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.
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.
Ron Bennett on Advanced Manufacturing Now
Host Steve Plumb interviews Ronald J. Bennett on the podcast Advanced Manufacturing Now. They discuss Bennett’s interest in leadership development over his manufacturing career and his focus and approach to teaching leadership in engineering and other STEM programs as an education leader himself.
The Noble Cause of Manufacturing
Imagine the world without modern manufacturing and how less pleasant it would be: The Noble Cause of Manufacturing.
Leveraging Leadership for a Lifetime
The original graduate leadership course was taught in three installments spread over three years; the normal time that working adult students spent in the Master’s program. Having time between installments allowed students to let the material sink in and to do projects using the new learning. It proved to be a very effective method for learning. These can also be condensed into one semester. Here is a syllabus for each of the three segments:
Syllabus: Leveraging Leadership for a Lifetime I
Syllabus: Leveraging Leadership for a Lifetime II
Syllabus: Leveraging Leadership for a Lifetime III
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
Chapters 2 through 5, Exploding the Myths, discusses how our beliefs affect our behaviors, and that some of our beliefs are truths while others are myths. This article by Phil Bilzon can help you sort out your beliefs and allow you to discard those that are not true for you.
Tips for Successful Mentoring
Chapter 11 on Mentoring discusses the value of having a mentor and of being a mentee, as well as developing a broader Board of Directors. The article Tips for a Successful Mentoring Relationship is based on years of experimentation. It provides a simple, clear and direct guide to the expectations of mentors and mentees.
What Is Your Self-Talk Saying?
You have probably heard the saying “Don’t believe everything you think.” Listen to your inner voice. Is it believable? Does it fit with your experience? Chapter 7 on Assessing Your Leadership Potential discusses this topic in detail, as does the book Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer—and the article The Top 10 Things to Know About Your Self-Talk.
“By far the best guide for sustainable leadership”
Tony Ramunno, Electrical Engineering LLC
Just got done reading The Engineer’s Guide to Authentic Leadership by Ron Bennett and this is by far the best guide for sustainable leadership I’ve ever come across, and I’ve read (too) many books on leadership throughout my academic journey and career.
The book provides an outline with a call-to-action for engineers to lead, along with thoughtful ideas to reflect on for self-awareness, and finally some stories from a select group of successful leaders with tangible examples of how to make a real and sustainable difference at work, in our communities and at home.
Fellow engineers, this book is a must-read!
See the full review on LinkedIn
The Pursuit of a Good Night’s Sleep
This article for NSPE discusses the difficult question of how can people balance the often competing interests of supporting their family and doing what they know is right.