Assessing Leadership capability in Engineering-led organisations – The battle between technical capability and leadership competence
It has often been the case that engineering-led organisations fall into the trap of promoting or hiring only the most technically qualified individuals into leadership roles. Organizations suffer considerable human and financial costs when a person who has been promoted or hired because of strong individual performance and qualifications fails to adjust successfully to the role of a leader.
The failures aren’t surprising, given the difficulty of the transition. Ask any new leader about the early days of being a boss—indeed, ask any senior executive to recall how he or she felt as a new leader. If you get an honest answer, you’ll hear a tale of disorientation and, for some, overwhelming confusion. The new role didn’t feel anything like it was supposed to. It felt too big for any one person to handle.