• An acceptance of risks and failures, coupled with an urge to make their staff learn and project that go awry.

• A talent for building and steering winning teams and knack for attracting and retaining innovators.

• A high degree of passion for their mission and for innovation, as well as an ardor for sharing their passion with their staff

Answer

Introduction

Engineering leaders need to possess certain traits such that they can achieve their strategic outfits (Reeve, 2010). While there are several traits of good leadership skills, an effective engineering leader needs to include an action mindset. Emotional intelligence including empathy, social skills, self-awareness and confidence, self-management skills, communicating ideas and directions in a capable manner and being self-motivated are some traits of a good leader. The scope of this report encompasses three engineering leadership traits along with strategic plan adopted by them.

Analysis 

Engineering leaders has several capabilities and risk taking attitude that allows them to emerge as successful (Kumar, 2007). One of the world’s leading engineering leader is CEO Ian Shepherd, he is currently considered amongst Australia’s Top 100 Influential Engineer. He has immense ability to take risks and accept failures for decision that he undertakes. He also makes sure that his staffs and employees at GHD learn through the process of client service along with technical leadership (Ahn, 2014). He has been involved in training people and engineers, for understanding along with appreciating difference that they can make to the world. His strategy involves connecting and reaching out to various stakeholders, such that they can work and strive towards facilitation of results.

John Holland is a project manager who has capability to build teams such that entire motivations of team can be achieved. He has developed several low costs technologies, as well as green infrastructure system. He is regarded as the most innovative engineers within Australia. Thus, with focus on talent building and driving teams towards winning, he has been developing innovators.   

GHD’s Dr.Konstantinos (Kostas) Athanasiadis is another amongst Australia’s 60 most influential Innovative Engineer leader (Graham, 2009). Dr. Kostas has a high degree of passion for pursuing his mission and drive for innovation. He has an ardor for sharing passion with his staff at the GHD. He is well recognized for his work on StormDMT, which is a patented advanced technology for management of storm water runoff in industrial and urban areas. His motivational skills and innovative programs has provided suitability for new developments (Rottmann, 2015). He adopts sustainable strategy for growth and development offering new solution in global markets. He is not only a visionary but can lead and drive his team to achieve the unattainable. He is capable of driving change and making his team motivated to attain specific objectives for his company and team oriented goals. Dr. Barnes is an innovative engineer in R&D, who has contributed immensely to development. He has given freedom to his employees to think beyond the box.      

Conclusion 

Visionary engineering leaders are rare and hard to find, their skills enable them to become successful in their profession. Engineering leaders are primary driven by their innovative skills and they also possesses capabilities to drive others. They engage in several strategies to get their mission accomplished such that they can achieve their targets or goals. Hence, the key leadership traits identified in the field of engineering leadership is that of risk-taking capabilities, motivational skills and employee engagement strategies.

Reference Lists

Ahn, B. C. 2014. Creating an instrument to measure leadership, change, and synthesis in engineering undergraduates. Journal of Engineering Education, 115-136.

Graham, R. C. 2009. Engineering leadership education: A snapshot review of international good practice. . White paper sponsored by the Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program. 

Kumar, S. &. 2007. Engineers learn “soft skills the hard way”: Planting a seed of leadership in engineering classes. Leadership and Management in Engineering, 18-23.

Reeve, D. W. 2010. There is an urgent need for engineering leadership education. Engineering Leadership Review, 1-6.

Rottmann, C. S. 2015. Engineering leadership: Grounding leadership theory in engineers’ professional identities. . Leadership, 351-373.