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a967ymIrU4 Profiles

Profiles in Quality

Most leaders understand the importance of quality. Some study quality theory, reading authors like Joseph Juran and W. Edwards Deming. And a few, like Arnie Weimerskirch, make it the focus of their work. Arnie is one of the leaders featured in The Engineer’s Guide to Authentic Leadership.

Harry Hertz, director emeritus of the Baldrige Program and author of the online column “The Baldrige Cheermudgeon,” profiled Arnie in a recent post titled A Career in Industry and Baldrige. Hertz shares some of Arnie’s history and observations about the value of taking a systems approach to quality. It’s concise, engaging, and worth reading.

Guy Baldwin Profiles

Remembering Bob Johnson

Robert Michael “Bob” Johnson is one of the leaders featured in The Engineer’s Guide to Authentic Leadership. His story alone is reason enough to read the book. Here’s what he said about lifelong learning:

“I came back to Honeywell [after World War II] and I went back to the university on the GI Bill. I took courses like mold design, metallurgy, things I was using in my work. I loved that kind of stuff. I did this while I was working. Never stopped. I got married in 1948 but kept going to school. I believed in education.

“Look at the history of manufacturing. Go back to Thales when he discovered magnetism 500 years before Christ. It’s all a pyramid of knowledge being built. If you don’t continue to learn, you climb up to a point, but it goes beyond you. Technology is moving all the time, and you need to keep reaching. Engineers and managers should continue learning, even if it’s reading books and tech manuals and journals and articles online.”

Bob taught at the University of St. Thomas until he was 93, and had an active mind and social life for another decade. Bob died April 28, 2025, at the age of 103. We were lucky to know him and work with him for many years. He was one of a kind.

a967ymIrU4 Articles, Professional Articles, Uncategorized

Wisdom from a Proven Leader

Sir George Buckley, known internationally for leadership in business and academics, generously provided comments on both our books. He currently serves as chancellor at the University of Huddersfield, where he earned his first degree in engineering. On his return in 2020, he shared some of his views on leadership. Here’s our favorite part.

We’ve got the Sir George Buckley Leadership Center here, which was officially launched last year, and it’ll see the development of our future leaders. What key characteristics do you think make an excellent leader?

“Courage, charisma, knowledge, wisdom, communications capability, that ability to inspire people who are not inspired or get them to lift their performance, it might not necessarily be military, but in all kinds of ways, in all walks of life in industry, leaders are the people that always seem to have that hard to define capability of doing what’s right at the right time and leading is a privilege and a responsibility and an obligation.

So if you have the privilege of leading a group of people, you have the obligation to do your level best to help them in all walks, whether it’s getting resources for them, helping with the objectives. And you have another obligation, which is to come across partly as an oracle. When you have a conversation with someone like the one we’re having today, in all great conversations sometimes you get to be a teacher and sometimes you get to be a student. And they’re the very best interactions you can have with people because again, life, companies, educational institutes, you know, the women’s institutes or whatever it would be, it’s always about people. It’s always about people.”

Watch the whole interview here.

Guy Baldwin Podcasts

Ron Bennett on the Leadership Blueprint Podcast

Podcast graphic

BJ Kraemer, president and CEO of MCFA, hosts the podcast Leadership Blueprints. He invites guests from architecture, engineering, construction, development and related industries to share insights on leadership. In our recent conversation, we discussed The Engineer’s Guide to Authentic Leadership, and what draws people to technical fields and inspires them to pursue leadership responsibilities. Kraemer is a lively and engaging host. I hope you enjoy it.

Want to hear more? Join BJ each week for a deep dive into the strategies and mindsets that drive real change and lead to real results.

a967ymIrU4 Personal Development, Uncategorized

Developing Your Own Story

When interviewing the leaders featured in our book and on the website, we wanted to learn how they developed their attitudes and skills. We created a series of questions to help identify their beliefs, behaviors, and experiences. What events, people, and life-changing moments had major impacts on their development? Those questions follow this discussion.

We also believe that you, the reader, can learn more about yourself by identifying your own life experiences. Use these questions as a starting point for knowing yourself better. We encourage you to add questions of your own.

You may choose to do this alone, or to interview others and share your responses. Others often see in us things we do not see in ourselves.What you learn about yourself will provide a solid basis for ongoing reflection, development, and growth.

George Buckley, former CEO of 3M, said “It’s better to have your shadow on results rather than your fingerprints.” While lights shine on a team and its work, that kind of leader stays behind the scenes. These interviews brought some of them into the light to show the knowledge and skills and experiences that made them successful. We hope they will do the same for you.

The questions:

  • There are said to be five major forces that form our beliefs: family, religion, education, friends and media. Which of these has been most influential on your beliefs?
  • What childhood experiences formed your early values and beliefs?
  • How did your education influence your thinking?
  • What early work experiences motivated you to pursue the path you chose?
  • How did you lead your organization(s)? What were the characteristics you demonstrated that made you effective?
  • What did you accomplish? Of what accomplishment are you most proud?
  • How did you enable people to exercise their personal power and leadership?
  • What are your management philosophies?
  • Tell me your views on innovation.
  • What crucial experiences transformed your thinking about yourself and your role in your family? Your professional life? Your role in any organization?
  • Who do you consider examples of great leaders, and what are the characteristics that make them exceptional leaders?
  • Talk about how your thinking has evolved over the years.
  • How do you see the world now compared to when you began your career?
  • Did it evolve gradually so that you hardly noticed, or were there “aha” moments that caused you to change? Describe those incidents and what resulted.
  • How has the work environment today changed from when you began your career?
  • Would those changes affect the way your thinking developed?
  • What one message would you want readers to learn from your experience?

Please feel free to modify these questions, or add others of your own, to more fully develop your own story.

a967ymIrU4 Reviews

“Remarkable Impact in the Community”

Rev. Dennis Dease, President Emeritus, University of St. Thomas

Thank you for sending me a copy of The Engineer’s Guide to Authentic Leadership. I am struck by your ability to extract universal lessons from the study of individuals who exemplified authentic leadership. Your efforts in engaging these extraordinary individuals with the University of St. Thomas have left an indelible mark on our community. Their names remain vivid in my mind, thanks to their remarkable impact in the community and on shaping and inspiring our university. This book is a testament to your own authentic leadership and commitment to excellence. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from your work and these leaders.

Guy Baldwin Articles, Professional Articles

Let’s Talk Story

Let’s Talk Story builds on the notion that “wisdom is in the ordinary if you know how to look.” Arnie Weimerskirch and John Fechter have extensive experience in industry at Honeywell and Medtronic, and are keen observers of their surroundings. As with the interviews in The Engineer’s Guide to Authentic Leadership, you will find many nuggets of wisdom told in a very engaging and readable manner.

Let’s Talk Story on Amazon.com

Guy Baldwin Personal Development, Resources, Teaching Resources

Social Style Self-Profile

Building relationships requires understanding yourself and other people. How do you build trust, understand others’ needs, and learn how you can help? An essential element is understanding social style, as discussed in Chapter 13 on Relationships are key. This evaluation tool provides a way for you to better understand your social style, and to understand the social styles of others.