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Leadership
By Mike Hyland
Executive Director, NEPPA
I remember it like it was yesterday. Late summer 1982 and I had just finished US Air Force Academy boot camp. I was a young 17-year-old freshman cadet (Doolie), and to be honest I was having a blast. I was running, camping, and fighting in the middle of nowhere (Jack’s Valley) and shooting pistols and rifles for the first time. I had to admit to myself, I went from being super nervous about entering USAFA to being quite confident that I didn’t let my folks down. For those wondering – the term Doolie was coined during USAFA’s first class in 1959 and it comes from the Greek word "Doulos" which meant "slave".) I was asked to do pushups on top of animal droppings we found on a trail in the woods. To that I said: "Sure – why not?". My dessert was taken after I had only had one bite. I said: "Ok, go for it!". I knew it was somewhat of a game, and I was trying to play as best I could and keep my eye on the prize.
The one recruiting word that gained my attention as a High School lacrosse player – besides free college education – was the word "Leadership". What a word. I think we all want to become leaders at some point, and the US Military Academies bragged that they could do just that – make you into a leader. Count me in! But is it that easy? Do we really make someone a leader. We all can argue leadership teachings until the cows come home and still not agree. To me, that’s fine because the beauty of leadership is in its different styles and tendencies. Some say leaders are born, some say they are made. I have other thoughts on the subject...
I believe that saying you are a leader doesn’t make it so. Only those that follow you and know you as a colleague can place that moniker onto your mantel. You – as an individual – must work towards building trust and respect and expanding your knowledge in your field to become capable and dependable to those around you. That is what leadership is about. A true leader is someone that people want to follow willingly.
There are many folks smarter and more intelligent than I that study the principles of leadership. Some of them are legends. Educators like John Maxwell, Jack Welch and even a newer Simon Sinek have spent countless years crafting their versions of how to be a great leader. I’m a big fan of a guy named Art Athens. In fact, we’ve had Colonel Athens speak at a couple of NEPPA meetings, and most recently at the March NEPPA Board meeting. I like his simple approach to effective leadership, while many try to complicate things. I recently read an article that boasted ‘The 25 things all leaders do’. Really? Just 25? Spare me the details. At the core of Col. Athens philosophy is just three C’s, on a bed of H. Competence, Courage, and Compassion on a bed of Humility. Simple. Effective.
So, when we look at the leadership of NEPPA since 1960, we have discussed some of the founding fathers, names like Sahlman, Baker, Lanciani, Ferriter, Croft, etc. In 1987, a gentleman by the name of Chapman Stockford was awarded the Person of the Year award. He was the first true Executive Director at NEPPA, followed by Pat Hyland, Larry Brownell, Dave White, Bonnie Biocchi, and now myself. Overseeing the operations of a regional organization is not easy and I am sure we have all struggled at times to be a “Leader” and not just a “Boss”. I’m sure the same goes for you at your utilities. Simply being chosen as the next GM, Line foreman, or Senior Engineer doesn’t make you a leader. It simply puts employees under your command, and you can choose to wield your power in any way you’d like.
No association, company, team, or family can be successful without leadership throughout, leadership at all levels, and leadership that adapts to the challenge of the day. Not even the Board at NEPPA is immune from the challenges of the day. The leaders of NEPPA are affected by many things, one most impactful being turnover. My third anniversary at NEPPA was this past week, and since the day I became the Executive Director in May 2022, the board has lost 10 of its 21 members, and we are poised to lose at least two or more in the next 12 months. If you go back to 2020, add an additional 7 board members that have turned over. It’s interesting that 81% of the board at NEPPA has changed in just over 5 years.
How do we handle such a dilemma? Constant change in a constantly changing world that seems to speed up with every technological improvement.
I’ve got an idea – lets grow more leaders. Leaders at all levels – frontlines to back office. Over the course of it’s 60 years, NEPPA has been a leader throughout the Northeast, but also at the national level. Littleton Electric Light & Water Department’s (Mass.) Nick Lawler is currently the Chair of the APPA Board. It’s a big deal for us to be represented at this level, and he follows in the footsteps of other leadership giants that have been recognized by APPA through their Alex Radin Award. Names like F.H. King, Michael Collins, Jim Baker, Bill Gallagher, Alfred Pierce. At the end of the day, I don’t think anyone can say whether they are a good, great or expectational leader. Only the people that reported to you and worked by your side can decide that. But what we all can do is work hard to become a better leader every day, put ourselves into positions that will challenge your instinctual or book learned understanding of leadership principles, and that doesn’t start once you become the GM/CEO, Office Manager or General Foreman.
