The following is the advice that the three panelists shared:

• You know you are ready to make the leap from engineer to manager when you feel like you are looking for something more; you want to contribute on a larger scale.

• They all had a desire to move into engineering management position; they didn’t “have-to.”

• You have to look at the big picture when you become a manager; look at the forest not the tree.

• Try to get your employees to also look at the big picture.

• You must be prepared to deal with human resources issues.  For example, people’s personal issues and emotions.

• You must learn to delegate so that you have time to deal with these human resources issues.

• Be clear about your expectations when you delegate to your staff.

• Seek advice from other leaders that have transitioned from engineer to manager.

• Lead by example and don’t ask your staff to do something that you wouldn’t.

• Be prepared to take risks like opening up a new office, or leaving your company for a more challenging opportunity.

 The three panel members were:

Paul Holzen, P .E., LEED AP – Engineering Supervisor at City of Franklin, TN
Michael Marassa, P.E. – Business Development Manager at Hayward Baker
Monica Sartain, P.E., CHMM, M. ASCE – Branch Manager at Patriot Engineering and Environmental, Inc.

I know this is a short post, but I have been getting requests on information regarding how to transition from engineer to manager and I thought the information shared here was perfect!

If you would like to get periodic advice on how to make the transition from engineer to manager, our founder Anthony Fasano, P.E., author of Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career sends out free daily career inspiration to engineers through his popular Daily Boosts, you can read about the Daily Boosts or simply sign up below.

During the latest session of my Engineer Your Own Success radio show I had the opportunity to coach a younger engineer (Mary) who was facing the challenge of having to manage or oversee a group of more experienced engineering experts.  This is a challenge that many engineering professionals face when transitioning from engineer to manager.

To give you some detailed background, Mary works for a large engineering company and is in charge of coordinating the preparation of large technical reports.  This includes the oversight of several experienced technical experts to ensure that they all submit their sections of the report on time.

Mary felt disrespected by these experts, and thought that her age and sex may have contributed to their lack of respect.  The experts showed this lack of respect by not submitting their work by the proposed deadline.

Based on our discussion, I provided Mary with the following recommendations:

• Confront the obvious up-front by acknowledging in your initial meeting with the team that they are much more experienced than you and you hope to learn from each of them during this project.

• Make it clear, that while they may be more experienced than you, this deadline is ultimately your responsibility and it is your intention to do whatever it takes to meet the deadline.  This gives you the opportunity to show them that while you respect their experience you will be firm in your pursuit to meet deadlines.

• Look at each of the group members resumes or even some past work that they have performed and mention/commend them in the initial meeting.  This will show them that you are thorough and encourage a positive relationship from the beginning.  This will show them that you care about the people you work with, not just the deadlines you have to meet.

• Lastly, be honest with those that are on your team.  Being the leader doesn’t mean you have to know everything, in fact great leaders admit when they don’t know something and they find the right person or place to get the information.

You can listen to the entire show on our radio show archives page.

Our founder Anthony Fasano, P.E., author of Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career sends out free daily career inspiration to engineers through his popular Daily Boosts, you can read about the Daily Boosts or simply sign up below.

It’s a great question and one that many engineers ask.  In my career travels as a design engineer, and the last few years as an engineering career coach, I have worked with, coached, and spoken to many engineers about this topic specifically and in this post I want to offer some engineering career advice based on my experiences.

In talking with many successful engineers that have made the transition from design engineer to manager, here are some guidelines that may be helpful in your transition:

From Engineer to Manager

Learn How to Delegate

What do I mean by learn how to delegate?  Well I could have just said, start delegating, but many successful engineers will tell you that it’s not that easy.  As engineers we get so wrapped up in day to day technical aspects of projects that when it’s time to go take on a managerial role, we either don’t want to give up the technical tasks to someone else or we are so involved in our projects, it is hard to take a more “hands-off” role.

Many engineers have the mentality of,  “I want to do it to ensure it gets done correctly.  That’s understandable being that you are a competent project manager, however to make a transition from engineer to manager, you are going to have to let other people help you.  You are going to have to take the time to teach them how to do it, in order to free up your time for other things.  The best way to do this is to start by giving small tasks to your team members to let them gain your trust.  Once they build up your trust, you will feel more comfortable giving them larger tasks until you can remove yourself from the “trenches” and take on more of a managerial role.

