Leadership Development for Engineering Managers

Many recent reports from business and industry list leadership as one of the areas that must be shaped by engineering curricula to meet the needs of a modern industrial society. Also, a recurring theme from American business and industry is that leadership must emerge at all levels if we are to maintain our competitive edge. Because of the changing nature of modern engineering, young technical or staff engineers must grow into leadership roles faster than their predecessors. Thus, some type of formal leader development process must be incorporated into engineering education programs along with on-the-job training to respond to the changing nature of the engineering profession. This paper presents a framework for defining those key leadership qualities that are relevant to engineers. This framework can be used by engineers to assess and refine their skills as part of the leadership development process. Recommendations are presented that engineers can use throughout their professional careers to improve their leadership abilities.