The Engineer’s Guide to Authentic Leadership is a comprehensive guide to mastering the art of leadership in the technical world. It addresses the gap in essential leadership qualities —such as communication, emotional intelligence, ethics, teamwork, and other soft skills— by providing a roadmap for technical professionals to develop these crucial competencies. Drawing on recent employer surveys and decades of experience, it highlights the importance of skills beyond technical knowledge and demonstrates how to apply them effectively in real-world settings.
This resource introduces the challenges faced by emerging technical professionals, illustrated with real-life scenarios. It guides the reader in overcoming barriers and becoming an effective, authentic leader. While featuring interviews with a diverse group of authentic leaders who started from humble beginnings. These interviews provide practical advice and call attention to the various paths to successful leadership, demonstrating that anyone can become a great leader with the right mindset and skills. This book also focuses on the tools and insights necessary to bridge the gap between technical expertise and effective leadership. The reader will learn from the experiences of others, understand what it takes to be a true leader, and prepare for a fulfilling and successful career. Discover potential, overcome doubts, and embark on a journey to become a leader in the world of engineering.
This book is written for technical professionals who aspire to move up the career ladder orare already on that path. It is designed to help its reader grow both professionally and personally, continuously improve, and be ready for ever-increasing challenges and successes. It will aid in understanding oneself, dealing with occasional failures, and learning how to respond and overcome them.
Forward
Preface
SECTION I
Introduction
Chapter 1. Familiar Experiences
SECTION II
Introduction
Exploding the Myths
Chapter 2. Myths About Ourselves as Leaders
Chapter 3. Myths about Leadership
Chapter 4. Organizational Influences
Chapter 5. Societal and Family Beliefs
Finding Your Inner Leader
Chapter 6. The Truth About You
Chapter 7. Assessing Your Leadership Potential
Chapter 8. Creating a Vision for What You Want
Chapter 9. Growing Your Leader Self: Seeking Support
Making a Difference
Chapter 10. Be the Change You Want to Be
Chapter 11. Action Learning
Chapter 12. Drawing Your Roadmap
Chapter 13. Relationships Are Key
Why the World Needs You
Chapter 14. The Call to Leadership
Chapter 15. Broadened Perspectives
Chapter 16. Collaboration Across Borders
Chapter 17. Sustainable Leadership
SECTION III
Forward
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 18. Chong
Chapter 19. Emery
Chapter 20. Johnson
Chapter 21. Kolbeck
Chapter 22. Povolny
Chapter 23. Weimerskirch
Chapter 24. Epilogue
Chapter 25. Conclusions
Appendices
Bibliography