Learn How to Talk to People in a Positive Way

I always tell engineers that the way you say something to people is more important than what you say.  As an engineering manager you will have to delegate to your team members and have regular conversations with them about what tasks you would like them to accomplish.

Many engineering managers think only about the success of their project and not the success of their people.  When you delegate tasks to your team members, explain to them why you want them to do something, how it’s going to help the project and also how it is going to help their engineering career development.  I have coached so many engineers that don’t understand why they are not getting the most out of their staff and when I review their e-mails to discuss their conversations, it’s easy to see that their tone and choice of words is anything but inspiring.

No one has time to read a book these days, but to help improve your people skills I recommend listening to the audio version of Dale Carnegie’s bestselling book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Become a Great Presenter

One of the biggest misnomers amongst recent engineering graduates and younger engineers is that you don’t have to be good at writing or presenting.  That is 150% false!  In fact, successful engineers are typically very good writers and/or presenters.

To make a successful transition from engineer to manager, you must be able to present your ideas clearly to a group of people whether it is a group of 2 or 200.  You may have to present at a Town Board meeting in seeking project approvals, make a sales call to a prospective client, or speak in front of one of the local professional engineering societies.  In all of these cases, your ability to present will have a profound impact on your success as an engineering manager.

The good news is that public speaking is not a talent that you are born with or without; it’s a skill that can be learned.  I urge you to develop this skill as early on in your engineering career as possible.  To improve your speaking skills, I recommend joining a local Toastmaster chapter and listening to the audio version of the book entitled Speak to Win by Brian Tracy.

So in response to the question of how to become an engineering manager, I would say: learn how to delegate to others, learn how to talk to people in a positive way always thinking about their success, and last but not least become a great presenter! Please share any advice that you have found to be helpful in your transition from engineer to manager.

Anthony Fasano, P.E., author of Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career sends out free daily career inspiration to engineers through his popular Daily Boosts, you can read about the Daily Boosts or simply sign up below.

Featured Guest Blogger: Erich Lagasse of Career Confessions

Summary: “Adapt or die” has been the most prevalent theme in my career, and I feel that flexibility as a way of life has been the single greatest factor in my success as an engineer.

Currently, I hold the position of Engineering Manager for a multinational aerospace company that specializes in precision bearings. I have been with this company for seven years, ever since they purchased my prior employer. I have worked in the industry for a total of 22 years, in a number of different positions, ranging from R&D to marketing.

I always knew I wanted to be an engineer. I took the expected classes in high school, like physics and calculus, but I also had a penchant for puzzle-solving, which had a beneficial effect on my ability to think creatively. Creativity, flexibility, and the ability to think “outside the box” are, in my opinion, the most important traits an engineer can possess.

Upon graduation, I attended the University of Bridgeport, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The decision to do so was based upon two factors. First, I needed a school that was close to home, so that I could commute. Secondly, and of real importance, I wanted an engineering program that offered internship training.

I alternated semesters, taking classes one semester, and then working as an intern at a nearby bearing company for the other semester. I was able to pay for my schooling from the money I earned as an intern. What really mattered, however, was that I graduated with far more on-the-job experience than fellow students who did not enter into internship programs. Above all else, I feel this was the best career decision I have made. It allowed me to be far more marketable than my fellow graduates, in addition to paying for my student expenses. Upon graduation, I was instantly offered a job in Research and Development by the first company I applied to, and the one that I most wanted to work for.

After several years, my company offered me a paid sabbatical in order to pursue my MBA. One year into the program, my company was purchased by a German competitor, and the decision was made by the new management to cut funding to my degree program. I was offered the choice: come back to work full time and abandon my MBA, or find a new company to work for.

Because I knew I was highly marketable in a field that had a great deal of demand, I took the second option, and interviewed with a large corporation whose Research and Development operations were based out of Atlanta, Georgia. The company I had worked for was a small bearing firm that had a “family business” air to it. This new company was wholly different. Because they were a multinational corporation with various subsidiaries spread across the globe, they were on an entirely different level from what I was used to.

The company flew me to Atlanta for my interview, which lasted for two days. It was grueling. I met with the vice president, various department heads, and HR managers. Along with the typical questions, much of the interview was based around Schrodinger-like “thought experiments,” hypothetical problems that they would then ask for my expertise and knowledge in solving. My background in puzzle-solving was integral to the success I had in answering their questions.

