8/6/2019 Why Engineers Need Executive Development

1/1

Part of Letter Published in PE Magazine February 2011

I am an Engineer and like all Engineers I am driven by the need to create solutions to meet the needs

of humanity. Normally for engineers this is achieved by the application of scientific and

mathematical principles to practical ends for example in areas such as climate change and the drive

toward a low carbon economy.

So, why does an engineer like me want to deliver executive development? To enable solutions to be

created the education system instils engineers with great technical knowledge but to be able to lead

organisations on delivering on these solutions requires more than just knowledge but also a know-

how ofhow to lead that has to be developed.

Executive development can equip and inspire leaders to think clearly, be confident and take

innovative action. Engineers understand sustainability, how to take and analyse measurements and

the importance of added-value. As engineers we can be very process driven forgetting that

processes are also people driven, and so a core issue for engineers to understand is that leadershipand management is about people, about communication, about team working and galvanising other

people to do things, for themselves, for their boss, for their teams and for the organisation. High

performance leaders get things done through others.

Leadership is about Innovation, change management and the building of high performance teams,

and these are key issues in any organisation. Great leaders create a vision (this fuels innovation),

take action (this demands change management) and engages with people, to create an environment

where change happens and is sustained, and to lead/move people to where they need to be in line

with the cultural aspiration of the organisation.

The key to how a business is defined is not just about its product(s) or service but also about its

values and culture. The values of an organisation are its DNA and this defines the people and their

behaviours and engineers as leaders need to have the emotional intelligence, the ability to identify,

assess and control not only their own emotions but those of others. Values based leadership is about

openness, honesty, trust, passion, inspiration, and innovation

Leadership and management development gives engineers the courage and confidence to make

decisions and to be aware of the impact of those decisions on individuals and on the organisation

and in that way builds trust in all stakeholders. Giving confidence to people that you lead (in you as a

leader and in themselves) and motivation enables them grow and to do things differently and to do

different things, innovating thus creating high performance teams.

So, engineers are driven by the need to create solutions to meet the needs of humanity, but in order

to deliver on those solutions great leaders are required, and this is where I feel there is a need for

executive development, enabling high performance leadership and team working, together with

technical expertise in the areas such as project management , to drive change and make the world a

better place.

Paul Butler CEng FIMechE