From Experience to Impact: How Greg Sanderson Strengthened His Field Leadership Impact with FMI’s Field Leader Institute
When Greg Sanderson attended the FMI Field Leader Institute (FLI), it wasn’t because it was part of a required leadership track.
At the time, Sanderson had recently taken responsibility for field learning and development at Ryan Companies. He inherited oversight of FMI participation across the field organization as part of a broader mandate: ensuring that high-performing field leaders were being prepared for greater responsibility in a consistent, intentional way. That responsibility was handed off by his predecessor as he moved into a divisional vice president role.
Sanderson wasn’t deeply familiar with FMI at first. Attending the Field Leader Institute himself was part of evaluating whether the experience truly delivered value for filed leaders at that inflection point in their careers. As he stepped into ownership of the relationship and experienced the program firsthand, he gained a clearer view of how and where the Field Leader Institute fit within Ryan Companies’ long-term field leadership development approach.
Entering with Few Expectations and Leaving with Clarity
Sanderson attended FMI’s Field Leader Institute alongside a deliberately mixed group of field leaders, including safety professionals, regional field coordinators and newly promoted field managers. The goal wasn’t simply exposure—it was to see how the experience landed across different roles and levels of responsibility.
Ryan Companies was actively assessing whether the Field Leader Institute could support leaders at different career stages and whether it had a place in the company’s long-term field leadership development approach. The mix of attendees created a useful testing ground. Different perspectives surfaced different reactions, giving Sanderson clearer insight into where the program resonated most strongly and where it created the most meaningful shifts in awareness and behavior.
What stood out most, he said, was the contrast between expectations going in and reflections coming out. “Before people go, they usually give you one or two sentences about what they expect—something generic like wanting to grow their leadership skills,” said Sanderson. “Afterward, you get paragraphs about what they actually took away.”
That shift applied to him as well.
Through assessments, peer feedback and immersive discussions, Sanderson gained clearer insight into how he shows up as a leader and what motivates him. “At the end of the week, we created personal mission statements,” he said. “Mine was about helping others grow professionally and personally.”
That clarity has stayed with him. Sanderson keeps his mission statement visible on his desk and refers to it often, especially on demanding workdays.
An Immersive Experience That Pulls Leaders Out of the Day-to-Day
Beyond the content itself, Sanderson highlights the setting and structure of the Field Leader Institute as a deliberate design choice, not an incidental one.
The experience is intentionally immersive. Leaders are removed from their day-to-day responsibilities, placed in a peer environment and asked to focus fully on how to lead. That separation matters, especially for field leaders who are rarely disconnected from active projects.
Sanderson described the experience as “like summer camp,” where participants live, learn and reflect together over several days. Being out of the office created space for deeper conversations and stronger connections.
Leaders weren’t just attending sessions. They were spending time together in the evenings, comparing experiences, sharing challenges and building relationships across companies and roles. That environment made it easier to be open, receive feedback and learn from others facing similar leadership pressures in different organizations.
“Watching those walls come down was pretty cool,” Sanderson said. “My experience was emotional. It wasn’t just good learning. It was reaffirming, both personally and professionally.”
For him, that willingness to be open, to listen, reflect and engage honestly was a defining part of the experience and a big reason it stuck long after participants returned to the field.
Practical Leadership That Shows Up in Real Conversations
One of the most consistent benefits Sanderson observed—both personally and across the cohort—was increased confidence in handling difficult conversations once participants returned to the field.
Rather than relying on abstract leadership theory, the Field Leader Institute emphasized practical techniques leaders could apply immediately. “One of the biggest takeaways was learning how to have tough conversations and give critical feedback,” said Sanderson. “The techniques are actually pretty simple, but they work.”
As participants returned to their roles, he noticed that they were more willing to initiate conversations they had previously avoided.
In one case, the experience surfaced a significant gap in self-awareness for a participant. That individual ultimately moved into a different role. “It was a hard experience for him,” Sanderson said, “but I see that as a success because it helped him find a better fit.”
Scaling the Impact Across the Field Organization
Following the initial cohort, Ryan Companies expanded its use of the Field Leader Institute, sending multiple groups, totaling more than 20 field leaders, through the program each year.
The experience also helped Sanderson refine who benefits most from the program and when. “Looking back, we may have overshot a little at first,” he said. “The sweet spot is high-performing superintendents and field leaders who are getting ready for what’s next.”
Today, FMI plays a defined role in Ryan Companies’ field leadership pipeline, particularly for leaders transitioning into higher levels of responsibility. Sanderson noted that the value comes from engaging leaders at the point where they can immediately apply what they learn, without pulling large groups away from active projects.
A Leadership Experience That Sticks
For Sanderson, the value of the FMI Field Leader Institute isn’t tied to a single framework or exercise. It’s the clarity leaders gain about themselves at a moment when their impact is expanding.
“For some people, it affirms their strengths,” he said. “For others, it exposes things they need to work on. Either way, it’s meaningful.”
By combining self-awareness, peer feedback and an immersive, out-of-office environment, the Field Leader Institute delivers a transformative leadership experience, one leaders continue to reflect on and draw from long after they’re back in the field.
In construction, leadership isn’t theoretical. It shows up in conversations, decisions and how leaders support the people around them. And that’s where the FMI Field Leader Institute made a lasting difference.
Explore this year’s FMI Field Leader Institute dates and program details to see how the experience could support your next stage of leadership growth.
FAQs about the FMI Field Leader Institute
1. What is the FMI Field Leader Institute?
The FMI Field Leader Institute is an immersive leadership development program designed for construction field professionals. It helps field leaders gain self-awareness, understand how their leadership style impacts others and develop practical strategies for leading teams more effectively.
2. Who should attend the FMI Field Leader Institute?
The program is best suited for experienced field leaders, including superintendents, project managers, regional managers and other professionals preparing for greater responsibility. Participants benefit most when they are actively leading teams and ready to apply learning immediately.
3. What makes the FMI Field Leader Institute different from traditional leadership training?
Unlike traditional classroom-based training, the FMI Field Leader Institute is an immersive, out-of-office experience. Participants step away from daily responsibilities, engage deeply with peers from across the industry and receive candid feedback that encourages reflection, openness and growth.
4. What leadership skills do participants develop at the FMI Field Leader Institute?
Participants develop greater self-awareness, stronger communication skills and practical tools for having difficult conversations and giving feedback. The program also helps leaders clarify their strengths, identify areas for growth and build strategies for leading high-performing teams.
5. What outcomes can organizations expect from sending leaders to the FMI Field Leader Institute?
Organizations can expect more confident, self-aware field leaders who are better equipped to manage people, navigate complexity and step into larger roles. Many organizations use the Field Leader Institute as part of a broader field leadership pipeline to reduce risk, strengthen succession planning and support long-term growth.
