There are leaders that come from all backgrounds. Some have no college degree while others have doctorate degrees. At the same time, leaders come from different areas of study. Some have studied business while others have studied engineering.
In addition to engineering and business, there are many other fields of study that also produce strong leaders. There is no specific template for a good leader since they come in all shapes and sizes with all types of backgrounds. There are, however, backgrounds that tend to produce more leaders than others. Engineering happens to be one of those backgrounds.
So why are does engineering produce good leaders?
When you think of engineers, you may think of the technical guru that sits behind the computer all day working out solutions to advanced equations. Although it is true that this is what some engineers do, there is actually a lot more to engineering than just solving technical equations. There are many different specialties in engineering (e.g. civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, mineral, geological, etc.). Each engineering discipline specializes in a different subject matter based on their area of study, but they all focus on solving problems. You can actually think of engineers as problem solving specialists.
Problem solving goes hand in hand with leadership. Leaders spend a significant amount of time solving problems. Leaders solve a wide variety of problems ranging from minor employee issues to determining the direction the company will go on new product lines. The problem solving leaders do is right in line with the training engineers receive which is why engineers make great leaders.
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While it is true that engineering is applied problem solving, it also creates situations where engineers become more focused on the problem than how to inspire those who must apply the solution. Problem solving is only one aspect of leadership, and many very effective leaders have almost no problem solving ability other than knowing who to seek out. In other words, leaders who know who to call and inspire them towards solving the problems are more effective than an autocratic problem solver who cannot inspire a team to action. This is actually a common mistake made by those who believe finding solutions equals solving the problem. This is especially true from a systems based approach to problem solving where people and alignment are often more important than technical issues. Just as some managers make good leaders, some engineers make good leaders, while others are better suited to serve on a team led by a good leader. Having led and managed hundreds of engineers in my career, I can say that leadership and expertise do not always go hand-in-hand. On the other hand, I am an engineer working on a PhD in leadership and organizational change, and my problem solving ability comes in handy. However, having worked on complex system problems, I also understand that the best solutions come from inspiring a team with diverse expertise and problem solving abilities. My problem solving ability is very good, but it does not compare with the results I have seen as a product of team problem solving.
So yes, engineers can make good leaders, but the skill set has less to do with problem solving ability than the ability to inspire and motivate followers.
Welcome Kevin! Thank you for your comment. I agree with your points. There are many engineers that make good leaders, while at the same time there are engineers that aren’t cut out for leadership. To be a great leader, you must have a good understanding and ability to work with people in addition to a technical understanding. The advantage that engineers have when going into leadership is that if they are good leaders with the people skills, they also have the technical background as a compliment.
As you mentioned, the key to leadership is getting people to work together to do what is best for the organization by creating the best overall solution. This can be quite a challenge with a diverse group, but if you have a leader that can bring them all together, you will probably end up with the best possible solution. Thanks, Brandon