Meet Leif

Our team members come from diverse and experienced backgrounds in electrical training, and many have been in critical power for years. We pride ourselves on choosing the best people to service our customers to ensure that you get the most out of your equipment.

Meet Leif

Leif Lecy

Region: North East (Supervisor)

Leif, a Connecticut native, joined our team in 2017 and has worked his way up to Supervisor of our North East region. He loves being part of a hard-working and dedicated team, learning new skills, and coaching his son's football team.

Certifications

OSHA 10, NFPA 70, CPR Certified

Field Trained

9900D; 9900C/CX; 9900B; 9900AEGIS; 1100 Series; 7011B; 9900A; 9800AD; 9800AE; 2033

A Quote from His Manager

"From day one, Leif demonstrated remarkable initiative and skill. His ability to manage complex tasks and coordinate effectively with our clients set a new standard for our team. His promotion to Supervisor is a natural progression of his hard work and dedication, and I am confident that he will continue to drive our team to new heights."

- Cynthia Gandy, Field Service Manager

Let’s start at the beginning. How did you begin working in the critical power industry and at Mitsubishi Electric?

I was 19 years old - pretty much right out of high school - and I was working at a bar. My cousin approached me - he was working for a third-party company at the time - and he said, ‘Hey, we got a position open. Do you want to come move some batteries around?’ I said, ‘Sure.’

So, I did that, and six months later I went to school and took some electronics classes at New England Tech in Rhode Island. I was given the on-call pager, and the rest is history. I've been doing this for about 24 years now.

Can you share a memorable moment from the field?

Right when I first started [in the industry], I was doing third-party stuff. I was working with a Senior Tech at the Connecticut Department of Transportation, and it was right around the time of they were having this big festival, the “Op Sail.”

All the old tall ships were coming up the coast of the United States, and they were stopping at different ports along the way. People can come and tour the boats and what not.

Anyways, we're working at the DOT, and it was an annual PM [on a competitor’s UPS]. The Senior Tech transferred the system to bypass, and it failed. The contactor failed in the unit.

Well, that UPS controlled the controls for the traffic signals on all the state highways.

So, it was a busy time in the state and for that moment in time, about 5 minutes, all the lights were blinking yellow in the state. It was a little bit of chaos going on there for a few minutes.

Needless to say, [with this competitor’s unit], they decided not to do PMs during the daytime anymore or during large events.

So, in less than 7 years you earned two promotions. What’s the secret? What value or skills do you bring to the table, and what motivates you to keep growing?

It's not really a job. I enjoy doing what I do, and I'm very proud of what I do - and it shows. I try to be the best every day at what I do - keep my nose down, make sure I pay attention to the details, I always get along well with my customers.

Honestly, hard work pays off. You know, I tell it to my kids all the time, so that's testament to that.

And considering all those important things, what is one thing you press upon your team?

Details. Whenever I'm talking to my guys and maybe they're working through an issue or have questions, I always say, ‘Pay attention to details. The little things count, whether it's in your report or in what you're doing: pay attention to the small things to prevent the big things.’

For customers: treat them the way you want to be treated. Be honest with them. Be upfront with them. Tell them what's going on. Get to know them – understand them - because getting to know them will help you.

Can you walk me through the day-to-day of a Field Technician Supervisor?

Meetings, meetings, and more meetings haha. The morning starts out that way – early, 7:00 AM is my first one. We’ve been very busy, so we’ve been building up the workforce. So, at 9:00 AM, recently, there’s an interview – and maybe 2-3 more throughout the day as well.

I also find time to at least contact my guys to make sure that they're okay. So, it's been a roller coaster for these past couple months trying to get myself kind of grounded and get myself into a routine just because there is so much going on. But I'm getting there.

The biggest thing now is making sure we've got enough guys - and the right guys, in the right places - to get the work done.

Let’s talk about “the right guys.” What makes a good Field Service Technician? What are you looking for when hiring?

I'm looking for fit with the team almost more than anything. Also, honesty. Honesty is big with me. You know, you can kind of sniff out the honest ones - sometimes not. I'd like to see how comfortable they get with me, then I get an idea of how comfortable they can be with the rest of the team.

Obviously, you know skills with what they can do in their job, you know whether it's working with their hands, electrical skills, things like that. But most important is how they're going to fit with the team. We’ve got a really good team, a really good group of guys. I’d like to keep that that motor going good.

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That’s a perfect segue into my next question: How would you describe the whole Field Service team and your North East team, specifically?

