I recently had the privilege of moderating a discussion on the challenges of navigating a career in the engineering world.
It was intended to be focussed on how to weigh up the choices around deepening one’s technical competence versus developing managerial and leadership skills and whether, in fact, it was possible to do both. The input from each of the mid-career participants was insightful and stimulating and the audience was highly engaged. What struck me, on reflection, was how much interest there was in the issue of leadership and how to acquire leadership skills.
One of the most important insights to emerge was the confirmation that it is possible to exercise leadership from any position in an organisation, not just those formally designated positions. It was made abundantly clear that leadership is less about what a person knows or does and much more about the quality of their contact … the way they show up with others … in essence, the quality of their being. I believe good leaders are the people who show up with the five ‘C’s: Curiosity, Compassion, Calmness, Courage and Confidence.
These are qualities the people who exercise true everyday leadership display instinctively … and it is possible for each of us to deliberately focus on where we are putting our attention in order to access more of these elements within ourselves. In this way we step closer to fulfilling one of the best aspirations I have heard: ‘ So live your life … that when those close to you think of words like … honour … and courage … and compassion … they think … of you.’
Doug Aberle FIEAust CPEng
Chairman, College of Leadership and Management WA