Lack of training is hurting next generation of leaders, says CIOB

The research found that senior industry people cannot name influential leaders in construction - although most of them rated themselves as ‘above average’ or ‘excellent’ as leaders.

When asked who the most influential leader in the industry is, the most popular responses were either ‘none’ or ‘don’t’ know.

The only industry manager who got any recognition was Laing O’Rourke chief executive Ray O’Rourke.

CIOB’s chief executive Chris Blythe said: “From their own view they are not having their leadership skills improved in the right way. So we know there is a great deal of untapped leadership potential out there.”
He added: “Companies that employ them were not investing in any development of those skills or that potential.

“Part of the issue is not just recognition and development, but also removing organisational and cultural barriers.”

In 45 per cent of companies with more than 500 staff, a leadership strategy or succession plan does not exist and 18 per cent said that leaders are not being developed in any way.

Mr Blythe said: “Many companies are offering financial incentives to develop leadership and yet our leaders of tomorrow want to be inspired, they want access to new experiences including secondments and they want more training.”

The greatest barriers to people realising their potential were the lack of opportunity (25 per cent) and the culture of an organisation (24 per cent).

Garvis Snook, chief executive of Rok, told CN that poor leadership was down to the nature of the business.

He said: “I think leadership in the industry is in very short supply. It is fundamentally driven by a management ethos around managing and controlling people. There are very few people who seek to understand real leadership.”

Mr Snook said that the way the industry runs its processes held back leadership.

He said: “The industry is fundamentally process driven. Managing and trying to control people kills off entrepreneurialism, flair and innovation. Leadership frees people to maximise their potential.”

He added that lack of leadership does not only affect construction.
He said: “I don’t think our industry is wildly different to any other in the UK. As a science and art it’s not something that has been actively pursued.”

The CIOB singled out one respondent who said: “There is an absence of general management training and skills in the industry, with an over-emphasis on technical skills.

“Over the last 20 years the best potential leaders have been snapped up by other industries such as IT, telecoms, and financial services.
“We need to see more leadership programmes taking young talent and fast tracking them to leadership roles.”

Mr Blythe said: “It’s laudable that many in the industry want to get on with the job and not shout about it.

“But we need to recognise the competition from other industries that are eager to communicate their achievements. We don’t celebrate what we do best enough.”

He said that the lack of recognisable leaders may be to do with the industry’s history. He added: “We have moved from being a family owned industry to an international plc industry. Perhaps we have just not caught up following the demise of the family firm.”

The report said: “If the industry is to develop leaders of the future then construction must look to positively develop its working cultures and break down any organisational barriers that don’t recognise and provide opportunities for those that show leadership potential.”

Key findings

1 There were twice as many ‘none/don’t know’ answers for the question ‘who do you consider to be the most influential leader within the construction industry’ than second place Ray O’Rourke. He was followed by Sir Michael Latham, Sir John Egan and the Government.

2 Nelson Mandela was voted the greatest leader outside construction because of his integrity, vision and passion. He was followed by Sir Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Sir Winston Churchill and Baroness Margaret Thatcher.

3 People think that communication is the best skill they have as a leader, which got twice the number of mentions as being a decision maker or having integrity.

4 But they feel that not having enough time, not delegating enough and impatience are their three weakest qualities.

5 Only one per cent thought women had more of a chance to be leaders, 54 per cent thought men did and 45 per cent thought it was equal.