The Engineer’s Guide to Authentic Leadership by Ronald Bennett and Elaine Millam is a comprehensive guide to leadership development for people in the technical world. It addresses the gap in essential leadership attributes—such as communication, emotional intelligence, ethics, teamwork, and other right-brain 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 readers in overcoming barriers and becoming effective, authentic leaders. It features interviews with diverse, authentic leaders who started from humble beginnings. These interviews provide practical advice and draw attention to different paths to successful leadership. They show that, with the right mindset and skills, great leaders can come from anywhere. This book also provides tools and insights to help readers bridge the gap between technical expertise and effective leadership. Readers will learn from others’ experiences, gain a broader vision of leadership, and prepare for a fulfilling and successful career and life. The authors want to help readers discover their potential, overcome doubts, and embark on new journeys to become leaders in the world.

This book is written for technical professionals who aspire to make an impact and live with a sense of purpose—or who are already on that path. It is designed to help readers grow 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 overcome them.