It starts with the first day on the job at the earliest levels of employment. Jack Welch called it "Planting the Seed". Take time to help others develop the skills they need in their future. NEPPA and the membership’s future depends on it.
Cheers,
-Mike
| | Upcoming Training & Events | | |
Strategic Rate Setting:
Balancing Utility & Customer Needs
May 29, 2025
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
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Apprentice Lineworker Rodeo
June 4-5, 2025
7:00 am - 3:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
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Tactical Tuesday
June 10, 2025
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Held Virtually
(Free for Members)
Topic and Presenter to be announced
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IT Roundtable
June 16, 2025
8:30 am - 1:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
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Organizational Effectiveness:
Creative Problem Solving & Decision Making
June 17, 2025
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
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Hoisting 1B-1D
June 17, 2025
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
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Hoisting 2A-2C
June 18, 2025
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
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Mutual Aid Disaster Exercise
June 25, 2025
8:00 am - 3:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
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We had a Hull of a time!
NEPPA's 2025 RodE&O Conference
Below are just a few highlights from our RodE&O last week, held in Hull Massachusetts. There was fierce competition, engaging speakers, great vendor demonstrations and of course lots of fun at golf, cornhole and our other networking events. To view preliminary pictures click below - More pictures to come!
Where should we hold the RodE&O Next year?
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Congratulations to our Robert “Henny” Henriksen Mutual Aid Service Award Winners
May 6, 2025 - Hull, MA - Three deserving individuals were presented with the Robert “Henny” Henriksen Mutual Aid Service Award as part of this year's NEPPA RodE&O Conference. This award is to recognize an individual's significant sustained contributions to NEPPA's mutual aid program. All winners are nominated by their peers and selected by NEPPA's Executive Committee.
Henny Henriksen began his career at Braintree Electric Light Department (BELD) as a lineman in 1970 and was later promoted into the position of General Line Foreman/Supervisor in 1986, a position he held until his retirement in 2001. Henny was also a member of the NEPPA Mutual Aid Committee for many years, assisting with the coordination of storm restoration. After retiring from BELD, Henny worked for NEPPA as a Safety Trainer until 2018. He passed away in December 2023 after battling Parkinson’s and Dementia. Henny enjoyed the camaraderie of his fellow linemen and was very passionate about linework and safety training. In his honor, NEPPA presents this award annually at the RodE&O awards dinner, held each year in May.
Pictured on the left are the award recipients (from top to bottom) accepting their award from Henny's children: Lori Gallery, Dina Pelley and Robert Henriksen.
Award Winners:
Charles “Chuck” Clinch, IV, Middleton Electric Light Department
Barry Tupper, Holden Municipal Light Department
Tim Gray, Sterling Municipal Light Department
| | Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant
Brings Home First Place Overall Trophy in NEPPA's RodE&O Competition | | |
May 6, 2025 - Hull, MA - Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant had two teams competing in this year's RodE&O Lineworker Skills Competition. It was TMLP Team #1, made up of Chris DeSousa, Ben Ingemi and Timothy Rose (pictured above) who beat out the other 15 teams to win first overall. We are proud of the hard work and dedication and congratulate them on their win.
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Burlington Electric Department Hosts First Annual Electrify Vermont Summit
Burlington, VT - April 21, 2025 - Vermont public power utility Burlington Electric Department recently hosted the First Annual Electrify Vermont Summit. Other hosts for the April 21 event were the University of Vermont and Renewable Energy Vermont. As part of the University of Vermont’s Research Week, attendees joined fellow researchers, policymakers, businesses, nonprofits, utilities, and students who want to support electrification. The latest electric technologies were on display, including EVs, e-bikes, and an electric bucket truck and event attendees heard from experts about electrification strategies and policies and learned how electrification can help reduce emissions and stabilize energy costs.
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Tzimorangas Appointed to Embodied Carbon Intergovernmental Coordinating Council
May 2, 2025 - Mansfield, MA – Energy New England (ENE) is proud to announce that its President and CEO, John Tzimorangas, has been appointed to the Embodied Carbon Intergovernmental Coordinating Council (ECICC) by the MA House Minority Leader. This appointment underscores ENE’s leadership in energy policy and its commitment to fostering a sustainable future.
The ECICC is tasked with developing a comprehensive plan to reduce embodied carbon in building materials, a critical initiative to promote environmentally responsible construction practices. Tzimorangas’s appointment highlights ENE’s pivotal role in shaping innovative solutions that address climate challenges and advance the energy sector.
