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Jack was the "All-American" pavement maintenance worker. He showed up early every day, was often the last to leave a job site, seldom made a mistake, and took great pains to ensure tack material was properly applied or hot mix asphalt was put accurately in place and at the right depth. There was very little that Jack could not do — and do well!

So Jack's boss asked him to become the supervisor for a newly formed paving crew. Though he had never actually supervised a crew Jack now faced the prospect of leading six workers, some of whom he had worked with on previous crews. His first few weeks were uncomfortable as he found himself doing more of the work himself rather than focusing on leading his crew to perform the work.

Jack's situation is common to just about every new field boss in the pavement maintenance industry, no matter whether it is paving, sealcoating, sweeping, or striping. Consider a few tips to ease your transition when moving a "boss" to a "leader."

Leaders Have ...

Any field leader will set himself apart when he develops a vision. Traditionally owners are expected to have a vision, but an owner's vision is for the direction of the company. A field leader needs to have a vision for his personal style of leading. That is, how does he want to lead others? Does he want his leadership to be one of respect, integrity, quality, and sensitivity to people?

Leaders Understand ...

Field leaders must realize what their roles are as a leader. Some of the roles might include coaching, teaching, motivating, directing, or solving problems. Each role is exercised when specific responsibilities are identified for that role. A leader, for example, might assume these responsibilities for the role of coach: