CIEN E4150: Leadership in Engineering and Construction

Course Overview

Balance and inspiration is at the heart of leadership. In the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, successful leaders motivate and empower others to achieve a shared vision, creating the supportive environments where ideas become reality.

This course examines the attributes of inspirational leaders across both public and private sectors of the AEC industry and explores how their vision, values, and decision-making shape the success of the agencies and enterprises they lead. Alongside case studies, you will analyze the critical distinction between strategic management and leadership. How do leaders discern the difference, and how does this awareness connect to personal success and societal benefit?

Six core objectives guide the course:

• Understanding the power of a motivating vision
• Communicating values that drive action
• Examining behaviors that foster unity
• Shaping a positive organizational climate
• Developing skills that support others
• Orchestrating team performance beyond individual ambition
   

Through tools, concepts, and frameworks, you will strengthen your ability to define and analyze leadership challenges, applying lessons to both organizational contexts and personal growth. 

As Yogi Berra—who led both the Yankees and the Mets—once quipped, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” In this spirit, our exploration of leadership and decision-making will not only influence how you navigate your professional career but also how you contribute to shaping the future of our cities.

Course Instructor

Rick Bell

Adjunct Associate Professor and the Acting Director of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space

Rick Bell has had a long career in the the public and private sectors of the AEC Industry, leading the technical section of the NYC Department of Design and Construction as Assistant Commissioner for Architecture and Engineering. Starting as an intern at the NYC Department of City Planning in the Lindsay Administration. Most recently he was Executive Director of Design and Construction Excellence at DDC during the DeBlasio Administration. Rick became a partner and design principal while in his 30s at an international architectural practice based in New York. He also led the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter as Executive Director for fourteen years, increasing the AIA’s visibility, diversity, size and impact. 

A Columbia graduate, he returned to campus as an Adjunct Associate Professor in 2018 and is currently the Acting Director of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space (CBIPS), the NYC-focused research program and also helps coordinate the Industry Field Study (IFS) program with AECOM and STV.