Within a week, I had a job offer from the company to work in a Research and Development capacity, complete with a relocation package and the promise to pay for my MBA degree program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Naturally, I accepted. They were, in fact, the only firm I had applied to, and the initial offer to interview was a result of some opportune headhunting by one of their HR managers, right when my position with my former company was changing.

After several years with this firm, I heard that a position within the company as Global Marketing Director was opening up overseas. I have always felt that flexibility and adaptability were the best qualities an engineer can possess. I decided to apply for the position, even though I had no experience whatsoever in the field. I quickly ran out and bought a copy of “Marketing for Dummies” and read it in two days. That, and prior experience with the company, was all the preparation I had for the interview. It seems laughably meager in retrospect, but it worked.

I was offered the position, and moved my family to England, to begin this new phase of my career. I conducted trade shows, wrote ad campaigns, and met with company heads from a wide range of customers both in England and in mainland Europe. Even though I had no background in marketing, I had an intimate knowledge of our products from an engineering standpoint, and I understood what our buyers needed, which helped me to market our products effectively to them.

At the end of three years, our company, a subsidiary of a much larger firm, was bought in a semi-hostile takeover by a competitor. Under new management, I was told that my position in England as Global Marketing Director was no longer valid, and was offered instead to take a position with the company back in the States, or to find new employment elsewhere. I accepted a position within the company as Engineering Manager, the position I currently hold.

If you enjoyed this article, feel free to listen to some of our past online radio show programs for engineers on the Engineer Your Own Success archives page.

This is not a project that was started through an organization like Engineers Without Borders, someone simply asked Jeff to visit Haiti and asked him if it was a project that he would consider undertaking.  Three years later, 40 students, whose majors include civil engineering, financial management, English, environmental engineering, electrical engineering, sociology, and animal and veterinary sciences are part of the team.  The group has expanded from their water treatment and distribution system in Cange, Haiti, and is now addressing water and sanitation needs in 6 villages near Cange.

Some of Jeff’s day to day tasks include working with interdepartmental faculty, visiting Haiti from time to time, working with his team to ensure the safety and productivity of the engineering students that are currently in Haiti, and holding weekly classes with the entire team.  To create some structure for the volunteers, Jeff and the other team leaders have created 4 groups or departments: Current Operations, Projects, Design Component Specialists, and Communications and Training.  These groups help to ensure that all aspects of the projects are covered and the students are actively engaged.  Fluor employee David Vaughn, the group’s industry advisor, participates in multiple team meetings per week, offering expertise ranging from management to latrine design. 

I asked Jeff to explain what this experience on this project has meant to him and how he thinks it willaffect the development of his and the other team members engineering careers.  Here are his thoughts:  “Now, more than ever, it is critical for engineering students to be well rounded.  CEDC is designed for multi-semester participation and commitment.  When a student joins CEDC, he or she joins a team, working towards a common goal.  After 2 or 3 semesters in CEDC, this student is expected to step up and become a project manager or director.  As a student-led organization, we not only address design issues, but we work to develop students’ communication skills, teamwork, leadership, followership, and cultural awareness.  Sure, CEDC looks great on a resume, but graduates who participated in CEDC have seen the most benefit when they begin work and have a leg-up on their peers in terms of real-world experience.”

I commend Jeff and the rest of the CEDC volunteers for all of their effort on these wonderful projects! If you would like to learn more about the project or you know of a person or organization that might be willing to donate to the project, please contact Jeff at jplumbl@clemson.edu.

Below are some photos from the Haiti projects:

Featured Guest Blogger:

Merlin Kirschenman, P.E., CPC, M.ASCE, M. AIC

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has been a leader in “raising the bar” for the education of civil engineers.  In 2001, ASCE established the Task Committee on Academic Prerequisites for Professional Practice.  During a decade of work on raising the requirements for a professional engineer, this committee accomplished a lot, and in 2008 it published the Body Of Knowledge Second edition (BOK-2). This establishes the education requirement of a master’s degree in engineering, or equivalent, to qualify to be a licensed professional engineer.  The BOK-2 addresses  the necessary  non-technical topics, but it lacked emphasis or depth of knowledge in the non-technical, professional areas of the education phase; which is necessary to prepare the graduate engineer to function as a master builder and meet the requirements for ASCE’s Vision 2025.   The 5^th year of the BOK-2 is dedicated to technical knowledge topics; making it similar to a current advanced technical engineering degree.

Many engineers believe the “raise the bar” effort for engineering education should include significantly more professional preparation especially in leadership, management, business, communication and public policy. During the preparation of the ASCE BOK reports, some of the committee members with industry backgrounds tried to get more professionalism into the 5^th year of the CE curriculum. They proposed that the 5^th year should be a professional engineering degree instead of more technical knowledge. However, they were not successful in obtaining this level of professionalism in the BOK reports.

The following are a few comments and suggestions on how the concerns of those who want more professional aspects in the education process can be addressed while still addressing the concerns of those who want the primary emphasis to be on the technical aspects.  This debate has been going on for quite some time and it doesn’t appear like a resolution of the differences is forthcoming.

The consensus of the majority of the people involved in preparation of the BOK-2 apparently believes the emphasis should be on more technical preparation.  Those in industry want more professional preparation in the 5^th year which includes leadership, communication, business, public policy, management and team building; which is a professional engineering master’s degree. The non-technical professional component of engineering is more important than the technical component for the success of an engineer as a leader and master builder.

Therefore I propose the following:

1. There is little to be gained by extending this debate as to which approach should be followed. This raising the bar for engineering education will be a work in progress for a period of time.  The main thing is to start, and modification to the process can be made as necessary to continue accomplishing the objectives. We should proceed with both the technical and professional approaches simultaneously. There is room in the system for both the technical and professional approach.

2. There are certain advantages associated with both approaches. For the technical approach it would be easier for the universities to present this approach as most of the faculties’ credentials are technical, and it would be similar to what presently occurs.  For the professional approach it would prepare the graduates to be leaders and master builders as described in the ASCE Vision.  This professional engineering approach would address the present unmet professional education needs of the industry.  A recent report prepared for the ASCE October 2010 Board meeting included a survey result which stated that 74% of ASCE members support additional professional engineering education especially in leadership and communication.

3. Universities than could choose to offer either the technical or professional 5^th year of the BOK-2, or could offer both programs. Both would meet the education requirements for the new model licensing law.

4. The professional engineering master’s option likely would be very popular with students.  Many students know intuitively that they will need these professional skills to be successful.

5. The criteria for ABET accreditation would need to be developed so both the technical and professional masters degree would meet the ABET accreditation requirements for the 5^th year of education.

6. The professional engineering masters’ degree would be a better option for engineers than a MBA.  Many industry engineers are advising young engineers to get a MBA rather than an M Engineering for those who want to advance.  The reason is that the concepts of leadership, communication, management, business and team building apply to all levels of engineering, not just to those who have a management designation.

7. This professional engineering master’s degree option could be added to the BOK-2 as an amendment, at essentially no cost, without the necessity of having a BOK-3 committee with the associated committee costs.

CONCLUSION:

Many engineers in industry want more non-technical professional and leadership knowledge and skills integrated into the engineering education raise the bar effort.  The raise the bar effort should include a Professional Masters of Engineering option.  The non-technical component of engineering is more important than the technical component for the success of an engineer as a Leader and Master Builder as discussed in the ASCE VISION.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

If anyone agrees with the recommendation that we add a Professional  Masters of Engineering option to the 5^th year of the BOK-2 recommended 5 year education program, please contact me at m.kirschenman@ndsu.edu or Tom Lenox at ASCE.

Mr. Lenox is in charge of the ASCE’s raise the bar effort.

Mr. Lenox’s address is:

Thomas A. Lenox, Ph.D., M.ASCE
Executive Vice President
Professional & Educational Strategic Initiatives
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Email: tlenox@asce.org

Merlin Kirschenman is professor emeritus and former chair of the Construction Management and Construction Engineering Department at North Dakota State University. Before entering academia, he spent 20 years in industry as a construction engineer and manager, primarily in heavy construction such as oil refineries, chemical plants, large concrete arch dams, large earth dams, and other flood control projects. He joined NDSU to develop their construction engineering and construction management programs.  The CME Department received its first ABET accreditation for the construction engineering program and its first ACCE accreditation for its construction management program, during his tenure. He currently is a consultant in construction engineering and management.

This comprehensive, easy to read book provides the missing links that professionals, specifically engineers and technical professionals, need to implement into their lives to be successful beyond their wildest expectations. Fasano’s book has received rave advance reviews including an endorsement from Brian Tracy, well-known success guru and best-selling author of over 30 books including Create Your Own Future: How to Master 12 Critical Factors of Unlimited Success who had this to say about Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career: “This fast-moving insightful book is loaded with practical ideas to help you move onward and upward faster in your engineering career.”

Finally engineers and other professionals will be able to get the answers to questions they have been asking themselves for years. The reader will find out why goal setting is important; learn simple strategies to use to pass critical examinations the first time around, how to become a terrific public speaker and team leader, and so much more!

Pre-sale interest has been high for Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career. As well, Fasano’s recent video “How Social Media Has Changed My Life” was awarded top honoros in Mashable.com and CNN iReport’s contest in June, 2011. In continuing his efforts to give back to his community wherever possible, Fasano will be donating a portion of the sales of each book sold to Engineers Without Borders, an organization that promotes community driven development programs worldwide.

Anthony Fasano, AKA Your Professional Partner, CEO and founder of Powerful Purpose Associates, is a nationally recognized professional coach and inspirational speaker specializing in the areas of business growth and career development, as well as leadership. Fasano has been a keynote speaker at hundreds of events and has had a huge impact on many professionals including engineers, engineering organizations, community groups, Chamber of Commerce’s, and small business owners. Fasano sends out brief but powerful daily e-mail messages to professional’s worldwide called A Daily Boost from Your Professional Partner, which help inspire professionals to achieve career success. To sign up for these motivational tips, go to www.PowerfulPurpose.com.

After much anticipation from engineers and business professionals around the globe, Anthony Fasano, P.E. today announced the release of his first book, Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career, which is available for purchase at www.EngineerSuccessToday.com.  By visiting this site you can find out how by purchasing the book today you will receive 2 FREE gifts from the author.

This comprehensive, easy to read book provides the missing links that professionals, specifically engineers and technical professionals, need to implement into their lives to be successful beyond their wildest expectations. Fasano’s book has received rave advance reviews including an endorsement from Brian Tracy, well-known success guru and best-selling author of over 30 books including Create Your Own Future: How to Master 12 Critical Factors of Unlimited Success who had this to say about Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career: “This fast-moving insightful book is loaded with practical ideas to help you move onward and upward faster in your engineering career.”

Finally engineers and other professionals will be able to get the answers to questions they have been asking themselves for years. The reader will find out why goal setting is important; learn simple strategies to use to pass critical examinations the first time around, how to become a terrific public speaker and team leader, and so much more!

Pre-sale interest has been high for Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career. As well, Fasano’s recent video “How Social Media Has Changed My Life” was awarded top honoros in Mashable.com and CNN iReport’s contest in June, 2011. In continuing his efforts to give back to his community wherever possible, Fasano will be donating a portion of the sales of each book sold to Engineers Without Borders, an organization that promotes community driven development programs worldwide.

Anthony Fasano, AKA Your Professional Partner, CEO and founder of Powerful Purpose Associates, is a nationally recognized professional coach and inspirational speaker specializing in the areas of business growth and career development, as well as leadership. Fasano has been a keynote speaker at hundreds of events and has had a huge impact on many professionals including engineers, engineering organizations, community groups, Chamber of Commerce’s, and small business owners. Fasano sends out brief but powerful daily e-mail messages to professional’s worldwide called A Daily Boost from Your Professional Partner, which help inspire professionals to achieve career success. To sign up for these motivational tips, go to www.PowerfulPurpose.com.

Featured Guest Blogger: Jeff Goodling

Historically political leaders have held power though the use of fear, either the fear of the despot (Stalin, Duvalier, Amin, etc.), or by offering protection from those that are feared (providing sanctuary within the castle walls).  Many of today’s business leaders continue to believe that fear is an appropriate tool to motivate their employees.  These leaders will state that the company can’t stay ahead of its competitors unless productivity increases, that the employee can be replaced by someone who will work harder or cheaper, or creating competition between two employees for a promotion.

I don’t think anyone wants to admit that they are living in fear, but we make decisions based upon fear daily, and many of those fear based decisions (i.e. jumping out of the way of a speeding car) are sensible.  I think it’s healthy to acknowledge our fears, and also to acknowledge that stress is only a more acceptable term for fear.  Frankly, without any stress in my life I’m not sure I’d get out of bed every morning.

I also recognize that stress can temporarily motivate employees.  However the medical profession is convinced that it is not a sustainable state, and in my experience creating a stressful work environment causes your best employees (those with the most options) to be the first to leave.

This leads us to the crux of the issue — how do you lead without creating stress?

