Genius or Genesis? Are Engineering Leaders Born or Made?
At the heart of your engineering department are the people who make it all work: the engineers who develop and maintain new technologies, create prototypes and manage projects are the people who make your business tick. But their team is more than just a collection of individuals. The way they work together as a unit has a significant impact on your business' success.
It's no secret that engineers can be challenging to manage in the traditional sense. Their skills, intelligence, independence, and innate ability to view the world differently from others make engineers indispensable - but these qualities can make for turbulence within teams. That's why outstanding leadership is the key to building a successful engineering team.
Great Engineering Leaders - Born or Made?
Contrary to the idiom, leaders are absolutely made rather than born. There are those among us who possess innate qualities that predispose us to leadership, of course. But leadership skills are made of muscles that all of us can train, just as we develop our technical skills. Today, we will unpack that journey, from acquiring leadership skills to nurturing innate ones, and how your ambitious engineers can become influential trailblazers who can lead your engineering teams to greatness.
The On-going Journey of Leadership Skills Acquisition
The skill set of a brilliant engineering leader is a treasure chest filled with powerful abilities like communication, efficient decision-making, thorough problem-solving and intelligent delegation. Some of us might have these skills naturally, but remember, these assets aren't just acquired but honed by practice and improved by insights gained by a combination of curiosity and throwing ourselves into the thick of things.
Have you ever observed a fellow engineer making coordination seem effortless while managing complex projects? That's not an accidental talent; it's a skilled application of knowledge garnered from their advanced degrees and certifications and a keen willingness to learn from every experience.
So what if you could be more naturally talented in the leadership department? The engineering field is a solid training ground, where even something as simple as a miscalculation or a scheduling mishap can become a valuable learning opportunity. It's all about developing a growth mindset.
Mindset and Leadership
The first competency to develop, which underpins and unlocks learning of all other skills and competencies, is developing a growth mindset.
A growth mindset, believing in your capacity to learn and develop new skills through effort and resilience, can be the secret weapon in your leadership repertoire. Why, you ask? Because it enables us engineers to tackle challenges in ingenious ways. Let's unfold this concept more.
I highly recommend the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, PhD. Dr Dweck introduced the world to the concept of growth mindset, which has since been adopted by educators, parents, coaches and leaders alike.
When you embrace a growth mindset, every failure becomes an exciting investigation, and every setback becomes a launch pad for innovation. It's like taking a circuit that's repeatedly shorting and examining it closely instead of just patching it up to engineer a superior, more efficient solution.
A growth mindset as a leader in engineering also involves encouraging and fostering the same spirit amongst your team members. Imagine a team where each member sees a challenge as an opportunity to learn; such a team solves problems efficiently and grows collectively in experience and knowledge.
Recognising and Refining Innate Leadership Skills
When speaking of innate leadership skills - charisma, confidence, the ability to inspire others - these aren't just natural talents. Yes, they're gold nuggets that some engineers have been lucky to unearth early on, but they need continuous refining, too. After all, a piece of raw gold only shines once polished.
Even if these innate skills seem scarcer in engineering than their acquired counterparts, they're not extinct! You'll spot them even if formal leadership training is absent, allowing some of your fellow engineers to motivate and guide teams to successful project completion.
Practical Guidance to Foster Leadership Skills
Remember, natural talent or not, leadership growth is for all. In our engineering universe, this is especially true, where leadership skills are as integral as understanding Newton's Laws.
Want a proactive step to take today? Start looking for training and educational courses on leadership development from renowned universities and professional bodies. Additionally, coaches and mentors are invaluable resources who can offer personalised guidance, share their in-the-field experiences, and teach your engineers to navigate their journey. Read more about my take on engineering leadership mentorship here.
Remember the old wisdom: practice makes perfect. So, encourage the entire team to embrace every opportunity to provide guidance to others. Each encounter will develop the ability to communicate effectively, make informed decisions, and solve problems efficiently.
Conclusion
As we wrap up, take with you this realisation: the debate between acquired and innate leadership skills isn't decisive – but leadership qualities can certainly be nurtured over time. This is fundamental, especially in engineering, where effective leadership is the doorway to success. Developing leadership skills through education, mentorship, or hands-on experience is a worthwhile pursuit for every engineer. Forge your path with these tools, and you'll soon see a better leader and a problem solver able to steer your team confidently through any storm.
Embrace the Growth with Craggs Engineering
Feeling fired up about fostering a growth mindset? Are you eager to engineer your engineers' path towards effective leadership? Our mission is to offer you quality articles like this one and extend an experienced, friendly hand to assist you in building the best engineering leadership your business could ask for.
Whether it's mentorship, leadership coaching or concrete problem-solving strategies, we're all set and excited to get started. Tap into our treasure trove of first-hand experience, practical knowledge and empathetic guidance by booking a free consultation.