$.$ Leadership Styles

Implementing lean construction principles requires a cultural shift for the company and the

team members using it$.$ It is not a $$magic pill$$ or a $$silver bullet$$ that will solve all of the

problems overnight. It is an operating system that must be supported by the leadership

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throughout the organization. To be successful with lean construction, Forbes and Ahmed $($pp$.$

$133-134)$ suggest the following conditions should be in place:

$+$ A willingness to change is essential

$+$ A commitment to training and learning

$+$ A quality$-$oriented culture

$+$ A shared vision of all stakeholders

$+$ A commitment to reducing all forms of waste as defined as actions and$/$or processes

that do not add value

$+$ A commitment to cost and performance measures

$+$ A willingness to include design stages in the lean operating process

$+$ Collaborative relationships

$+$ Utilizing information technology to effectively manage the construction process and

sharing information between the parties

The implementation of the lean construction methodology represents a paradigm shift

for many owners, designers, contractors, and suppliers who have been accustomed to

traditional construction management processes. For the project leadership team, i$.$e$.$ project

managers, superintendents, foreman, etc. Forbes and Ahmed $($pp$.136-137)$ suggest their

fundamental style of leadership may need to change to be effective in an integrated team

approach to management.

The primary responsibilities of lean leaders are:

$+$ Ensure processes are running as designed

$+$ Improve processes

$+$ Empower and develop people

Attributes or characteristics of lean leaders are:

$+$ Practice servant leadership

$+$ Be willing to learn and able to teach

$+$ Enable and celebrate the successes of others

B$.$ Team Collaboration

This change in leadership style is necessary to support the use of collaboration in an

integrated team environment. Real collaboration exists when individuals$/$organizations

forming a project team work together to the mutual benefit of the entire project by achieving

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greater results than they could achieve by working independently. To help the team better

understand the results achievable through collaboration, your instructor will lead you through

the $$Survival on the Moon$$ simulation exercise.

Questions:

After completing the $$Survival on the Moon$$ simulation exercise be prepared to discuss the

following questions:

$1-1.$ What are the key points or lessons you learned from this activity?

a$.$ How did you score as an individual?

b$.$ How did your team score compare to your individual score? Why?