St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador Mar 18, 2026  – A common scene unfolds on a Newfoundland soccer field most Friday nights, one that isn’t mentioned when you assume a construction leadership position. A twelve-year-old player fails to make a pass they have practiced all season. The instinctive reaction is frustration. However, Kirk Kendall, VP Industrial at DF Barnes, perceives a different opportunity in that instant. He identifies the same critical juncture that arises when a worker errs on site, and he believes both situations should be addressed identically: with a clear understanding of the mistake, a belief that progress can be made, and no blame placed on the effort.

“The principles of leadership remain constant once you leave the field,” Kendall states. “The individuals and the scope may be different, but the core fundamentals do not change.”

In addition to managing significant industrial projects—which have included aquaculture plants, airport infrastructure, and major construction initiatives—Kendall coaches a youth soccer team in Newfoundland. He does not view coaching as an escape from his job, but rather as another form of work guided by the same tenets that have defined his career in mechanical engineering and project management.

The similarities between the two roles are more pronounced than many would think. Each setting requires that clear expectations are established before any activity starts. Soccer players must understand their role, what constitutes success, and how to react when the ball is in their area. Similarly, construction crews dealing with contract reviews and complex projects need that same precise direction—not due to fragility, but because ambiguity hinders performance. “Effective leadership eliminates uncertainty,” Kendall frequently remarks. This is a principle he adopted early from military training and honed over two decades of observing how people perform when their duties are explicitly defined.

Another common requirement is the recognition of small improvements. Coaching young athletes has highlighted for Kendall a truth that can be lost in construction schedules: individuals need to perceive their own advancement. A young player who improves their defensive positioning may not score a goal, but they are aware of their progress. This is equally true for a construction crew that adopts a new safety procedure or finishes a project phase early. While these are not major events, they are crucial for building trust. “You recognize the effort,” Kendall clarifies. “Minor successes accumulate into larger ones.”

According to Kendall, the distinction between competent and outstanding leadership is a lesson both fields have cemented: the quality of communication is more important than its quantity. A coach who provides one clear, thoughtful explanation of why positioning is important, followed by constructive feedback, will foster a player’s growth more effectively than constant sideline yelling. This idea holds for a Vice President managing several projects across various locations. The clarity of each message is more critical than the total number of messages sent. Consistency, repetition, and simply being present are what count.

His experience as a commissioned Engineer Officer in the military, which included a deployment to Afghanistan where he managed construction under pressure, instilled a particular leadership style in him. Military culture emphasizes accountability, that safety results from thorough preparation, and that performance improves when people comprehend the system they are in. However, his time on Newfoundland’s soccer fields revealed a complementary lesson: team members also need to view their leader as accessible, human, and caring about them personally. The military offers the framework; coaching reinforces that the framework exists to support individuals, not to substitute for genuine connection.

An additional, unexpected parallel emerges from Kendall’s personal life. His hobby of hiking coastal trails in Newfoundland serves as a living lab for studying the balance between planning and adaptability. Even with meticulous preparation—charting the course, checking weather, bringing appropriate equipment—the trail can present surprises. Conditions change, or a path proves more difficult than anticipated, requiring adjustment. These repeated experiences have led Kendall to conclude that preparation and flexibility are not opposites but partners. Being well-prepared grants the mental capacity to adapt effectively when circumstances shift. This philosophy applies directly to industrial construction. No project plan, no matter how detailed, is immune to real-world challenges. The key factor that separates a team that reacts with panic from one that adapts successfully is often the depth of their preparatory contingency planning.

“At its heart, leadership is about relationships,” Kendall says, suggesting this may be the central idea. It is constructed through dialogue—including difficult conversations about performance, or requests for candid problem assessments. It is built during regular check-ins and by maintaining a consistent presence, even during uneventful periods. A coach cannot forge a strong team by only attending games, just as a project leader cannot earn trust by appearing solely during emergencies. The genuine work of leadership occurs through the steady build-up of small, daily interactions where people feel valued, guided fairly, and that their leader has a sincere interest in their success.

Whether he steps onto a soccer field or into a site trailer, Kendall adheres to the same priorities: setting clear expectations, communicating consistently, acknowledging tangible progress, and maintaining a deep respect for everyone involved. These are not abstract concepts but practical lessons drawn from firsthand experience in high-pressure environments. The construction industry swiftly reveals the penalties of inadequate leadership. Coaching demonstrates that effective leadership is not costly—it simply demands a reliable, consistent presence, time after time.

About Kirk Kendall: Kirk Kendall is VP Industrial at DF Barnes, a mechanical engineer and certified project management professional with extensive experience leading large-scale industrial programs, including aquaculture facilities, airport infrastructure, and complex construction operations. Based in Newfoundland and Labrador, Kendall holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Dalhousie University and a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from Memorial University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) and Project Management Professional (PMP), with prior military service as a commissioned Engineer Officer with the Canadian Forces. When not overseeing industrial projects, Kendall coaches youth soccer, practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and explores Newfoundland’s coastal landscapes.

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