Engineering Inc. - November/December 2019 - 33

STACY BARTOLETTI
CHAIRMAN, COUNCIL OF AMERICAN
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS (CASE)
CHAIRMAN AND CEO
DEGENKOLB ENGINEERS

prominence in the project hierarchy.
"Leaders need to get out from under the
business model we built for ourselves
where we are not the leaders on projects,"
Bartoletti says. "The shift is imperative if
we want to move up the food chain and
be paid for the value we provide."
An effective leader must also be open
to new technology, noted Goodmonson.
"I do not need to be the first to adopt
new tech tools, but the rate of change of
technology is just staggering," he says.
Therefore, firms must keep up with
technology trends or risk getting too
far behind. They must also evaluate the
right time to implement new technology
without overwhelming staff or the
balance sheet.
In today's workplace, leaders must also
work hard to narrow the generational
divide, says Peterson. "Younger

to work 50 to 70 hours a week. Now it
is about quality of life. Also, millennials
are so bright, and they want to be
working on fun, innovative projects," he
says. "At my firm, we are big believers in
train, empower, trust, and get out of the
way. Give them that opportunity and do
not hold them back."
Other coalition leaders emphasize
that most important leadership qualities
are not new. "You have to get along
with people, pay attention to your
clients and staff," Truman says. "You
have to attract the best staff, give them
interesting things to work on, and be a
motivator."
Added Lloyd, "The ability to
eliminate confusion and articulate
a clear message is a great leadership
attribute. A clear vision keeps everyone
pulling in the same direction."

Stacy Bartoletti

Bill Lloyd

Larry Truman

work in other regions of the country
remain steady to strong, as well,
according to Truman.

"A clear vision keeps
everyone pulling in the
same direction."

All leaders agree that ACEC
Coalitions can be a valuable resource
in helping member firms navigate
opportunities and challenges ahead
while providing an important peer-topeer environment to share information
and concerns, says Murello. "Members
want to be the best engineers, firms, and
leaders in their specialized field. They
are people who want to know what is
coming down the pipe. People involved
in coalitions really want to make a
difference, not just in their firms, but in
the industry itself." n

"It is exciting particularly
for younger staff to
be involved in what
is happening with
technology on both
the delivery of projects
and the software that
is being used to share
information, modeling,
analysis, and design."

LEADING ATTRIBUTES

Coalition leaders also agree that taking
full advantage of future opportunities
require decision-makers who can
proactively identify and react to the
rapidly changing demands of the
industry.
"We need leaders that can delegate
their daily responsibilities and focus on
where the market is going short-term-
three to six months-and long-term-
three to five years," Gemayel says.
They must also look to increase their

BILL LLOYD, CHAIR-ELECT
SMALL FIRM COUNCIL (SFC)
PRESIDENT
GREAT WEST ENGINEERING

generations have some different values
from the baby boomers. You need to
have an appreciation of how different
people fit together to have the best
recipe for firm success."
Building an inviting culture is equally
important noted Wolverton. "We used

Stacy Collett is a business and technology
writer based in Chicago.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019

ENGINEERING INC.

33
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - November/December 2019