Hard working. Dedicated.

For the whole team, I do notice a lot of guys are putting in a lot of time traveling, working to get the stuff done and done right. With everyone around the country – not just those on the East Cost – we all have a relationship with one another. We all kind of know what everyone's really good at and where to go if we need help with certain things.

Same with my guys here in the Northeast. My group? There's no one better. They all really work well together. They know each other really well, know their strengths, know their weaknesses. We're all willing to work with each other, even on those weaknesses to get better.

Honestly, I'm lucky. They help drive the whole area with all the work that we've got. If I have someone on the job, I know - whoever it is - that it's taken care of and it's getting done right, so I’m extremely lucky to have those guys. I've been blessed.

What have you learned since transitioning from a technician role to a supervisor role?

There's a lot going on behind the scenes that I didn't know about haha. You know, [on the technician side], you don't really look at all the little things going on - all the different procedures and the numbers and everything else.

So, it's been a lot to see and a lot to experience, but I'm getting it. I'm learning - I’m always learning. But it's definitely eye-opening to say the least.

As a new manager, what have you learned so far?

Biting my tongue and listening. Instead of actually saying, ‘You should be doing this,’ I've adapted a little bit to just kind of sit back and listen, see where they're at, see where they're going.

You know that way I can give my best input, or I can at least point them in the right direction to get the answers they're looking for.

I've always been a pretty decent listener, but I've always been pretty quick to give advice. I’ve kind of learned to sit back a little bit more to get a full picture, you know, a full idea of what's going on.

What advice would you give to a Facility Manager?

Don't ignore your PMs. Even the small ones, the minor PMs, battery maintenance – it’s all key to the longevity of the system.

I tell them all the time, even at startup, ‘That 800 number on the unit? Call it. You got a question? Call us. We're happy to answer. We're happy to talk to you and give you advice on what you're doing. Nothing's too small. Nothing's too big. We’re happy to assist. So, give us a call. When in doubt, call.’

I always make sure that I drive that one home too with all my customers.

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Where did you grow up?

I grew up in southeastern Connecticut in a little town called New London. Now, I live north of New London in the same area but a little further north of my hometown.

What do you like about the area?

It's quiet where I'm at now. New London wasn’t a big city, but it was dense. There's a lot of people, a lot of stuff going on right on the water. It’s a nice little spot, but there was always a lot where I live. Now it's quiet. I don't have close neighbors, you know, I don't hear the sirens all night anymore. So, that's why I like it out here.

So, someone comes to visit New London. Where are you taking them? Where is a go-to spot?

I would take them to Mystic, CT. It's a little busy over there, but great food, good crowds, you know, beautiful views. You can find a quiet spot to sit and just watch the sunset over the ocean.

Image of Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, CT

What is something you are passionate about outside of work? 

Right now, it's football season for my kids. I help coach my son's football team with whatever time I have in the afternoons, which is a lot of fun. We just finished our regular season - we went 8-1, which is fantastic, and then we start the playoffs. Hopefully, we win the championship.

It’s very busy right now, but it’s fun. It’s the age where mom and dad are still cool, you know?

Okay, let’s play a game called “If you could…” First question: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

A mountain. I'll go somewhere where there's no cell service - keep the phone quiet. Just give me a couple days of silence, a view, a trail to hike, and I’m happy.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

So, there's a little deli in Middlesex, NJ called Sapore, and they have a sandwich there called ‘The Dom.’ It's basically an Italian combo, and it's loaded. That is my all-time favorite sandwich.

And I have not been in the field, and I miss that sandwich, quite a good bit. It’s a good one.

Image of Sapore's sandwich, "The Dom," as shown on Trip Advisor

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

I guess I would love to fly, right? Love to fly and get to the top of the mountain quicker so the phone wouldn't ring on me. There it is. It all comes together!

It’s all making sense: You get the sub. You fly to the mountain. You enjoy the sub on the mountain. Okay, final question: If you could have any car in the world, what would it be?

I was always a Mustang fan as a kid, so I'd say probably a 1970-ish Mustang. Mach 1 is my favorite.

Let’s end on an inspirational note. What is the best advice you have received, personally or professionally? 

As a football coach, at the beginning of the year, we always tell the kids, ‘Practice makes perfect’ and all that stuff. So, something I use from Vince Lombardi is his quote: ‘Perfection isn't attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.’

So, in other words, practice doesn't always make perfect, but it makes you the best you can be.

Profile Last Updated: November 1, 2024

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