Building Women Leaders

A Blueprint for Women Thriving in Construction
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-394-25138-4
Verlag: Wiley

Buch, Englisch, 368 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 228 mm, Gewicht: 576 g

"In the decades I’ve known Gretchen, I have watched her grow and excel as a mother, a civic and business leader, and an influencer in the construction industry. We are so fortunate that Gretchen carved out the time to write this seminal book on women’s leadership and I am confident that all will benefit from the knowledge she shares. Gretchen is a remarkable leader and role model who cares deeply for the construction industry, and her passion for helping women thrive helps us build a more inclusive industry."
—Mary K. Rhinehart, Chair, Johns Manville Corporation.

Practical leadership guidance, inspiring stories, and actionable strategies for women and their male allies to elevate their careers in construction

Building Women Leaders: A Blueprint for Women Thriving in Construction is a guide to becoming a successful female leader in the construction, engineering, mining, and energy industries. Featuring real-world case studies, inspiring stories of successful women leaders, and actionable strategies, this book serves as a catalyst for transformation, enabling organizations to harness the untapped potential of their female talent and drive innovation and growth.

Leveraging the author’s 40-year industry career as a construction industry executive, female trailblazer, and advocate for women empowerment in the workplace, Building Women Leaders includes information on:

- Techniques for navigating a male-dominated industry, including understanding “dominant culture” and unconscious bias
- The qualities of successful leaders in these industries, including what it means to lead versus manage and how Grounded Self-leadership is critical to authenticity
- Guidelines for building strong relationships and leading a diverse team with confidence, courage, and humility
- Ways to handle difficult conversations and conflicts, and the role of trust and vulnerability in these situations
- How to build support via professional organizations, networking groups, and training and development opportunities for women leaders

Building Women Leaders is a timely, essential, up-to-date resource on the subject for leaders of all genders and at all levels and occupations in the engineering, construction, mining, and energy industries looking to harness the power of women in the workforce.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Gagel, Gretchen

Fachgebiete

• Technische Wissenschaften Bauingenieurwesen Bauingenieurwesen
• Technische Wissenschaften Bauingenieurwesen Baukonstruktion, Baufachmaterialien
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Bereichsspezifisches Management Management: Führung & Motivation

