A new year is as good a time as any to step back
I’m not a fan of resolutions at the new year, but it is a good time to step back from whatever is consuming me and take a look at the big picture.
As I’m doing that for myself, I thought it might also be time to remind ourselves of the Big Picture about this site and what we’re doing.
This site, and the book, are about leadership and career skills specifically focused on the needs of people newly entering (or newly rejuvenating) careers in engineering, science, and technology.
What’s special about these professions?
What’s special about these careers, and the professionals who pursue them, is that we are making the stuff that will determine what the future looks like. Think back 10 years and recognize the changes that cell phones, GPS, the internet, new drugs, and so on are having on our society now (in the first world and third world). Now, think about what’s in the pipeline as you read this and how it might change the world again.
What we do matters. True, this can be really hard to remember this when you dig down and start work on a small part of a small part of a big project and all you’re concerned about is not getting fired next Tuesday for missing the deadline. But every once in a while remember that your profession really is changing the world.
What’s in it for you?
I recently attended a seminar by Steve Johnson, and he reminded us that as humans we all tend to think first about one thing: what’s in it for me?
This isn’t to say that people don’t also do things that are good for other people, but along the way we usually do spend at least some time trying to determine if there is a benefit to us personally. It’s a natural instinct.
So, what IS in it for you?
The opportunity to make more money
Developing your career skills—and specifically here I’m talking about strengthening your ability to write, speak, and be active in managing your own career—is good for your own bottom line. If you are more effective in these skillsets than those around you then you are a more valuable contributor. Being a more valuable contributor means making more money, either at your present company or somewhere else.
This probably isn’t news to you, since whether or not you see yourself as a leader you probably already do realize that you have a career.
The opportunity to have an impact
But what about leadership? Why should you care about leadership if you want to spend your career as an individual contributor “in the trenches?”
It’s a fair question, with an easy answer. Leadership isn’t about titles, money, fame, or power. It’s about having followers, and influencing people.
If you want to spend your career in the trenches, then you are a competent, dedicated professional and you want your ideas to be heard and your designs to be adopted. You want to be picked for, and have your pick of, the best assignments. As you develop your ideas you’ll need to be able to convey them in terms of the company’s goals, and you’ll need to convince others to help you get them implemented.
These are traits of leadership, and you’ll need them to accomplish your goals.
A new year
Welcome to a new year. If you are new to the site, dig through the archives (you may want to start with the quick study pages which really need to be updated), learn a little more about the book, or just start dropping by and join in the conversation.
Last year was a lot of fun; as we move past the content in the book in the next few weeks I’m really looking forward to seeing what topics you are interested in and would like to learn more about. Drop me a line and let me know what’s on your mind.