Allow me to me digress for a moment.  In the Project Management industry the two most common metrics used to judge success are cost and schedule.  First, I’ll submit that cost and schedule are one in the same (i.e. if I give you a $1m budget, but only give you a day to do the work, you will necessarily come in under budget).  But, these two metrics only begin to define a successful project.  In fact in addition to cost and schedule, your project will not be considered a success if it isn’t also of an acceptable quality, doesn’t receive widespread stakeholder approval, and is completed safely.  In other words, there are no simple answers.

It’s natural to desire an easily definable problem and solution.  This is particularly true of engineers who are trained to believe that there is a right and wrong answer to every problem.  The truth however is that nothing is black or white, but a million shades of grey.

The same is true for managing people, some are:

• Achievers,
• Motivated by stress,
• Only interested in enjoying themselves,
• Seeking a non-threatening environment,
• Desiring autonomy,
• Looking for interesting and fulfilling work,

How does one lead when every employee is seeking something different from their job? 

Please pardon me for using a sports analogy, but I happen to think that the business world could benefit from replacing the terms; supervisor, boss, leader, etc. with the term Coach.  The coach’s job is in its simplest to win.  To do so the coach needs to field the best team he can.  Yet every year we see teams with less athleticism, experience, etc. who perform better than the teams loaded with talent.  What is it that the coaches of these less skilled players are doing?

What the great coach does is he motivates his players to play as a ‘team’ – to set aside their egos for the sake of the team.

The great coach determines how he can get the most from his players.  He spends the time to get to know each of their unique skills, determine what positions they are naturally best at, and what training they need.  Equally important the coach gets rid of the players that are a danger to the team’s chemistry, regardless of their skill level.   

The best coach’s spend as much time with their less skilled, but highly motivated players as he does with his stars.  That coach recognizes that in the right situation one of those players could grow into his Kurt Warner. (Kurt Warner spent 4 years in the Arena Football league before finally making an NFL team and then going on to earn two MVP awards.)

In summary, the successful coach (manager) recognizes that there is no one easy recipe for success, and specifically that creating a stressful environment (while it might accomplish short term goals) is not sustainable.  Instead this coach cares about each of his players, recognizes their individuality, treats them with respect, acknowledges that their success and his are inextricably linked, and does everything he can to create a synergy within the team.

Do you create stress for your staff or team?  If not, how do you avoid creating stress?

Jeff Goodling is a project director with Parsons Brinkerhoff.  He has a 25-year record of success overseeing all phases of multimillion-dollar design and construction projects, which have been delivered on-time, on-budget, safely, of the highest quality, and with widespread appreciation from the communities benefitting from them. He is currently responsible for the management of the Engineering and Project Management Contract (EPMC) for the Mumbai Metro One Project. The $750m Mumbai Metro One (MMO) Project is a 12.5 km., fully elevated, PPP, heavy rail system including 12 stations and a maintenance depot, and will be the first modern mass transit system to be built in Mumbai, India.

Featured Guest Blogger: Jason C Faulkner, P.E.

In the short course of my career I have tried many methods for getting things done.  Many of those methods were unsuccessful, but when it comes to leadership I believe I have discovered a winning path.  I want to share what I believe is the best definition of leadership and how others can improve their future leading endeavors.

I have read many books on the topic of leadership yet I have not read one that gave a clear and simple definition.  The books written on leadership typically give examples of what leadership looks like, what can be accomplished with leadership, and examples of people who have demonstrated leadership qualities.  So, let me begin by finally providing a clear definition.

Leadership is defined as the ability to motivate people (or resources) to complete a prioritized agenda.

At first sight this definition may sound too simplistic to define leadership.  As you read further I believe you will come to agree that this definition is correct and will also begin to understand why so many people think that leadership is more than what was stated previously.

To understand why both components of leadership (motivation and prioritization) are necessary we must look at what happens when people attempt to lead with only one of the critical components.  I will start with what I call the “Do Everything” approach.  These people typically try to accomplish all goals simultaneously.  The problem with this approach is that we live in a world of limited time and resources.  Even Ancient Rome for all its power could not conquer the entire known world simultaneously.  A leader must recognize that in order to accomplish the most difficult problems, resources must be pulled away from non-critical tasks to ensure that the most critical tasks are certain to succeed.  Imagine if Rome in ancient times had tried conquering all surrounding nations simultaneously.  At first it might appear that Rome would accomplish their goal of world domination at a faster pace until they realized they were being attacked on all sides and suddenly face insurmountable odds.  Leading in the same manner, by attacking all fronts simultaneously, without prioritizing, will often result in resources becoming too spread out and team members heading in too many different directions.  Attacking all fronts simultaneously will prevent resources from being diverted to critical needs when unexpected challenges occur and in the end nothing, or very little, ever gets done.

