most critical tasks and initiatives that drive significant results, rather than getting bogged down by less impactful activities.
• Authenticity: Being genuine and transparent in leadership, which builds trust and credibility with teams.
• Generative Design & Digital Twins: Emerging technologies in the AEC industry that leverage AI for design optimization and predictive modeling for infrastructure management.

Servant Leadership in Practice

Lisa Robert, President and CEO of RSNH, defines servant leadership not as a self-imposed label but as a perception held by others. She explains that people see her actively prioritizing the needs of employees, customers, clients, and communities above her own or the organization's immediate gain. Trust is built through listening, empathy, and inclusive conversations. She also highlights her ability to balance short-term and long-term organizational outcomes.

Key Aspects of Servant Leadership as described by Lisa:

• Prioritizing Stakeholder Needs: Placing the well-being and success of employees, customers, clients, and communities at the forefront.
• Building Trust: Achieved through active listening, empathy, and involving individuals in decision-making processes.
• Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals: Strategically managing immediate needs while working towards sustainable future outcomes.
• Mentorship and Empowerment: Guiding and enabling individuals to reach their full potential.
• Authenticity: Being genuine and transparent, which fosters belief and buy-in from others. Lisa emphasizes that while adapting communication to the audience is necessary, fundamental authenticity is key.

Career Journey and Leadership Evolution

Lisa Robert's career journey, spanning over 35 years in the AEC industry, is characterized by a non-linear path and a willingness to embrace new challenges.

Key Milestones and Learnings:

• Early Career in Construction: Starting with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Lisa gained hands-on experience in construction, wearing safety gear and working on-site. This phase instilled a deep appreciation for the stewardship of taxpayer dollars and the importance of safety for both the public and construction workers. The fast-paced nature of construction accelerated her learning curve.
• Transition to Private Sector: Moving to a privately-owned company, she took on various roles, including COO, and led the establishment of a new operational base in Florida. This role provided an opportunity to step back from direct work and focus on establishing company-wide guidelines and procedures, a significant learning and growth experience.
• Joining RSNH: Fifteen years ago, Lisa joined RSNH, a firm with approximately 2,000 employees and a national footprint. She served as COO before her recent appointment as CEO. Her move to RSNH was driven by the opportunity for career growth and the high levels of integrity and quality of the people at the company.
• Embracing the Unknown: Lisa describes her career progression as a series of "bands of time" where she leaned into learning new things. She candidly admits to taking positional steps back at times and moving away from familiar areas (like construction management) to embrace new responsibilities, even when it was "terrifying." Her approach has been to "raise her hand" and step into organizational needs rather than solely pursuing personal aspirations, leading to sideways moves and exposure to unfamiliar territories, fostering the ability to "succeed and fail gracefully."

Navigating Leadership Challenges: The "Gray" Areas

A significant leadership challenge Lisa identifies is the transition from relying on black-and-white, technical solutions to navigating the "gray" areas of decision-making.

Phases of Leadership and the Expanding "Gray":

• Early Career: Heavily reliant on "rule books," plans, and specifications, with a focus on right/wrong, black/white thinking.
• Mid-Career: Increased awareness of the "width of that gray" in decisions, requiring consideration of technical, social, and people-related impacts.
• Later Career: A conscious effort to balance leading with the "head" (analytical) and the "heart" (empathy, emotional intelligence). This often involves situations where these two aspects may conflict.

Core Principle: Lisa reminds herself that her job is to make the best decision for the entire organization, not just for an individual. This 35-year journey of learning and reflection has shaped her understanding of balanced leadership.

Essential Traits for Civil Engineering Leaders

Lisa emphasizes lifelong learning and adaptability as crucial traits for civil engineers aspiring to be effective leaders and add value.

