Spire’s Roberto Leandro, PMP: Newly-Appointed Vice Chair of Austin’s Construction Leadership Council

What is the purpose of the CLC?

RL: The CLC aims to introduce young professionals to the AGC. The Steering Committee holds various networking and professional development events that are a huge platform for young leaders in the local industry. We have members from top general contractors, law firms, subcontractors, and consultants as part of the organization, so it is really the place to be to make connections. I envision our market to be as young as college students, to those with established roles in their organizations with a lot left to look forward to in their careers. The team and I aim to bring along younger professionals into the industry.

What was your previous role with the CLC? What role are you coming into in 2021?

RL: My role the past two years has been the Professional Development Chair. I was tasked with organizing the various professional development events, like a leadership forum, site visits, technology forum, and even a tour of Texas’ capital building led by a local congressman! Outside of my role, the entire team works to organize different annual community events. In the past, we have done different cleanups and toy drives and are always looking for new ways to give back to our community. Hopefully, this year, we’ll be hosting a charity kickball event. In addition to that, we also offer four scholarships each year to local students.

My new position within the team for the next year is Vice Chair. My job is to make sure we are in line with the goals of the AGC in each event we plan and work closely with the Chair and Steering Committee to bring the CLC up to its potential. We are eager to put the goals we set in 2020 into action in 2021.

How has your experience both in leadership and as a member of the CLC equipped you to better serve Spire’s clients?

RL: For me personally, the CLC has expanded my understanding of construction culture and increased my networking abilities with contractors, lawyers, and other consultants. This networking has been invaluable in enabling me to find unique solutions to the issues our clients face on a regular basis. It has also taught me many leadership techniques. One specific example I can think of is from last year at the CLC Leadership Forum, at which Spire’s Anthony Gonzales was a panelist. The CLC gets four or five industry leaders or executives from Austin and asks general questions regarding leadership. We asked virtually the same questions in 2019 and 2020, and what was shocking was that the answers were all very applicable and insightful but took very different approaches to leadership.

To give you an example, when asked how much they value dedication in young leaders and employees, one panelist noted that you always notice the person who is in at 7:00 AM and stays until 6:00 PM daily, but another countered with the answer that what matters isn’t the amount of time you are in the office, but the fact that you get your work done. He didn’t mind if an employee had to leave at say, 4:30 to go pick up their kid from school, so long as their tasks for the day were accomplished before leaving.

The CLC has given me a well-rounded perspective on leadership and has allowed me to make an informed decision about what leadership means to me and how to implement it in my work at Spire.

I am so humbled to be a part of this incredible Steering Committee Team with the CLC Austin Chapter. The people I get to work with to realize the CLC’s vision are truly incredible, and I cannot wait to see what we are able to accomplish together this next year.

Spire is proud to continue serving our communities in 2021. We strive to promote leadership and growth within our team and beyond and look forward to the opportunities to continually advance the AEC industry.