Engineering and Leadership

Jan 26, 2022 | Blog, Podcast

Summary

In this episode of WORK WINNING WAYS we have a fascinating interview with Pat Sweet of the Engineering and Leadership podcast. Pat talks to Questas founder and CEO Gary Williams, as he gives some great insights on what it takes to successfully lead professional services firms and his thoughts are likely to remind, reassure and reveal in equal measures! If you are in a leadership position or aspire to be, this is a great listen.

Apple

Spotify

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Engineers can do pretty much anything if you give them enough time and money. But you’re not going to do that so there has to be a defined mission, and that clarity has to come from a leadership role.
People in engineering often get moved into a management role as a ‘next step in career progression’ instead of actually possessing people leading and management skills.
A diversity in a team isn’t’ just about who we are, it’s about creating diversity of thought.
Addressing recently bias is something you need to be aware of, especially when it comes to remote working and those people who are remote missing out on opportunity.
One of the best things a leader can do is demonstrate that’s it’s okay to be vulnerable. That allows teams to open up and pitch those ideas that could be kept quiet by a bad leader.
A leader ought to be excited about leading, not just for leadings sake, but because they recognise the value they can provide the team and that they can enable the team to do what it does best.

BEST MOMENTS

“As leaders we’re so risk averse that clouds us from perusing interesting opportunities”
“Good leaders leave their ego at the door”
“If you’re the hero and everyone relies on you, then what’s the organisation for?”
“Decision making improves when you have diversity of thought, and diversity of thought comes when you have a diversity of backgrounds.”

ABOUT THE HOST

Gary Williams

Gary Williams has been in sales and marketing his entire career. The past 10 years have been dedicated to helping technically minded non-salespeople become skilled and confident in selling themselves and their services.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Pat Sweet

Pat Sweet, P.Eng., MBA, CSEP, PMP is an experienced engineering leader, project manager, product manager, writer, speaker, and coach. His mission is to help technical organizations thrive. Here is a link to his podcast ‘Engineering and Leadership’.