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BUSINESS NEWS FLUOR SELECTED AS ENGINEERING SERVICES PROVIDER BY NCOC IN KAZAKHSTAN Fluor Corporation was awarded a two-year engineering services framework agreement with North Caspian Operating Company for conceptual studies and front-end engineering for its projects in the Caspian region. NCOC operates oil and gas activities under the North Caspian Sea Production Sharing Agreement, including Kashagan, one of the

and construction solutions to deliver capital efficiency. We will leverage our extensive knowledge of executing oil and gas projects in Kazakhstan by applying our unique integrated solutions approach.” Fluor began working in Kazakhstan in 1982. Since then, the company has executed ongoing work in projects ranging from conceptual studies and front-end engineering design to mega undertakings.

world’s largest offshore oil fields located in the Kazakhstan zone of the Caspian Sea, as well as the Kalamkas, Aktoty and Kairan fields in Kazakhstan. “Fluor is delighted to have been selected by NCOC for these important projects,” said Al Collins, president of Fluor’s energy and chemicals business in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. “Through early involvement, we can work with our client to optimize design

EDWARD FRIEDRICHS, from page 3

world today, groups of people are coming together to form a leadership consortium to design, codify, and do the leg work to shine the light on a future that costs less, works better, is more sustainable, and makes places that people are happier in and where they can find more joy in their lives. Then comes the hard work of leadership – convincing governing bodies to build these ideas into planning and building codes to become “the way our city is going to be,” not just another study that sits on a shelf. “Everyone should feel his or her voice is being heard. And this must remain non-political. It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about coming to a strong consensus among all stakeholders that the direction being taken is not only good but consistently supported by the community.” All this takes active leadership from the community outside of government. Participants may be architects, planners, developers, and attorneys that take an interest in the physical aspects of the city. A big part of the leadership role is bringing elected officials and staff into the discussions. This is not about handing them a fait accompli, but rather engaging them deeply in the conversation in a way that honors and acknowledges their thoughts and ideas. Everyone should feel his or her voice is being heard. And this must remain non-political. It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about coming to a strong consensus among all stakeholders that the direction being taken is not only good but consistently supported by the community. Finally, leadership is about follow-through. Once you’ve started taking your community in a new and more productive direction, your job has just begun. Many staff and elected or appointed officials in most communities suffer from inertia. They’re concerned that if they take a direction on something, they’ll be shot down or pushed aside. Displaying leadership requires courage, entrepreneurial energy, and the deep belief that you’re doing the right thing. My advice? Get out there and start leading. EDWARD FRIEDRICHS, FAIA, FIIDA, is a consultant with Zweig Group and the former CEO and president of Gensler . Contact him at efriedrichs@zweiggroup.com.

❚ ❚ Creating and fostering a conscious culture, one in which your ethos – the values, principles, and practices – underlies the social fabric of your enterprise, supporting your higher pur- pose Both A New Grand Strategy and the practice of Conscious Capitalism thrive on leadership from each of us. Reading through A New Grand Strategy tells the story well, starting with planning for walkable cities, where you can reach your daily needs – the grocery store, pharmacy, cobbler, barber shop/salon, dry cleaners, restaurants, and so forth – without driving. This demands a shift toward a more urban setting, which everyone from millennials to baby boomers are searching for. With the advent of autonomous vehicles rapidly approaching, you’ll be able to get from point A to point B – that distance that is just a bit farther than you feel like walking right now – by accessing one from your cell phone. You won’t have to own the vehicle, service it, or insure it. A lot of parking structures may become redundant. Designed properly, we can convert those structures to hydroponic gardens and provide the produce you shop for right there in the neighborhood where you live, irrigated by recycled water that doesn’t go all the way to the remote sewage treatment plant but is reused to irrigate urban farms, landscaping, and to flush toilets. What about power? Solar panels on top of your new urban settings, fed into a micro-grid, will light the LED lamps used to grow your produce indoors and for a lot of other power needs. “In cities around the world today, groups of people are coming together to form a leadership consortium to design, codify, and do the leg work to shine the light on a future that costs less, works better, is more sustainable, and makes places that people are happier in and where they can find more joy in their lives.” But how will any of this be done? Won’t cities have to rewrite their planning codes? Won’t the local utilities – water, power, and waste – have to rethink and retool their approach to how they build, own, operate, and charge for their services? Of course they will. And here’s where the demand for leadership comes in. In cities around the

THE ZWEIG LETTER April 3, 2017, ISSUE 1194

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