This one-day workshop teaches skills needed to lead projects, drive innovation, and influence others in an engineering role or similar technical role. Participants learn the differences between leadership and management and how to develop specific leadership skills that are important to ALL engineers and technical professionals. The most important leadership traits that apply to engineering and project leadership responsibilities are emphasized. Participants engage in exercises that assess their individual leadership abilities and provide guidance for further skill development.
The workshop is intended for engineers IT professionals, scientists, managers, current and prospective supervisors, current and prospective project leaders, and anyone who could benefit from being more influential.
The workshop fee includes a comprehensive workbook and email/phone follow-up with the instructor after the workshop to assist with implementation. This leadership training for engineers and technical professionals may be customized to meet your needs, and can be delivered at most locations internationally. The workshop covers the following topics.
1. What is Leadership?
- What leadership is, and what leadership is not
- Why leadership skills are important for engineers and technical professionals
- Differences between leadership skills and management skills
- Self-analysis of key leadership skills to improve
- Five levels of leadership
2. How to Develop Trust and Respect
- Characteristics that help credibility and perceived integrity
- Characteristics that hurt credibility
- Self-assessment
3. The Art of Influence
- Building rapport with business associates
- Helping others to see your view
- Influencing your boss
- Case study: System Architect with Poor Leadership Skills
- Influencing other leaders
- Understanding the process of “give and take”
- Influence vs. authority
4. Self Assessment of Leadership Ability and Potential
- Attendees assess abilities in 3 key areas and come up with a score that illustrates strengths and specific leadership skills to develop
5. Project Leadership and Project Management
- Overview of leadership skills necessary to effectively lead projects
- Opportunities to distribute project leadership and management responsibilities
- Case study: Sharing of Project Leadership and Management Responsibilities
- Overview of project planning skills and tasks
- Key project leadership skills
- Case study: Outstanding Project Leader (a role model for project leaders)
6. Contents of Personalized Development Plans
- Identify and prioritize three key things they will influence at work
- Identify and prioritize five leadership and management competencies to develop
- Identify three to five people to build rapport with who can help them become more influential, and determine how to go about building rapport with each person
- Use self-assessments to identify and prioritize competencies related to building trust and respect, influence, and dedication to being a leader
- Find at least one leadership mentor