LEADERSHIP IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

“CHANGING THE FRAMEWORK FOR LEADERSHIP IN THE

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY”

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND GOVERNANCE, ATENEO DE DAVAO

UNIVERSITY
CODE: 11-128: IGNATIAN LEADERSHIP FOR MANAGERS AND
ENTREPRENEURS
ROAWIE QUIMBA
June 25, 2021
 Newton, S (2008) Changing the framework for leadership in the construction industry.
In: Dainty, A (Ed) Procs 24th Annual ARCOM Conference, 1-3 September 2008, Cardiff, UK,
Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 433-442. The article seeks to examine
the growing frustration in the management literature with a conception of effective leadership
and to introduce an alternative framework conceived around leadership as an activity: adaptive
leadership.
The article uses the term adaptive leadership and defines it as a kind of leadership that
helps people, organizations and societies and face up to their truly important challenges - the
wicked, intractable, tough challenges that define our human condition.
In the traditional theories of leadership, the article discussed that situationalist framework
had an incredible impact on leadership research, not least because it was simple to understand
and ostensibly simple to teach and apply. More substantially, the focus on the situation first
highlighted the significance of how leaders deal with the people being influenced: the 'followers'.
Furthermore, adaptive leadership was being emphasized and believed to be the type of
leadership that takes the view that relationships inescapably are both reciprocal and emergent.
Research by Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky at Harvard University formed the basis for Adaptive
Leadership.

Recurring problems
Every organization is confronted with persistent, recurring problems. They often fall back on
obvious solutions such as applying new technologies, recruiting experts or improving
(communication) processes.

In most cases, this is done in a hierarchical way with the top layer of management being
responsible for finding the right solutions. An adaptive challenge allows problems to be
identified more accurately and involves the entire organisation in the search for possible
solutions.

Adaptive Leadership can help when there are no easy solutions available. It's a critical
skill for anyone looking for systematic changes in an increasingly complex world. Adaptive
leaders learn to control the context through experiments. It is a practice for helping mobilize
members of an organization or community to adapt to significant change. It emphasizes the
importance of adaptation to a complex and rapidly changing environment, and focuses on
creating the circumstances for good leadership and problem solving

Leadership is important in all fields of human endeavor and has been identified as one of
the factors that contribute to construction organization success. To achieve the company’s
organizational goals and promote individual professional achievement, effective leadership is a
must. The leadership role is critical for the smooth running of an organization. Without strong
leadership, the organization may lose its direction, in particular when trying to achieve its goals
and objectives.
 Overall, I found the article interesting and relevant to my current job. Being in the
construction industry, which is one of the most costly and risky industries, and also technically
demanding and commonly involves long time frames, having an experienced and dedicated
leader is a must. Of course, there will always be ups and downs, and there will be obstacles along
the way. Learning to lead in effectively is a challenge that comes with huge demands and
expectations. The challenge for any leader will be to avert conflict even when it is clear that
different parties have underlying interests that compete with one another. Balancing the technical
abilities and leadership skills should also be considered. It’s not enough to lead by example or
simply provide answers that everyone must follow. Rather, great leaders encourage their teams
to come up with their solutions and share their ideas so they can perform at the highest level. In
other words, it’s about influencing people rather than attempting to control them. Additionally,
team work is hugely important in the construction industry because of the inter-disciplinary
nature of the work, and the fact that members of the broader team work for many different
companies. After all, a team isn’t going to win if the different team members have different
agendas. But streamlining processes and automating repetitive tasks will definitely have a
positive impact.
 Newton, S (2008) Changing the framework for leadership in the construction industry.
In: Dainty, A (Ed) Procs 24th Annual ARCOM Conference, 1-3 September 2008, Cardiff, UK,
Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 433-442