Practical leadership guidance, inspiring stories, and actionable strategies for women and their male allies to elevate their career 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.
“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.
With deep industry insights and practical guidance, this invaluable resource equips female construction professionals and allies of female empowerment in the workplace with strategies to navigate challenges in an evolving diversity landscape; develop essential leadership skills such as effective communication, negotiation, team-building, and fostering psychological safety; lead teams through change; build strong relationships and networks with clients, partners, and stakeholders; understand and make use of branding techniques; leverage mentorship, and sponsorship guidance, and make informed decisions and contribute to the financial success of projects and companies.
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: A Blueprint for Women Thriving in Construction 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: A Blueprint for Women Thriving in Construction 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.
About the Author
Gretchen describes herself as "just a girl from Kansas" who overcame a father who discouraged her from studying engineering and became a successful executive in the construction industry. Her 2018 doctorate in leadership, organization culture, and agility, combined with her recent work in developing women leaders, fueled her passion for writing this book and founding Women Thriving in Construction-A Global Institute. Gretchen candidly shares personal stories of the challenges of juggling motherhood and aging parent caregiving while holding significant leadership positions. Also included are the stories and research of over 120 global thought leaders. This book helps us all be better leaders and build more inclusivity in the construction, engineering, mining, and energy industries while accelerating the success of women.
