Engineers and other technical professionals many times find themselves promoted into management. A different set of skills is needed to thrive in this new role. Leadership is one of those skills.

1. Leadership in
Engineering Management – Taking
Your Career to the Next Level
David Tennant, PE, PMP
www.windward.ws
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2. Contents
Why do I want to be in
Engineering Management?
How do I get there?
What are the skills
needed?
What role does leadership
play?
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3. Is Management for You?
How many want to move into
a management role?
How many are already in a
management role?
How many want to move into
an executive management
role?
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4. Typical Technical Career Path
Managerial
Technical
(Business focus)
(Technology focus)
At some point
in your career,
you will come
to a fork in the
road.
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5. Is Management for You?
Have you considered project management?
PM Core competencies
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Team Builder & Leader
Presentation/Public Speaking
People Skills (i.e. “Soft Skills”)
Ability to Plan—Attention to Detail
Budgeting & Scheduling
Basic Technical Understanding
Flexibility
 Administration
 Ability to Make Decisions
 Understanding the PM Process
 Negotiation skills
 Project Leadership
 Integrity
 Critical thinking
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6. Is Management for You?
Role Comparison
Project Manager
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Budgets
Schedules
Team building
Client satisfaction
Conflict resolution
Stakeholder management
Quality
Politics
Resources
Coordination
Problem solving
Communication skills
Sr. Executive
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Budgets
Finance & Wall St.
Milestones
Team building
Client satisfaction
Conflict resolution
Board management
Politics
Resources
Marketing/sales
Problem solving
Strategy
Visionary
Communication skills
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7. Is Management for You?
Have you considered project management?
Project Management is a good
stepping stone to Senior
Management!
C-Level
COO/CEO
VP
Supervisor
Project
Mgr.
Manager
Director
Engineer
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8. What Stakeholders Expect of the PM
By management: Reach the objective on time, on budget, and
within performance parameters. All this should be done with a
minimum of friction.
By your peers: Work with me to resolve conflict and do not
spring surprises—keep me informed. Give me reasonable
deadlines and plan as far in advance as possible.
By your subordinates: Give us the freedom to do our job,
but be available when we need help.
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9. The True Meaning of Project Management
Client Requirements
Design & Engr.
“will it work?”
“When can I have it?”
(Tech issues)
Social & Community
Mistrust
“NIMBY”
Procurement
Regulations
(Supplier Issues)
(Financial,
Environmental, etc.)
Team Issues
“conflict”
Corporate Culture
“Politics”
Sr. Mgmt.
On time & budget!
Project Work
-Communications
-Risks
- Planning
- Quality, etc
Public Relations
“The Media”
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10. Leadership
Can you define “Leadership?”
What does this mean to you?
The best advice I ever
received was to have a point
of view about the future that
focuses on the customer.
- Alan Mulally
CEO, Ford
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11. Leadership
A few insights:
A Leader takes people where they would never go on their own”
--Hans Finzel
“Leadership is influence, period”
-- John Maxwell
“A leader is honest, competent, forward-looking and inspiring”
-- James Kouzes
“Great leadership consists of character, personal capabilities, focus
on results, interpersonal skills, and leading organizational change”
--John Zenger
“Key elements of leadership include vision, character, commitment,
leading change”
–Dave Ulrich
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12. Leadership
Discussion Questions:
1. Are leaders made or born?
2. Can one improve his/her leadership abilities?
3. List 3 or 4 traits of leadership:
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13. Pick up any book on leadership and you will
find leadership traits such as:
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Having high personal integrity
Visionary
Competent
Focused on Results
Having strong interpersonal skills
A great communicator
Able to motivate others
Decisive
A change agent
Follow through on commitments
Ability to influence others
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14. Leader vs. Manager
You want to be here
Project Leader
Project Manager
• Set Direction
• Inspire teamwork
• Align employees
• Motivate & support
• Plan & budget
• Organize work
• Staff project
• Control project
Inspiration
Administration
Leadership is the ability to get things done through other people.
Adapted from Vijay Verma, HR Skills for the Project Manager
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15. How Do Leaders Go Wrong?
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Abusive and arrogant
Dictatorship in decision making
Egocentric manner
Poor interpersonal skills
Absence of praise or affirmation
Lack of delegation
Poor communicator
Oblivious to the corporate culture
Poor listener
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16. How Do Leaders Go Wrong?
Some leaders fail because they are oblivious to the
corporate culture (see previous list). Can you imagine
an outsider coming in to run your company?
Can you write down your company’s mission statement?
It’s core values? Why is this important?
Would an outsider understand this? Why do companies
sometimes bring in outsiders to run a firm?
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17. America’s Worst Business Leaders
What went wrong?
Top 20
The 20 Worst American CEOs
of all time?
CNBC assembled a panel of
professors from top business
schools to rank the records of
CEOs, Those listed here most
effectively destroyed value and
innovation, while displaying the
worst management skills
throughout their tenure.
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Dick Fuld – Lehman Bros
Angelo Mozilo – Countrywide
Ken Lay – Enron
Jimmy Cayne – Bear Stearns
Bernie Ebbers – Worldcom
Al Dunlop – Sunbeam
Fred Joseph – Drexel
Jay Gould – (Railroads, 1890’s)
John Patterson – NCR (1920,s)
John Akers – IBM
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18. America’s Worst Business Leaders
Top 20 “worst”
Continued….
Roger Smith
GM
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20.
Henry Frick – Carnegie Steel
Bob Allen – AT&T
Roger Smith – GM
John Sculley – Apple (prior to S. Jobs)
Martin Sullivan – AIG
Gerald Levin – AOL-Time Warner
Bob Nardelli – Home Depot
Stan O’Neal – Merrill Lynch
Carly Fiorina – HP
Vikram Pandit – Citi ---$160-million
payout to go away!!
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19. Managing Teams
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
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Absence of trust
Fear of conflict
Lack of commitment
Avoidance of accountability
Not focused on results
From: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
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20. Comments on Conflict
“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.”
--African Proverb
“Conflict lies at the core of
innovation.”
-- Emanuel R. Piore
“Conflict avoiders do not
make good project
managers.”
-- Jack Meredith
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21. How Can I Become a Better Leader?
1. Develop/display high personal
character
2. Develop new skills
(take a course, attend a seminar).
3. Find a coach or mentor
4. Always follow through on
commitments
5. Identify your strengths &
weaknesses
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22. How Can I Become a Better Leader?
6. Observe how leaders conduct
themselves
7. Work to become better at
negotiation and influencing others.
8. Avoid the “mistakes” that leaders
make discussed earlier (arrogance,
dictatorial, poor listener, etc.)
9. Learn from your mistakes.
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23. Tips I Have Picked Up Along the Way
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses
Not everyone is a team player
You can’t do it all yourself – learn to delegate
Stay focused on the objectives
Hold people accountable
Never stop learning
Leave the technical stuff behind
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24. Leadership
He who thinks he leads, but
has no followers, is only out
for a walk.
- Author unknown
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25. Thank You!
www.windward.ws
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