Key Qualities and Mindsets:

• Lifelong Learning: A continuous commitment to acquiring new knowledge and skills. Lisa dedicates about an hour daily to reading articles and staying informed.
• Curiosity: An acceptance of the world's rapid changes and a drive to understand them. This is a core value at RSNH.
• Adaptability: The ability to adjust to evolving circumstances and industry trends.
• Humility and Vulnerability: Recognizing that one doesn't always have the answers and being willing to seek support and perspectives from others. This encourages others to engage more actively.
• Reflection: Regularly assessing what has been learned, both from successes and failures, and using that knowledge for improvement. Lisa practices this at home by asking her children, "What did you learn today?"

Practical Application: By consistently learning and staying curious, engineers can identify emerging trends and proactively adapt, preventing themselves from falling behind. This also extends to personal growth, acknowledging when one is wrong and seeking help.

Technology and Emerging Practices in AEC

The AEC industry is undergoing significant transformation driven by technology, particularly in response to a dwindling pipeline of graduating engineers.

Key Technological Trends and Game Changers:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is seen as a critical component in filling the talent gap.
  • Generative Design: Options that speed up design outcomes.
  • Digital Twins: Used for predictive modeling, forecasting efficiency, outcomes, and lifecycles, moving beyond incremental changes.
• 3D Construction: Advancements in additive manufacturing for construction.
• Automated Construction Equipment: Increasing use of automation, especially given the shortage of skilled labor.

Speed of Adaptation: Lisa notes that while these concepts have been discussed for a while, the speed of adaptation is likely to increase.

Importance of Professional Engineering Licensure: Despite technological advancements, Lisa stresses the continued importance of professional engineering licensure to uphold responsibility to the public and maintain industry credibility. Human judgment, informed by real-world experiences (like understanding safety's importance), remains critical.

Fostering Inclusion and Belonging

Lisa advocates strongly for inclusion, stemming from her personal experiences of feeling like an outsider in her early construction career.

Why Inclusion is Vital:

• Business Imperative: Recognizing that diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes for clients, communities, and the company.
• Leveraging Different Perspectives: Actively seeking out and valuing the unique experiences and insights of all individuals.
• Creating a Safe Space: Finding ways to encourage contributions from those who may be hesitant to speak up, without putting them on the spot.
• Rewarding Curiosity: Explicitly acknowledging and appreciating questions and new ideas, even if the leader doesn't have an immediate answer. This demonstrates vulnerability and encourages others.
• Building Lifelong Careers: In a time of reduced workforce, cultivating an inclusive environment is crucial for retaining employees and fostering their long-term career development within the organization.

Practical Strategies:

• Invite Perspectives: Continuously encourage diverse viewpoints in conversations.
• Listen and Acknowledge: Even if an immediate "yes" isn't possible, making individuals feel heard and their input considered builds trust.
• Show Vulnerability: Admitting when you don't know something can empower others to step forward.
• Focus on "Associates": RSNH refers to all employees as "associates," signifying a sense of partnership and shared purpose.

Final Advice for Civil Engineering Leaders

Lisa's final piece of advice for civil engineering leaders is to focus on the important things and prioritize with clarity.

Key Takeaways for Lasting Impact:

• Simplicity and Focus: While seemingly simple, it's easy to get caught in daily whirlwinds. Tie actions back to the company's strategy and vision.
• Alignment with Core Values: Act in a manner consistent with the organization's core values. These should serve as guiding lights for decisions.
• Consistency and Continuity: This approach fosters consistency and continuity within teams, enabling them to learn and mobilize effectively.
• The 80/20 Rule: Concentrate limited time and energy on initiatives that drive meaningful outcomes. Identify what truly matters and avoid distractions.
• Asking Critical Questions: When evaluating tasks, ask: "Does anything actually break if we don't do this?" or "What's the worst thing that could happen, and am I okay with that?" This helps in prioritizing and avoiding unnecessary work.

The conversation concludes with an appreciation for the wisdom shared, emphasizing the importance of synthesizing these insights for personal and organizational growth.