Otto Construction’s Charlie Munns Takes Lessons from ELA Back to Work


Just halfway through his participation in the first cohort of AGC of California Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA), Charlie Munns has already been able to apply some of the insights and lessons learned to his work as an estimator for Sacramento-based Otto Construction. From the DiSC® assessment tool, which helps users understand their


personality styles and how they interact with others, to “state of mind” and “navigating the hijack” tools that emphasize positive mindset, the program offers participants an array of tools and techniques that are easily applied to a variety of situations, according to Munns. Now in his sixth year at Otto Construction, he was moti-


vated to join the ELA program to advance his career develop- ment and hone his leadership skills. “I’m really enjoying the opportunity that Otto has given to


me to be part of it,” he commented. “Everybody (in the cohort) brings something to the table and offers different perspectives that can challenge what you previously thought before about certain topics.”


Biggest Takeaway Of the many insights he has already gleaned so far from the program (which continues to run through the end of 2025), Munns said his single biggest takeaway to date has been this: “You truly are in control of what you do or say, in spite of what others do or how difficult it may be.” “This program is going to make you think introspectively


and reflect a lot,” he added. “It helped me realize that while it can be hard not to get affected by conflict, often it is outside your control. At the end of the day the only thing you have 100% control of is yourself and how you act on the emotions you feel.” Munns relates many of the lessons he is learning in the


program to one of his lifelong passions, baseball, which he played competitively throughout his youth and as a pitcher on an athletic and academic scholarship during college. “Baseball is such a mental game,” he commented. “If I’ve


faced a batter, and say I throw three balls in a row, I might step off the mound, take a breath to reset and then get back in and try to win the next pitch. At work, when you get frustrated, you can choose to stop for a moment, pause, and try to under-


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stand the perspective of the person or situation that might have triggered you in some way. That is the essence of navi- gating the hijack, something we’ve explored in this program.” Similarly, understanding his own personality and having in-


sight into his peers and supervisors with the help of the DiSC® assessment tool (something every participant completed early on) has already had direct application at his work. “Having the DiSCTM


method and being able to understand my peers and


supervisors really as people who have different personalities enables me to approach them in a way that I think will get them to be the most responsive and receptive,” he said.


Of the many insights he has already gleaned so far from the program, Munns said his single biggest takeaway to date has been this: “You truly are in control of what you do or say, in spite of what others do or how difficult it may be.”


Strengthening Industry Connections Building strong peer connections in the construction industry has been another key benefit of the program, Munns said. In addition to becoming closer with his coworker Nick Clark, a project engineer from Otto who is also in the ELA cohort, he has forged new bonds with other young professionals not only during meetings and networking events but also during collaborations on class “homework” that requires participants to team up with professionals from other companies. “That enables us to not only get out of our shells and talk


to other people in class, but also to engage in discussion and work to reach a common solution or understanding if I am seeing or interpreting something differently from my partner,” he noted. What would he tell someone in the industry who is think-


ing about applying to be part of the next cohort of ELA? “You are going to meet and see people in this program


that are your counterparts at other companies, who you will grow alongside you in the industry,” Munns said. “Developing a good understanding of what it means to be a leader, and seeing other people like that across the table at other compa- nies, is going to be super beneficial not only in your personal development but in moving our industry forward.”


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