Attributes

For the engineer technical leader career growth model Attributes fall into 4 broad categories: Technical, Business Acumen, Leadership and Growing Others. Engineers are often surprised that technical is only 1/4.

Technical: Complexity & Scope, Depth vs Breadth, Innovation
Business Acumen: Product Impact, Competitive, Strategic
Leadership: Execution Delivery, Influence, Teamwork
Growing Others: Coach/Train, Mentor/Role Model/Outreach, Advocate/Sponsor

en-gi-neer [en-juh-neer]

I have longed believed that engineering is a team sport. While solo-work is necessary to accomplishing engineering work, ultimately your work connects to another engineers work. In this video clip I express what motivates me when working on an engineering team. The genesis of this video. Around 2010 Dadi Perlmutter, an Intel VP, initiated creating a series of videos featuring … read the resten-gi-neer [en-juh-neer]

How Are Your Technical Contributions Evaluated?

A Technology Development Perspective If you do not maintain and grow your technical expertise you will limit your pathways in technical leadership.  It remains an attribute of your engineer’s career stool that distinguishes this trail from the engineering manager trail. Therefore, as you develop the other legs you never neglect it. “Technical expertise must come first…. Technical leadership starts there. … read the restHow Are Your Technical Contributions Evaluated?

The Two Trails of Leadership

What comes to mind when you think of leadership?           Leading a Team           Motivating a Team           Managing a Team           Directing a Team Technical leaders do need to manage teams to yield technical results. This trail has many guidebooks. Intertwined with the team trail is setting direction and decisions. I have found less guidebooks for this trail. Based … read the restThe Two Trails of Leadership

Why Don’t You Teach Someone?

Training someone else in a skill you have mastered does not require years of mastery.  To grow others takes practice just like any other skill. Training provides the most concrete way to grow other engineers in your field. Engineering, like most technical fields, does not offer formal education in how to teach. Anyone recall the unevenness in your college engineering … read the restWhy Don’t You Teach Someone?

What Is the Technical Ladder?

Have you ever wondered why corporations refer to their promotion paths as ladders? Maybe it’s because you need to be able to climb to get to that next promotion. Maybe it’s because you need to build something before you get to that next rung on the promotion ladder. Maybe it’s because the image speaks of being higher than others. Maybe … read the restWhat Is the Technical Ladder?