Frank Crowe – Maker of Miracles

Frank Crowe had always dreamed of building dams but not just any dam, he desired to build the biggest dam possible, one that would be a climax to his career in civil engineering. After 20 years of working with the Reclamation Service, he got his chance when the US government decided to build the Hoover dam on the border of California and Nevada. All the pieces of his dream came together on March 4, 1931 when his company awarded him the "Project Manager" role for the project.

Mr. Crowe’s leadership and ingenuity abounded on the construction site where he was known as “Hurry Up Frank”. His civil engineering skills helped him invent innovation methods for delivering concrete and moving equipment around the job site. His leadership skills helped him drive a workforce to complete the project two years ahead of schedule. In 1936 when the project was completed, the dam was the largest concrete structure in the world and helped fuel Franklin Roosevelt’s PR machine for his public works projects.

What was it about Frank Crowe that helped him be a successful leader with a construction project of this magnitude? According to some of his friends and close associates, Frank was fair-minded, possessed superior human understanding, a good sense of humor and was known for integrity. But what about the thousands of workers on the worksite, would they have the same opinion?

This question is an interesting one because it really does depend on who you ask. According to some accounts, he was a great leader. In fact, many men followed him from construction project to construction project because they liked working for him. One of these men, Saul Wixom commented “One thing he knew was men”. His comment referred to Mr. Crowe’s ability to understand different temperaments and how to treat each one appropriately.
Mr. Crowe also had another character trait which was his tireless effort on the worksite. While he had many administrative tasks he needed to complete, he was often on the job site reviewing process and walking the construction area. It was not unusual to see him on the job site at 2 A.M. His interest, passion and leadership on the worksite very likely provided motivation to the men who worked in the 120+ degree weather.

Other accounts might also explain why he was respected as a leader. His ability to remember everyone by name was noteworthy. According to Bob Parker, another construction worker, commented “His workmen, he knew them by their first name, nearly every one of them….”. Being the project manager and remembering everyone in some personal sense showed that he at least recognized you on the site.

Mr. Crowe was trustworthy as well. According to some accounts, he was true to his word. If he told you he was going to do something, he would follow through, regardless of the effort it told for him to fulfill the promise. While he did and said many things his workers did not like, they did know that he was a man of his word.

In fact, it is interesting that Mr. Crowe’s honesty and ability to be straightforward with his workers caused many of them to create a somewhat personal bond with him. This bond caused many of the workers to expect his support early in the project when a labor strike occurred. They assumed he would back them when the strike occurred over substantial cuts in worker wages. Instead, Mr. Crowe fully supported the company stance and took the stance that workers who did not want to work should quit and other workers would be hired. In fact, Mr. Crowe took a very strong stand and publicly denounced the strike as an action by a few who would be considered agitators.

While he did not back the workers, the good will he had previously built was a foundation for an eventually end to the strike and workers returned to the work site. His gamble with the workers did work, whether one would call that approach good leadership or not.

Finally, Mr. Crowe has been heralded for his accomplishments through his own work and the work of his workers. The story is not complete though. Mr. Crowe will also be remembered for running a construction site where 76 men died on the worksite. His work site included environments where men had to work in tunnels that had little ventilation and high levels of gas. His work site was known for clearly breaking laws and ignoring mining regulations to meet construction timelines. His work site included the knowledge that if you ever crossed Mr. Crowe, he would never forget it. Finally, his work site was known for taking advantage of the depressed economic times and cutting already low wages in order to increase the company profits.

Yes, we must acknowledge the accomplishments of Frank Crowe for leading the construction of the Hoover Dam. The acknowledgement will likely always be tempered with qualifications such as the ones mentioned above. The moral of the story is that it does matter “how” one reaches accomplishments, it is not just the “what”.

This article used two websites as sources of information. These sites include posts on the ezine website (http://ezinearticles.com/?Remarkable-Project-Managers---Frank-Crowe&id=2935432) and the civil engineering website First 100 (http://www.1st100.com/part1/crowe.html).

Learning From Another Generation

When leaders think of mentoring programs, they usually think of older workers mentoring younger, less experienced workers. Traditional mentoring programs are used to help young high potentials in developing the business and management skills needed in their future corporate endeavors.

But some companies are beginning to think of mentoring as occurring in more than one direction. What about those skills that younger, less experienced workers can teach to older generations? This question is one that comes by thinking outside the box and needs some attention by the leaders of today. What if leaders began to see that learning could occur in both directions, including younger workers teaching older workers what they know. Its time to wake up and see the value that all workers bring, both young and old.

One primary example involves computer skills and how computers can be used for corporate growth. According to a recent article in the Richmond Times Dispatch, several examples were provided where young workers were either leading or helping to lead their companies in learning how to market products and services through social media internet sites. In one example, an executive leader was so impressed with the ideas and leadership an intern provided in this area, a permanent full-time position is being offered when the intern graduates. Apparently, this executive leader understood the value of inputs offered by this 21 year old and was open to their suggestions.

Another example is the area of corporate benefit offerings. Human Resource benefit groups can learn valuable information from their young workers concerning the value of various benefits to the younger population. The key is the ability to listen to this subset of the organization and understand personal needs will be different. One size does not fit all when dealing with different populations within your organization.

Regardless of the application, one can not deny the value of mentoring. Leaders need to ensure they understand learning can occur in non-traditional ways. Clearly, the point is simple, don’t forget that mentoring can take place between younger workers and older workers. Leaders must think outside the box to get the full value of the mentoring process.

This article was inspired from a recent article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch (Marte, Jonnelle. Mentor Your Boss, Richmond Times-Dispatch, October 25,2009, p. D5).

Leadership Comes in Many Forms

When thinking of leadership, most think of business leaders who are responsible for leading subordinates to make a product or provide a service. Actually, leaders come in many forms with goals beyond any commercial concern. So, is the example of David Robertson, music director of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Through his approach to leadership, he has acquired the commitment of his players and is building a lasting reputation of excellence for this group. It is clear the fruits of his labor are many including comparisons between his orchestra and symphonies in much larger cities such as New York and Chicago. In fact, his name has been mentioned when openings occur for such groups as the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

What makes this conductor such a good leader and example? When learning more about Mr. Robertson, several key traits and characteristics are noteworthy and appear attributable to his success.

First, he has a burning commitment to his orchestra. This commitment can be seen in a most recent quote, “I’ve never looked at anything I do as a steppingstone to someplace else”. It is clear that he is not looking for the next big thing but values his current relationship and focuses his attention on that relationship. I believe his players can sense that commitment and focus and in turn, provide it back to him.

Second, Mr. Robertson values player’s creativity and allows them to express it through their work. This ability to value creativity drives a deeper commitment from those being lead and allows them to feel as if they are part of the process rather than simple order takers.

Third, this conductor sees inspiration as coming from the composer, the musicians and the audience. It is interesting that when he addresses the topic of inspiration, he doesn’t mention his role as conductor. One would think the conductor would brag about the level and type of inspiration that he brings. Not the case with Mr. Robertson. In fact, he sees his job as reflecting and refracting these inspirations in a manner to bring out the best in all of them. Apparently, his focus is on others and optimizing their abilities rather than promoting his own.

As I mentioned earlier, David Robertson’s role as conductor of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra has something to show everyone interested in the topic of leadership. His commitment, ability to value creativity and focus on others are three valuable lessons in learning about effective leadership.

While I’ve never met Mr. Robertson, I can only imagine the level of commitment he has spurred in the players in the Saint Louis ensemble. May we learn something from this conductor beyond the realm of musical excellence.

This blog entry was based on a Wall Street Journal article published Wednesday, November 4, 2009 (David Mermelstein, The Conductor Reflects, Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2009, p. D7).