Managing the Season: What Football Taught Me About Construction Leadership

By MIRANDA M. STEVENS

I’m often asked: What exactly does a project manager do?

I never seem to have the perfect, concise answer. But recently, it clicked for me: project management is a lot like a football season.

Now, if you know me, football has never been my favorite sport. I’m a proud St. Louis Blues fan through and through. But this past season, I found myself watching, following and cheering on more football games than hockey. And somewhere along the way, I realized how similar a good football season is to construction project management.

Let me explain.

We all start our careers by choosing a company that feels like the right fit,  just like teams draft the best talent. Many of us hope to be “picked” after internships or graduation by a company we admire. That’s our draft day moment.

Then the real work begins.

You start fresh-eyed and ready to learn. You lean on mentors – the seasoned players and coaches – who help shape your foundation. You develop skills, learn strategy and understand how to execute under pressure. In football, they’re called plays. In construction, they’re schedules, budgets, contracts and coordination.

As you grow into a management role, it’s game on.

Each week brings new challenges: weather delays, manpower shortages, budget constraints, unforeseen site conditions. Just like in football, no two games are the same. You rely heavily on your superintendent – the quarterback of the field – to read what’s happening in real time, make adjustments and keep the job moving forward.

But here’s where the project manager’s role becomes clear.

If the superintendent is the quarterback on the field, the project manager is the coach on the sidelines seeing the bigger picture. We’re studying the defense (risks), anticipating what might be thrown at us next, managing the clock (schedule), protecting the budget, communicating with ownership and adjusting strategy when something unexpected shifts the momentum.

We don’t just react to problems. We plan for them.

A successful season – or a successful project – doesn’t happen because of one person. It happens because of preparation, communication, trust and leadership. It’s about knowing when to push, when to pivot and how to keep the team focused on the end goal.

And just like football, there are long days, tough losses and moments where you question the play call. But there are also wins – ribbon cuttings, project turnovers and the pride of standing back and seeing something built from the ground up.

That’s what a project manager does.

We draft the right team. We study the playbook. We anticipate the defense. We adjust the strategy. And we lead our team to the end zone:  project completion.

I’m especially proud to say: as women, we’re not just part of the team anymore. We’re calling plays, leading seasons and building the future.

Miranda M. Stevens is a project director at Holland Construction Services.