Building Women Leaders

A Blueprint for Women Thriving in Construction

Gretchen Gagel

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2025
• Print ISBN: 9781394251384
• eBook ISBN: 9781394251421
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Leadership
• Index: Business

"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.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• About the Author
• Foreword by Janice L. Tuchman
• Foreword by Hugh L. Rice
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Testimonials
• Introduction
• Part I “Me” – The Lived Experience of the Construction Industry
• Part II “Me” – Grounded Self‐Leadership – Introduction
• Part II “Me” – Grounded Self‐Leadership – Conclusion
• Part III “We” – The Supporting Cast – Introduction
• Part III “We” – The Supporting Cast – Conclusion
• Part IV “We” – Building Strong Relationships – Introduction
• Part IV “We” – Building Strong Relationships – Conclusion
• Part V “Us” – Leading and Influencing Teams and Organizations – Introduction
• Part V “Us” – Leading and Influencing Teams and Organizations – Conclusion
• Part VI “Us” – Leading an Inclusive Construction Industry
• Conclusion
• Appendix A Construction Industry Leaders Interviewed for This Book
• Appendix B Greatness Podcast Guests Included in This Book
• Index
• EULA