How to apply engineering principles to leadership by Vatsala Sarathy

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Transitioning from Engineering to Leadership Positions: A Journey of Growth

Hello everyone! My name is Villa Sarti and as a current managing director of Finance and Technology at Stanford University's Executive Education Department, I have a unique story to share with you about my journey from an engineering role to a leadership one.

Understanding The Difference Between Engineers and Leaders

In my early career, I was an engineer, happiest when working with systems, and spending 75% of my time interacting with tools. But, everything changed when I transitioned into a leadership role, finding myself spending 95% of my time dealing with people, making decisions, reflecting, and sharing information. The tectonic shift in my role and its responsibilities left me feeling lost and unsure of how to best apply my skills to my new position.

However, after a detailed self-analysis, I discovered something: Both the engineer and the leader are builders. The engineer uses tools to build software systems, cars, homes, etc., while the leader uses people to build culture, values, a vision, and trust. Recognizing this common ground eased my anxiety and gave me the confidence to embrace my new role.

Adapting the Engineer’s Mindset to Leadership: The Role of Feedback Loops

The key to making a successful transition, residing not only in recognizing the common ground but also in learning how to adapt engineering principles to leadership.

To this end, I developed a new approach, based on the concept of a feedback loop – a simple yet powerful idea where an input triggers an output, controlled by a sensor and an actuator. Applying this concept to communication, I developed three different models:

1. Being Your Own Sensor and Actuator

In this approach, you observe your communication and adjust your behavior based on the responses and feelings of others. This continuous learning and adaption can significantly enhance your interpersonal skills and communication efficiency.

2. Building an Advisory Board

An advisory board can objectively observe and provide feedback on your communication. This model allows you to not carry all the responsibilities of the communication process, enabling you to focus more on adjusting your communications as per feedback.

3. Hiring a Leadership Coach

A leadership coach helps you align your actions with your values, enabling you to have authentic communication and be a true, honest leader.

Conclusion: Takeaways From My Journey

My journey has taught me that:

  • Going into any communication with a clear purpose is crucial for successful leadership.
  • Developing your feedback loop system can help simplify and improve your communication.
  • Embrace your new role with confidence, knowing that your experience and training as an engineer can help you in constructing your leadership style.

Finally, remember that you can still build systems as a leader, but instead you're working with people and part of your job is to build organizations, companies, and visions. If you have any questions, comments, or insights, feel free to email me or connect with me on LinkedIn. Thank you for taking the time to read this article and I look forward to connecting with you.


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