Field Leader Training
Leadership development for crew leaders, foremen, shift supervisors, and team leads in the electric and natural gas industry
CONTENT | TESTIMONIALS | HOST YOUR OWN
The Frontline Leadership Training Your Organization Needs for Technical Professionals
MEA Field Leader Training is practical leadership development that equips frontline supervisors with the confidence, communication skills, and decision-making tools they need to lead safely, effectively, and every day.
Why Field Leader Training?
Today’s utilities need more than just experienced employees. They need confident field leaders.
As experienced employees retire and new supervisors step into leadership roles more quickly than ever before, technical expertise alone isn’t enough. Field leaders are expected to coach crews, communicate with management, navigate difficult conversations, make sound decisions, and strengthen safety culture—often with little formal leadership development.
MEA Field Leader Training was created specifically for utility field operations. Participants don’t learn abstract leadership theories. They experience practical leadership development built around real utility situations, real conversations, and real challenges they face every day.
They leave with tools they can immediately apply back on the job—helping strengthen crews, improve communication, and build more effective leaders throughout the organization.
What Makes Field Leader Training Different?
- Utility-specific leadership—not generic management training
- Facilitated by experienced utility professionals who understand field operations
- Interactive learning built around real utility scenarios
- Practical leadership tools participants begin using immediately
- Skills that extend beyond the classroom and into daily operations
- Leadership development that supports long-term workforce succession
Field Leader Training isn’t about teaching technical work.
It’s about helping technical experts become effective leaders.
Participants work through real utility situations alongside peers from across the industry while being coached by experienced utility professionals who have led crews, managed operations, and developed field employees themselves.
Rather than spending two days listening to presentations, participants actively practice leadership skills they can immediately apply — from coaching crews and resolving conflict to improving communication, planning work, and leading through change.
The learning doesn’t stop when class ends. Participants return to work with practical tools, new perspectives, and greater confidence to lead their teams every day.
Previous attendees say:
“I was a “tell and do” kind of leader. I left this training with a new approach: lead with the “why”.”
“Sharing challenges, breaking down silos, and hearing different perspectives reinforced how valuable it is to have dedicated space for colleagues to connect and learn from one another.”
“I attended MEA Field Leader Training alongside my boss, and the shared experience changed everything. Thank you!”
“If even a fourth of our supervisors [had] this information, our company would see a positive widespread impact.”
“I gained a new habit after this training, I now make sure my crews understand the project scope, site hazards, and safety details before work begins.”
“I have taken hundreds of hours of leadership training; however I believe this was the best one. The group discussions, the [leadership journey extension] follow-ups, the mentoring is not like anything I have ever experienced. I would highly recommend this class to other supervisors who seem to be struggling in their daily tasks. This training, if taken serious, forces internal reflection, and then from that reflection, change.”
