Mike Jelen, a principal and executive vice president for CES Consultants Inc., discussed his management philosophy in Civil Engineering Source. Jelen, a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, stated that 20 engineers once highlighted flaws in infrastructure plans. He argued that professionals must challenge such errors. He cited 80 computer models and 19 examples of engineers articulating cogent concerns. Jelen once failed to challenge a bad strategy during a Section 106 process 10 years ago. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation later used his project as a worst-practice case study. He noted that the experience taught him that bad news does not improve with time and that professionals must remain bold. Jelen explained that the incident also reinforced his commitment to building broad consensus early in project lifecycles to avoid politically charged disputes.
Beyond project management, Jelen discussed the evolution of engineering leadership, drawing on his background as an Army officer. He credited the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model as a key tool for adapting to diverse project dynamics. He predicted 11 major industry shifts, including the standard use of 3D information models and digital twins. He compared these advancements to the rise of computer-aided design in the early 1990s. Furthermore, Jelen expressed confidence that the engineering sector will eventually overcome its current skepticism regarding artificial intelligence. He envisions a future where AI-driven tools undergo rigorous professional vetting, similar to the process by which initial software models gained industry trust. For practitioners, these insights highlight the necessity of balancing technical expertise with the soft skills required to manage stakeholders, maintain personal discipline, and lead adaptive, resilient infrastructure teams.
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