The Leadership Gap: Building Better Leaders for the Future of Canadian Infrastructure

How do we transform infrastructure experts into infrastructure leaders in time for Canada’s building boom? Canada is facing a future of increased infrastructure projects, but the country has a poor track record when it comes to delivering major projects. In fact, “over time and over budget” is a global industry trope. 

In pursuit of systemic, upstream solutions, Riccardo compiles an esteemed panel of experts for a timely and critical conversation: how do we elevate the leadership of multi-billion-dollar major infrastructure programmes essential to our country’s national culture and well-being? Barriers to collaboration, differences and similarities between infrastructure programmes and corporations, the behavioural versus the technical—the industry leaders break down what’s going wrong and why we haven’t fixed it yet. Unwilling to stop at theory, the group posits and troubleshoots actionable ways governments and the private sector could work together to quickly and effectively shore up Canada’s infrastructure industry.

Key Takeaways:

• The theories as to why it costs more to create infrastructure in Canada;
• The significant and often-ignored gap between technical, management, and leadership skill sets;
• How an integrated leadership training program could elevate all levels of project management;
• The impact of lackluster research into Canada’s past infrastructure successes and failures;
• Utilizing AI within reason in an industry that relies on human interaction.

Quote:

“I ​think ​we ​can ​create ​a ​program ​that builds ​on ​the ​global ​experience ​and ​best ​practices, ​but ​also ​captures ​Canada’s ​own ​project ​delivery ​cultures, ​business ​practices,  ​community ​needs, ​and ​sees ​leadership ​through ​that ​lens ​and ​enables ​us ​to ​deliver ​projects. ​But ​it's ​going ​to ​take ​governments ​coming ​on ​board and recognizing ​the ​value ​that ​it's ​not ​just ​private ​sector ​expertise ​on ​these ​projects. ​You ​don't ​just ​hand ​over ​a ​project ​and ​then ​say ​come ​back ​in ​five ​years ​and ​we'll ​cut ​the ​ribbon ​together. There's ​a ​ton ​of ​leadership ​that's ​required ​on ​the ​public ​sector ​side ​too, ​at ​the ​highest ​levels ​of ​the ​organization ​to ​make ​sure ​that ​these ​projects ​stay ​on ​track.” - Matti Siemiatycki 

The conversation doesn’t stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn:

• Follow Navigating Major Programmes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navigating-major-programmes/
• Follow Riccardo Cosentino: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosentinoriccardo/
• Read Riccardo’s latest at https://riccardocosentino.com/   
• Connect with Matti Siemiatycki: https://www.geography.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/matti-siemiatycki
• Learn more about Kirsten’s work at https://aecom.com/en-ca/about-us/our-leadership/kirsten-watson-2/
• Connect with Suzanne Moreland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannemoreland/
• Connect with John Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-allen-30452226/

Music: "A New Tomorrow" by Chordial Music. Licensed through PremiumBeat.