Today, I want to start a bit of a series on engineering leadership education. This is something I’ve spent a lot of time over the last year or so researching, and I’m actually planning to pursue a master’s degree at some point (hopefully soon!) with a focus on leadership. More on that later. For now, I want to introduce the topic and over the next few weeks present some programs that you can enrol in to develop your engineering leadership skills.

Get Educated!

Photo Credit: dok1

So, why might you bother pursuing an education in leadership? Well, I think there are a few really good reasons to consider it.

1. Leadership is Squishy. What the heck does that mean? What I mean is leadership is tough to describe, and tough to see in an interview setting. It’s easy to experience someone’s ability as a leader, but tough to peg at a glance. Think about how easy it is to tell someone is an engineer. They’re good at math. They have an iron ring on their pinky (in Canada, anyway). They’ll have an engineering degree. For someone to claim that they’re a leader, they’re going to have it work hard to back it up. Formal education is a good way to do this.
2. You’ll Learn Something – Wild, I know. It might seem obvious, but it doesn’t occur to some people that continuing education might actually benefit them in the real world. What you learn in a classroom (or seminar, or in a book, etc.) can actually help you on the job.
3. It Shows You’re Committed – Even when others already see you as a leader, you can benefit from education in leadership. By spending time developing your skills, you’re demonstrating that you’re committed to bettering yourself, and growing into an engineer++ [<– programming joke, sorry].

What Can You Do?

There’s a ton you can do to earn an education in leadership, and in particular engineering leadership.  I’ve done quite a bit of research on the topic to see what all there is out there in the hopes of taking some training myself. You can:

1. Earn a Master’s Degree in engineering leadership – in person or online
2. Take single online courses in leadership
3. Take professional development courses in leadership from local
4. Audit classes from local universities and colleges
5. Take corporate “My Company U”-type classes

What Should You Do?

That depends on you! You need to think about what your goals are, and what you can afford in terms of time and money. Obviously there’s a huge difference in commitment between pursuing a Master’s degree on a university campus and take a single online course. When deciding what your options are, be sure to look into your company’s HR policies to see what they would support. Many companies, including my own, have provisions for tuition reimbursement if you pursue education that is in line with the company’s needs.

Next Steps

Over the next few weeks, I’ll share with you some of the gems I’ve found in terms of educational resources. I’ll tell you what I like and what I don’t like with each of them. In the meantime, please leave a comment in the comments section below and tell me what you’re most interested in. I’ll try and focus on the kinds of things you’d most like to know about.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter and subscribe to the blog!