In every industry, strong, efficient leadership is necessary to run businesses smoothly. Engineering is no exception. Leadership is more than simply managing a team or making a schedule. Leadership encompasses a number of qualities and abilities, and engineering leadership is a skill an engineer can benefit from at any level.
The Arkansas State University online Master of Engineering Management program helps students cultivate the skills necessary for effective leadership in the field. The faculty teaching in the online program understand the need for leadership skills in the engineering community and are able to impart that information and training to engineering management students. Good leaders can inspire their teams through instruction and support, enabling everyone to do their best work. According to SPIE, an international society focused on the advancement of interdisciplinary approaches in science, “Leadership is about influencing and directing others for a positive outcome.”
When a team includes a member with strong leadership skills, resource allocation, personnel assignments and project completion all improve. Leaders, in their efforts to produce their own best work, inspire others to do the same.
According to the National Society of Professional Engineers, leadership skills include “the ability to assess risk and take initiative, the willingness to make decisions in the face of uncertainty, a sense of urgency and the will to deliver on time in the face of constraints or obstacles, resourcefulness and flexibility, trust and loyalty in a team setting, and the ability to relate to others.” A leader embodies these qualities in a professional, collected manner and inspires others to do the same.
The online Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program at Arkansas State University addresses these areas and prepares students for engineering leadership roles in the field. Here is a brief survey of how these courses can help you become an effective leader the engineering industry.
Assessing Risk and Taking Initiative
The Operations Research course at A-State focuses on analytical and decision-making techniques. This course provides the know-how to assess the various needs of a project and make informed decisions. As mentioned above, being able to calculate risk and take initiative is vital in all leadership roles, including those in engineering.
Delivering on Time in the Face of Constraints and Obstacles
Engineering Management I and II courses lay the foundation for planning and organization, and they provide tools and detailed methods to develop a range of management options to cover all bases. These courses help you plan for the unexpected.
Resourcefulness and Flexibility
Resourcefulness and flexibility are especially important aspects of engineering leadership. These skills are necessary in any field but especially so in engineering, due to its unique environment. The engineering world involves multiple teams working in a project-based organization, which requires resourcefulness and adaptability. The Special Problems in Engineering Management and Quality Control and Improvement course gives you the tools you need to adjust to any situation that arises in the field.
Engineering leadership is essential for success in the field. With an online Master of Engineering Management program, you can develop the highly sought-after leadership traits behind the field’s biggest career opportunities.
Learn more about the A-State online MEM program.
Sources: