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Ronald Bennett

When I entered the workforce after graduating in metallurgical engineering, I went to work for BMC Industries. I was hired into R&D, and planned to happily work alone in the lab on various projects. Being technically oriented, working with other people didn’t interest me much, and I enjoyed doing things myself. If someone needed my help, I figured, they’d seek me out. I wouldn’t volunteer if I saw something that needed doing if it wasn’t my job.

It didn’t take long to get pulled into a production issue, however. BMC had a subsidiary that did heat treating, and they were in trouble. A senior metallurgist, Vic, and I were sent to investigate. As we flew to Chicago, I was reading up on dissociated ammonia atmospheres. Vic asked what I was doing: I said I wasn’t very familiar with this process, and was refreshing my memory. He laughed and said, ‘the technical problems will get solved; it’s the people problems that will bite us.’ It took two years, but I found he was right. We found the maintenance supervisor, Charlie, cranking the controls to throw the process out of whack. Why? So he could be the hero and solve the problem.

A couple years later, in a meeting with the president of the company, I suggested a refinement to an electroforming process. He said, ‘great idea!’ I felt really good. Then he said, ‘now go sell it.’ I thought ‘sell what? Isn’t it obvious—even the president recognized that? And to whom would I ‘sell it’? And what does it mean to ‘sell’? I was confused. I thought my technical ideas would stand on their own. After many years in industry, hiring and working with many technicians, engineers and scientists, the message finally sank in. I had to reach out, engage others, communicate clearly and most of all, listen. Everyone has good ideas and can be innovative—if they are allowed to be.

The toughest part of the process was this: I realized that I had to learn about myself before I could lead others. It’s difficult to examine your own beliefs, find your strengths and, worst of all, your weaknesses. But once you do, you are much better prepared to understand your co-workers and to relate to them in productive ways. In fact, there are a lot of benefits: getting to know and appreciate others diversity of skills, expanding your ability to get results through others, and making work fun.

After decades of working in industry, I started teaching graduate students. Most were in manufacturing, were working adults with backgrounds as technicians, engineers, scientists and operations personnel. I came to realize through the industry and academic experience that I was not alone in realizing what it meant to lead. We began a course in leadership. At first, students resisted learning about themselves. But, after they did, they emerged as much happier, more confident and courageous people. To a person, everyone found value in the process of learning about themselves. And they learned that the so-called ‘soft skills’ are actually the hardest skills to learn.

My colleague, Elaine Millam, and I wanted to help an audience broader than the few hundred students we could reach in our classes. It took us years to learn the lessons of leadership. We wanted to help others shorten the time and not head down as many dead ends. So we wrote a book, Leadership for Engineers: The Magic of Mindset to serve as a ‘handbook’ for others interested in broadening their horizons, building confidence in themselves and developing the courage to be innovative. We also came to believe that, as stated in the ‘Oath of the Engineer’, it is an ethical obligation for technically educated people to conserve nature’s resources and serve the public good. It’s also good business. We need everyone, especially in manufacturing, to lead innovation, develop everyone’s skills and creativity, to regain the manufacturing competitive advantage we have traditionally enjoyed.

So whether you read our book or seek out other resources, make an investment today in learning about yourself and begin the journey to discovering the leader within. Sure, it will be tough at first to look critically at yourself, but it will provide huge dividends not only for your professional career, but in your family and community activities as well.

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This article originally appeared on ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com, August 2013

An interview with Dr. Ronald Bennett and Dr. Elaine Millam

Based on interviews and research on the leadership development of technical professionals in the workplace, the book represents the authors’ combined 80+ years of experience in industry and academia, developing leadership skills in working adults. In a recent interview, SWE took a look at their rationale for writing the book and some of the key takeaways from their work in the field.

What motivated you to write the book?

We felt it was time that something be done to make what we and others have learned available to more people. We wanted to help technical professionals by sharing our experience in industry and academia to shorten the time it takes to build leadership skills, and to begin their leadership journeys much earlier in their careers.

While much of what we included in the book has been available for years, it had not been pulled together in one coherent and easily accessible place that addresses leadership from a variety of perspectives. We particularly wanted to make it clear that leadership comes from within, from introspection and reflection, from being authentic, and to make the point that leadership is not an executive issue—leadership is needed at all levels in an organization. One must lead both from where they are, and who they are.

How did you go about organizing your book and selecting the various areas of focus?

It was organized first by addressing some of the limitations that people often place on themselves based on longstanding stereotypes and myths about technical people, and their own complicit ownership of some of those myths. We felt that we had to first confront some of the obstacles that have long held people back—particularly engineers.

Along with scientists and other technically trained professionals, engineers have often been taught that the softer skills, or the more people-oriented concerns, are not necessarily their bailiwick, implying that it is not an ability to be developed. This message, whether conveyed directly or indirectly, keeps them from recognizing their own potential.

Once this was chosen as a starting place, we decided to let the interviewees’ stories shape how we organized the rest of the book. While there were many possible ways to structure it, the people’s stories drove the arrangement, and it seemed to fit the logic we felt was appropriate, moving from the inner self to the broader world issues that leaders need to impact. One could say we took an organic approach to organizing the book, that once the beginning was established, the individual stories built upon one another.

How can aspiring and current women leaders in STEM use your book?

Aspiring and current women leaders can use the book in the same way that men do: by using it as a tool to learn more about themselves, recognizing that their unique gifts, talents, and capabilities contribute to a more well-rounded individual; and that well-rounded individuals create a stronger STEM profession.

Women need to develop the confidence to work in environments that aren’t necessarily nurturing and supportive and then develop the power and clarity of their own voice. For example, the capability to bring about collaboration and teach others about interpersonal relationships does not need to be abandoned for the sake of the technical environment.

What are the critical leadership skills for engineers in the 21st century?

Engineers and other STEM professionals will need to merge their technical skills with a holistic approach to leading, inspiring, and engaging people to co-create solutions for the world. A broad and deep perspective on the sciences, the arts, people development, systems thinking, creativity (innovation), and a solid process orientation for leading change are required.

Most of all, ongoing self-awareness is essential. This means commitment to personal growth and self-reflection to understand how one functions in the broader world. This means knowing how one is perceived, how to engage others, and how to communicate effectively so one’s voice can be heard in multiple, challenging environments and situations.

What can seasoned professionals do to continually develop their leadership capacity?

To truly make a difference in the world, one must recognize that learning is a lifelong process and commit to it. This process can take place in multiple ways: by continuing to stretch oneself with new learning on the job; putting practices in place to develop leadership prowess; and exposing oneself to new ideas and possibilities concerning world issues and challenges.

Because knowledge gained earlier in life becomes obsolete so quickly, the lifelong pursuit of learning in various forms stretches one’s thinking, cultivates one’s creativity, and increases understanding of how everything is connected in the larger world system.

Taken together, these efforts result in a continual reinvention of the self, which, in turn, results in further self-awareness and emotional development. As people mature, they begin to ask very different questions about life, work, the world, and their contributions, and this is the time to dig deeper in their pursuits of what is possible, rather than begin to coast through life because things have become too comfortable.

Seasoned professionals need to find ways to move beyond their comfort zones and ask the deeper questions that lead to new and broadened perspectives. Taking classes in the liberal arts can stimulate new possibilities that are directly related to making deeper and more meaningful contributions.

The last part of your book, titled “Why the World Needs You,” discusses the global demand for innovation, critical thinking, and systems thinking and functioning. How can various organizations and educational institutions more successfully meet this demand through leadership training and education?

We intended this section to be a wake-up call to illustrate how desperately the world needs brilliant and talented people to be effective leaders wherever they are. The U.S. has fallen behind so many other countries not only in educational processes, but also in other significant areas. These include the desire and commitment to collaborate across boundaries to approach the world’s problems; adopting a cooperative stance rather than a competitive stance, which leads to conflict and winners/losers rather than global solutions.

We feel it is imperative that people learn early in life to broaden their perspectives so they can better understand the world as a place where people come together to build a safe environment, raising living standards everywhere, ensuring sustainability, safety, and opportunities for all.

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This interview originally appeared in SWE Magazine, Winter 2013

Ronald Bennett

Those of us who were educated as engineers often focus on getting the job done, and we pride ourselves on our technical skills and accomplishments. Seldom do we think intentionally about our roles or responsibilities as leaders. Yet Robert Green, then-president-elect of NSPE, reminded participants in the Society’s annual meeting in July that ethics and leadership training are core values of NSPE. Ethical responsibility has been a cornerstone of professional engineering practice from the beginning, but leadership is something we seldom discuss.

This issue came to the front more than a decade ago when NSPE surveyed employers, asking what characteristics of engineers they valued and how well engineering programs helped graduates develop those traits. As expected, they valued math and science, subjects in which graduates were well prepared. But they valued other characteristics even more: integrative thinking, leadership, product and system design, and teamwork. The characteristic with the largest gap between value and preparedness was leadership.

There are several reasons leadership is so important for engineers. On graduation from college, many engineers participate in the Order of the Engineer ceremony. The ceremony’s oath, the Obligation of the Engineer, calls for them to be trustworthy, to conserve nature’s resources, and to serve the public good. Adhering to this oath often requires engineers to take a stand, to be innovative, and to initiate change.

Several years ago, a group of engineering deans and industry leaders identified 12 critical issues for the 21st century, including energy, water, the environment, infrastructure, and terrorism. Approaches to all these issues will require technology. At the same time, the National Academy of Engineering developed 14 Grand Challenges for this century, from generating energy through fusion to reverse engineering the brain. These all require technology as well.

Engineers are uniquely equipped to address all these critical challenges—but to do so, they must provide leadership. So how can they develop their leadership abilities? Joe Ling of 3M Co. said, “Environmental issues are emotional; environmental decisions are political; and environmental solutions are technical.” To build support for technical solutions, engineers must understand emotional and political aspects and be able to deal with them. A more complete understanding of each issue will give engineers the courage and confidence they need to take action.

Engineering education provides excellent development of technical skills, but leaves other key skills underdeveloped. Engineers have been suboptimized. Like the rear wheel of a bicycle, technical skills provide the power we need to find solutions. But a bicycle also needs a front wheel for steering. Front-wheel skills are leadership, communications, initiative, and creativity.

As engineers, we value things that can be measured by common standards. We often scoff at the “soft” skills of leadership because we are told they are innate and abstract, not learned and concrete. Not true. Becoming a leader is just another process, and it definitely can be learned.

One definition of leadership is “an interpersonal influence process of setting direction and inspiring others to achieve goals.” To develop your leadership abilities, begin with understanding yourself: find your inner leader; create a plan to demonstrate your learning and leadership; and understand why the world needs you, as an engineer, to be a leader. The key is to practice authentic servant leadership—being yourself as you learn to lead others.

My colleague Elaine Millam developed a course for our graduate engineering program at the University of St. Thomas. It includes an entire process of self-assessment, selecting mentors and coaches, forming a plan, aligning your actions with your passions, leading from who and where you are, and putting newfound leadership abilities into practice in your personal, professional, and civic life. These learning activities, and life stories from students who applied the principles they learned, form the basis of our book Leadership for Engineers: The Magic of Mindset.

That phrase, “the magic of mindset,” refers to the confidence they gained from learning more about themselves, demonstrating courage as they led others, and becoming conscious competents—understanding why they are good leaders. If you have engineering skills, you can develop leadership skills. By following a process, you can find the leader within and make greater contributions to your life and the world.

So, what does it take to become a leader?

Be authentic, seek support, create a plan, practice. Remember that it’s a journey, not a destination, and it will take time. Developing and enhancing your leadership skills is more than a good idea: It is your responsibility to fulfill the ethical obligation of the professional engineering career you have chosen.

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Ronald J. Bennett, Ph.D., is the founding dean of the School of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. This article is based on a presentation he gave at the NSPE 2013 Leader Conference and Annual Meeting.

Kenneth Goodpaster and Ronald Bennett

In 1986, engineer Allan McDonald refused to okay the space shuttle Challenger launch. But he was overruled and the launch was approved. The shuttle exploded, killing all crew members onboard—and McDonald has spent much of the past 30 years talking with engineers and their bosses, including NSPE members, in an attempt to keep something similar from happening again.

But it did happen again 17 years later with the space shuttle Columbia, which disintegrated on re-entry because pieces of foam insulation from the external fuel tank struck the left wing of the orbiter on launch, damaging Columbia’s heat shield. In 2003, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board saw strong parallels with the Challenger disaster and remarked insightfully about the loss of seven lives: “NASA’s organizational culture and structure had as much to do with this accident as the external tank foam. Organizational culture refers to the values, norms, beliefs, and practices that govern how an institution functions.”

One might have thought that the goal-driven NASA culture that gave rise to the Challenger disaster would have made a Columbia disaster impossible. But institutional cultures do not change of their own accord—and this is as true in finance (Wells Fargo) and pharmaceuticals (Mylan’s EpiPen pricing) as it is in the aerospace industry.

Employees of all disciplines and leadership levels at some time face situations that test their ethical convictions. Most people want to do the right thing, but they have conflicting pressures. Often these situations arise slowly and without much notice, though at other times they are sudden and dramatic.

What can individuals do to keep both their principles—and their careers? Are they powerless in a corporate environment in which ethics is not emphasized? Where can one get moral encouragement to do the right thing, even if one’s job is on the line?

There are a number of important sources for such encouragement: one’s family, one’s church, one’s professional association (codes and oaths), and, often overlooked, the ethical support system provided by one’s educational institution.

McDonald suggests that such encouragement must come first and foremost from the corporate culture itself. And responsibility for establishing an ethical culture lies with leadership. But how can leaders institutionalize ethics? How many organizations provide comprehensive ethics education for employees?

In Minnesota, where we teach engineering and MBA students, all licensed professional engineers are required to take continuing education in ethics every two years. Does management take such continuing education seriously? And how many organizations encourage employees to identify and expose ethical problems to management and peers? How many organizations guarantee protection for those who do?

For workers in corporate environments where the culture is “go along to get along,” the remedy starts with the tone at the top. Our experience is that when employees speak up, they are sometimes penalized, but more often they are recognized for their principles and courage, and even promoted.

We have mentored graduating students, suggesting that when they are interviewing for a position in a company, they should also be evaluating the company for a fit with their own beliefs and convictions. Prospective employees can put companies on notice that, to get the talent they need, they must create a culture of ethics and trust. If they don’t, valued employees will find their way to organizations that do.

McDonald, who certainly worked in an ethically challenging environment, suggests that being able to sleep well at night might be more important than employment.

One of the bedrock questions is how do ordinary people (Wells Fargo employees told to set up fake accounts, for example) tackle the challenge that McDonald faced: If I speak up, I will lose my job and I may never work again, at least at my salary level and in my profession. How can people balance the often-competing interests of supporting their family and doing what they know is right?

How is your organization addressing this issue, and what are you personally doing about it?

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[This article originally appeared in PE Magazine, May 2017]

Kenneth E. Goodpaster, Ph.D., is the David and Barbara Koch Professor of Business Ethics, Emeritus, Opus College of Business, University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Ronald J. Bennett, Ph.D., P.E., is founding dean and professor emeritus at the University of St. Thomas’s School of Engineering. He teaches and publishes in materials engineering, innovation, strategy, technology transfer, leadership, and engineering education.