Now look at the other side of the coin.  Throughout my career I have come across people who were certain they were excellent leaders because of their ability to prioritize an agenda.  After all, I come from an engineering background and engineers with their analytical skills typically make excellent prioritized agendas.  The problem for many engineers, and often me included, is not their ability to prioritize, but rather their ability to motivate.  Let’s consider the example of what I call the “Non Motivator”.  The non motivator is excellent at prioritizing but is horrible at motivation.  They often bark out orders on one extreme or on the other extreme are so timid that they fail to sell their ideas.  You can have the best laid out brilliant plans but if you cannot motivate people then you become a “leader of one.”  There are some things you can accomplish on your own, but great problems need great teamwork to solve.  Having the best ideas does not always equate to the best motivation for others to follow and without the help of others in the end nothing, or very little, ever gets done.

The motivation factor of leadership is the portion that can make leadership difficult to recognize.  For every person you meet, there is a new person motivated by different things.  This is what camouflages leadership, because depending on who you are leading, leadership can look very different.  For example, I am a person that is typically motivated by stress, the higher the stakes, the closer the deadline, the larger the audience, the better I perform.  I recognize that others get overwhelmed by stress and require a calm environment to succeed.  I have worked under several bosses that were demanding and at times rough around the edges.  However, I felt they had good leadership skills because they knew what they wanted and didn’t waste my time with pleasantries.  They would tell me what they expected and when they expected to have it.  They kept me under enough stress to keep me motivated.  However, for each one of these bosses there were people working with the same person who felt this person was a terrible leader often because they were offended by the harshness or blunt honesty.  Who is correct?  I suggest both.

A good leader can motivate some people, but a great leader can identify and apply motivation needed for each person around them.  I do not consider myself to be a great leader at this point in my career.  My engineering background helps me with prioritizing an agenda, but it may take me a lifetime to develop the skill to instantly recognize the motivation factors for each personality I encounter and effectively apply that motivation in a way that is constructive for our common goals.  I will admit that at times I become frustrated when trying to motivate people with the same forces that motivate me.  I then step back and approach it with an understanding that different people need different things to be successful. The possibility that you could surround yourself with people who are motivated by the same things that motivate yourself is unlikely and may not be desirable.  Different personalities and motivations will often equate to different skill sets.  Having team members that are motivated by different forces yet share common goals may result in a synergism that improves the efforts towards accomplishing those goals as a team.  This will provide an atmosphere where people can work on the elements of the project they most enjoy doing, thus providing motivational reinforcement.

What is important to recognize is that to improve as a leader you must understand that two equally important components prioritization and motivation are necessary.  Being an effective leader often requires sacrificing non-critical components for what is feasible and vital to the project.  Reaching for more beyond the critical components can then be assessed if time and resources permit.  Likewise, we often are not given a choice of who we work with and must strive to apply the proper motivation for each individual team member to maximize our leadership potential.

On a final note, if you are working with a person who is attempting to lead with a motivational system that seems incompatible to your own you may find it beneficial to ask to speak to them in private to explain what common goals you share with this person and what incentives you need to be productive.  I have found that bosses and leaders are often accommodating in providing the needs of their team members once they are made aware of those needs.  Your personal motivators may seem obvious to you, but not so obvious to others.  Being open and honest with your leaders and fellow team members about your particular motivations while encouraging others to do the same may be one of the most effective methods to improve your success as a team member and a leader.

Please share your thoughts on leadership.

Jason C. Faulkner, P.E. lives in Chicago and is a Structural Engineer working on the Zion Nuclear Power Plant Restoration Project for ZionSolutions LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of EnergySolutions). He earned a BSCE from the University of South Florida and a Masters of Structural Engineering from The Illinois Institute of Technology.  At the University of South Florida he served as a Student Chapter President and received the ASCE Florida Section Outstanding Service Award. He is a past Corresponding Member to the ASCE Committee on Younger Members and currently serves as the Chair of the ASCE Illinois Section YMG.