Inhaltsverzeichnis

About the Author xiii

Foreword by Janice L. Tuchman xv

Foreword by Hugh L. Rice xvii

Preface xix

Acknowledgments xxiii

Testimonials xxv

Introduction 1

Part I “Me” – The Lived Experience of the Construction Industry 7

1 Exploring Unconscious Bias and Dominant Culture 9

Introduction 9

The Lived Experience of Women in the Construction Industry 11

Understanding Unconscious Bias 14

Understanding Dominant Culture 19

Conclusion 23

References 24

Part II “Me” – Grounded Self-Leadership – Introduction 27

2 Defining Leadership and Your Leadership Aspirations 31

Introduction 31

Defining Leadership 33

Leadership Styles 34

Leadership Versus Management 36

Your Leadership Aspiration 41

Conclusion 43

References 43

3 Living Your Life Purpose and Value 45

Introduction 45

Personal Purpose 46

Personal Values 49

Conclusion 55

References 55

4 Feeling Courageous and Confident with Humility 57

Introduction 57

Belonging 58

Courage 60

Confidence with Humility 63

A Note on Imposter Syndrome 69

Conclusion 71

References 71

5 Thinking Critically, Learning, and Reflecting 75

Introduction 75

Utilizing Your Brain – Critical Thinking 76

Utilizing Your Brain – Learning and Curiosity 79

Utilizing Your Brain – Becoming Comfortable with Failure 82

Caring for Your Brain – Reflection 84

Caring for Your Brain – Creativity 87

Conclusion 89

References 90

6 Telling Your Leadership Story 93

Introduction 93

Having Voice 94

Your Leadership Brand 97

Storytelling 99

Conclusion 103

References 103

Part II “Me” – Grounded Self-Leadership – Conclusion 105

Part III “We” – The Supporting Cast – Introduction 107

7 Learning from Mentors, Sponsors, and Coaches 109

Introduction 109

Mentors 110

Sponsors 114

Coaches 117

Conclusion 120

References 121

8 Experiencing Allyship 123

Introduction 123

Defining Allyship 124

Woman-to-Woman Allyship 125

Male Allies of Women 128

Conclusion 132

References 133

9 Building Powerful Networks 135

Introduction 135

Your Industry Networks 136

Networking Outside of Your Industry 139

Conclusion 141

References 141

Part III “We” – The Supporting Cast – Conclusion 143

Part IV “We” – Building Strong Relationships – Introduction 145

10 Being Present, Listening, and Asking Great Questions 149

Introduction 149

Being Present 150

Listening 151

Asking Great Questions 153

Conclusion 156

References 157

11 Utilizing Power to Influence 159

Introduction 159

Defining Power and Influence 160

Regulating Our Power Level 163

Conclusion 165

References 166

12 Leveraging Emotional Intelligence 167

Introduction 167

Defining Emotional Intelligence 168

Emotional Self-Awareness 168

Emotional Self-Regulation 171

Emotional Social Awareness 174

Conclusion 175

References 176

13 Building Trust and Psychological Safety 179

Introduction 179

Defining Trust 180

Actions That Build Trust 183

Psychological Safety 186

Conclusion 189

References 190

14 The Three “C’s” – Communication, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution 193

Introduction 193

Communication 194

You as the “Sender” 194

Understanding the Receiver 198

Speaking in Public 200

Collaboration 202

Conflict Resolution/Negotiation 205

Salary and Benefit Negotiations 207

Conclusion 208

References 209

15 Clarifying Expectations and Providing Feedback 211

Introduction 211

Clarifying Expectations and Providing Direction 212

Providing Feedback 213

Conclusion 221

References 222

Part IV “We” – Building Strong Relationships – Conclusion 223

Part V “Us” – Leading and Influencing Teams and Organizations – Introduction 225

16 Defining Purpose, Goals, and Objectives 227

Introduction 227

Team/Organization Purpose 228

Team/Organization Goals and Objectives 230

Conclusion 233

References 234

17 Building Organization Culture and Values 237

Introduction 237

Defining Organization Culture 238

Measuring Organization Culture 245

Conclusion 246

References 246

18 Executing Strategies and Tactics 247

Introduction 247

Defining Strategies 248

Defining Tactics 251

Conclusion 254

References 254

19 Utilizing Team Norms and Social Contracts 255

Introduction 255

Defining Teams 256

High-Performing Teams 257

Conclusion 267

References 268

20 Attracting, Hiring, and Retaining Diverse Talent 271

Introduction 271

Attracting Diverse Talent 272

Hiring Diverse Talent into the Right Roles 275

Keeping the Right People 277

Selecting the Right Managers and Leaders 279

Conclusion 281

References 281

21 Creating Agile Teams and Organizations 283

Introduction 283

People and Change 284

Defining Organization Agility 286

Leader Behaviors that Support or Inhibit Organization Agility 291

The Role of Organization Ambidexterity in Organization Agility 296

Conclusion 298

References 299

Part V “us” – Leading and Influencing Teams and Organizations – Conclusion 301

Part VI “us” – Leading An Inclusive Construction Industry 303

22 Leading an Inclusive Construction Industry 305

Introduction 305

Individual Actions to Lead the Industry 306

Conclusion 319

References 319

Conclusion 321

Appendix A Construction Industry Leaders Interviewed for This Book 325

Appendix B Greatness Podcast Guests Included in This Book 327

Index 329

Über Autor(innen)

Gretchen Gagel, PhD, an influential leader in the construction industry, overcame discouragement from her father to study mechanical engineering and forge a successful executive career. She has advised some of the largest corporations on effective construction execution and in 2021 was inducted by her peers into the National Academy of Construction. The last chapter of Gretchen’s career is dedicated to driving inclusivity in the construction, engineering, mining, and energy industries as founder of Women Thriving in Construction: A Global Institute. In this book, Gretchen brings together research and insights from over 120 global thought leaders to empower women and their allies. She candidly shares personal experiences — balancing executive leadership with motherhood and caregiving — while providing actionable strategies to accelerate the success of women and transform workplace culture. Connect with Gretchen on LinkedIn or visit www.gretchengagel.com.