“I would like to thank House Minority Leader Brad Jones for thinking of me and asking me to be his representative on this newly established council. The council will look at how the Commonwealth will look at procurement opportunities that allow the State to reduce carbon in their purchasing of goods and services. The Council has some exceptional individuals representing all sectors of the Commonwealth procurement areas, this will prove to be a very interesting challenge” said ENE President & CEO John G. Tzimorangas.
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Enhance Your Customer Experience: Create Positive Interactions With Frontline Ambassadors
We all know there are no shortage of difficult situations municipal utility employees face when dealing with the angry customer – from disagreements about tree trimming to power outages to disconnections. It’s important to remember that leadership’s job is to support those customer service representatives, linemen and other “customer-facing” positions so that customers walk away feeling positive about your utility, even when they are dissatisfied about a situation.
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Robin Schell, Senior Counsel and Partner for Jackson Jackson & Wagner presented on day two of NEPPA's Engineering and Operations Conference in Hull, MA. Her presentation on "Enhance your Customer Experience: Creating Positive Interactions with Frontline Ambassadors" was a deep dive into what techniques frontline ambassador can do to handle “The Angry Customer” when out on the road. For those who missed her presentation, Robin has put together a summary of important points from the discussion below.
“Customers want someone with the authority to help them; connection with a human being; communication about progress; an apology, when it is warranted; respectful treatment and a timely solution to their problem,” says Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA, Senior Counsel and Partner of the behavioral PR and management consulting firm Jackson, Jackson & Wagner. “Most of all, they want to feel heard.”
Discussion centered around four steps to handling an angry customer:
1. Let Them Vent. Tempting as it is, don’t interrupt them. Acknowledge their frustrations. If they escalate, don’t take the bait by raising your voice or answering with sarcasm. (Note: You do have the right to shut down the conversation if they are being abusive).
2. Empathize. Use phrases like “I can appreciate how you feel” or “I respect your feelings about that.” When appropriate, apologize. Take notes and practice active listening: “Let me see if I understand what’s happened.” Call a supervisor on the spot to seek an immediate solution, if appropriate. If it’s a phone call, try not to leave them on hold for a long time – that will escalate the situation!
3. Offer Solutions. Ask the questions that will help you identify the best solution – and provide choices if they are available. “We could do this, or we could do that.” The best scenario is to give frontliners the authority to handle the less difficult situations, so they can solve the problem without sending it up the management chain. Find out what can be done (within reason) to make the situation right. An example was given of a time when the linemen had to shut off power at a house while someone was working from home. They let the customer know, nicely, that the service needed to be done that day – but agreed to come back in a half hour when the customer’s important call was done. Attitude is everything! The linemen suggested the customer “go out and get a cup of coffee and the service will be done by the time you’re back.”
4. Follow Up. Avoid making the customer do the work by saying, “you need to call so-and-so.” See it through to the best of your ability and, for excellent customer service, give a “courtesy call” afterwards to make sure everything went as discussed.
Other pointers for enhancing customer (and employee) relationships:
5. Anticipate issues– conduct service audits to spot things like tree-trimming that could be pre-scheduled, avoiding the possibility that a tree falls on a Sunday and costs the customer a lot more money and time.
6. Educate customers on policies, particularly those who moved to town from another location where things may have been done differently. One idea was to make the information part of a “welcome package” for new customers.
7. Make sure frontliners bring back the “kudos” as well as the complaints. Everyone hears the bad stories, but it’s important to share the success stories as well!
Keep an eye out for future trainings and presentations from Robin at upcoming NEPPA events!
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Pictured above: Jerrod Franklin from Rainbow Tech performing a Pole Foam Demo at this year's RodE&O Conference.
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E&M Consulting, Inc. is working on producing our 2025 Membership Directory. E&M is currently contacting all members about advertising opportunities available. The publication will be mailed to every member – a great opportunity to promote and give your company additional exposure!
If you have any questions or want to advertise, please contact an E&M sales associate at 800-572-0011 ext. 0104 or advertising@eandmsales.com. As always, your support is greatly appreciated!
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May 2025 - An important Section in the APPA 17th Edition Safety Manual is 513 Switching Control Procedure – 513.8 Three-Part Communications. Three-Part Communications shall be used to communicate changes to the electric system during switching control procedures. This communication protocol requires three oral exchanges between a Sender and Receiver to promote reliable transfer of information and understanding. Effective communication is essential to proper safety.
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