One of Bob Bowen’s early leadership lessons was that you can’t do everything yourself. After graduating from Purdue University in 1962, he moved to California to work as a project engineer at W.M. Lyles Co., in Fresno. Just before Lyles was to renovate 22 canal bridges in 30 days, the superintendent quit. The young Hoosier immediately jumped in and ran the job.
“My boss was not happy with the way I ran it, but it was good experience for me,” says Bowen, now 76, who adds that youth, ego and adrenaline kept him motivated.