Communication is Leadership - Road to the Summit Series | Robbie Foxen - Episode 114
The Power Element Podcast presents Episode 2 of the Hold the Line: Road to the Summit series. In Episode 114, Raul and Producer Paul sit down with Robbie Foxen, Executive Director for NECA District 10 and one of the original minds behind what would eventually become the Hold the Line Leadership Summit. Robbie takes us back to the early conversations that helped spark the event and shares why leadership development has become such an important part of moving the electrical industry forward. The conversation then dives deep into one of the most important leadership skills in the trade: communication. From three-way communication and readbacks to active listening, task-specific job briefings, difficult conversations, and eliminating assumptions, the guys break down what effective communication actually looks like on the job. Robbie also shares a powerful firsthand story about arriving at a jobsite to discover that an underground system had been reconfigured overnight without the crew's knowledge, reinforcing why communication and safe work practices have to work together. The conversation also explores the responsibility that comes with stepping into leadership. Whether you're an apprentice, journeyman, foreman, instructor, or executive, getting involved means accepting ownership for helping move the people around you forward. Robbie also gives listeners a preview of what's ahead at this year's Hold the Line Leadership Summit in San Diego, including the idea behind Recon Leadership and the importance of taking leadership lessons back to the field instead of leaving them behind at the conference. As Robbie puts it, great teams come down to one word: Unity. Everyone understands the mission. Everyone understands the goal. And everyone works together to execute it. This is more than a conversation about communication. It's about building better leaders, stronger crews, and a culture capable of moving the industry forward. Hold the Line. The Power Element Podcast's Hold the Line: Road to the Summit series, as we build toward the Hold the Line Leadership Summit this December in San Diego. Hold the Line brings leaders from across the electrical industry together to have the hard conversations around leadership, safety, culture, accountability, and the responsibility we have to the next generation of the trade.The road to the summit starts here. To learn more about Hold The Line: https://www.necanet.org/holdtheline https://www.necanet.org/holdtheline This episode is powered by Sturgeon Electric and MYR Group. Check out and support our promotional partners: Milwaukee Tool, Klein Tools, Wye Delta, Thorogood, and High Voltage Industries . Ad music provided by: Daniel Sanchez @d.s.s._beats @DSSbeats Follow us on Instagram @ CaliforniaLineWorks May we all continue to guide and support those in need. Please continue the conversation about mental health and well-being within your community. Be your Brother’s Keeper. Visit www.lineco.org for assistance through LineCo. Suicide, crisis, and lifeline Dial 988. The Power Element Podcast is a leadership, culture, and safety podcast for linemen and construction professionals, focused on standards, accountability, and high-performance culture in the utility and construction industries.