Leadership Skills for Actual Use on the Job | Training Modules & Content
- Introduction and Defining a Safety Culture
- Setting Learning Expectations and roadmap for 2-day training experience
- A look at how attitudes and behavior impact safety outcomes
- A discussion on the nine attitude and behavioral characteristics that can lead to safety issues
- A clear safety message track throughout training
- Effective Leadership
- An exploration of leadership skills for crew leaders
- An easy breakdown of leadership styles and your preferred leadership style
- How to move from self-leadership to influencing others
- Leadership in Action
- Establishing a “Leadership in Action” track during and beyond training
- Exploring skills for effective situational leadership
- Learning a model for listening, decision-making, and delegation
- Activities for practicing giving and receiving feedback
- Strong Teams
- Simple ideas to create strong teams
- A reminder of what strong teams look like in the field
- An opportunity to test your leadership and teamwork skills
- An understanding of your crew: what they need from their team leader
- Recognizing & Motivating Crews
- The tools to get your crew performing at their best
- Ideas on how to motivate and recognize your crew
- A useful conversation about motivating different generations
- Coaching Crews
- A four-step process to effectively coach your crew
- Reminders of common mistakes in coaching
- An opportunity to discuss how to use coaching in the field
- Ideas to coach a troubled employee
- Resolving Conflicts
- A rundown of conflict sources crew leaders encounter
- Key communication tools for resolving conflicts
- Activities to practice these skills in real world crew scenarios
- Working with Management
- A list of your specific manager’s expectations of an ideal crew leader
- Ideas on how to build a supportive relationship with your manager
- An effective process for developing and presenting proposals to management
- Planning Work
- A review of the benefits of planning and how to lay out jobs
- A simple system for setting daily priorities
- A demonstration and follow up conversation of typical on the job planning issues
- Ensuring Quality
- A discussion on quality customer service and on ensuring quality communication and customer service
- An uncomplicated view of getting quality work from your crew
- Ideas on how to improve your crew’s quality of work
- After the Two-Day Training | Leadership Journey Extension
Virtual
The virtual extension* is designed to reinforce and expand leadership growth beyond the in-person experience, participants will engage in a blended approach that includes interactive webinars, 1:1 and group coaching, and peer accountability partnerships.
The extension builds on the foundations set during Field Leader Training by deepening self-awareness, leveraging individual strengths through our pre/post leadership assessment and the CliftonStrengths assessment, and applying new leadership tools directly to real workplace challenges.
Upon completion, leaders will earn a certificate of completion and up to 10 professional development hours, and a personalized progress report with actionable next steps to continue advancing their leadership journey.
Organizations see continued value through:
- Greater confidence in new supervisors
- Continued application of leadership skills on the job
- Ongoing accountability after the classroom experience
- More effective coaching and communication
- Stronger leadership habits that become part of daily work
- Continued investment in high-potential employees
Participants gain:
- A confidential coach to discuss real leadership challenges
- Feedback from experienced utility leaders
- Accountability for applying new skills
- Continued support during their first months as a supervisor
- A personalized leadership growth plan
- Greater confidence leading teams
The extension is offered in a three-month or six-month structure. Contact Daneen to learn more.
*The extension is an additional fee.
Why Utilities Include Field Leader Training in Leadership Development Plans
Field Leader Training helps utilities:
- Support knowledge transfer during workforce transitions
- Develop consistent leadership practices across crews
- Improve communication between field personnel and management
- Strengthen coaching, accountability, and team performance
- Prepare high-performing employees for leadership responsibilities
- Build a sustainable pipeline of future field leaders
Continue the Leadership Journey
The leadership development experience doesn’t have to end after two days.
Participants can continue building their skills over three or six months with an optional leadership journey extension featuring virtual one-on-one coaching, group coaching, leadership assessments, peer accountability, and real-world application.
Read more about the contentLearn from Utility Leaders Who've Been There
Our facilitators aren’t professional speakers—they’re experienced utility leaders who have managed crews, developed employees, led operations, and navigated the same challenges today’s field leaders face.
They bring objective coaching, practical experience, and real-world credibility to every discussion.
Built Around Your Utility
Every utility trains differently.
Training can be configured to meet specifics needs, such as incorporating company-specific procedural messages, or placing greater focus on selected lessons or sections. Custom content creation is also available. Additional fees may apply.
More Leadership Development
MEA can guide you through any stage of your career with leadership programs, on-demand and live webinars, in-person events, and even online technical courses and annual conferences focused on gas operations and electric distribution.
More learning opportunitiesBuild Stronger Field Leaders Across Your Organization
Whether you’re preparing new supervisors, strengthening existing field leaders, or building your long-term leadership pipeline, MEA Field Leader Training can become an important part of your organization’s leadership development plan.
Contact Daneen Goncalves at (651) 289-9600 x102 or Chad Shannon at (651) 289-9600 x112 to discuss hosting Field Leader Training for your utility or registering for an upcoming session.
