A behavioral framework for highly effective technical executives

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -This paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of behaviors effective technical managers and executives use to lead complex projects, programs and organizations. Design/methodology/approach -Described is a qualitative study to identify and document behaviors and attributes of effective technical executives at NASA. Methods included observation, shadowing and interviews with 14 NASA executives, who possessed a technical background and a systems orientation, and whom agency leadership identified as highly effective in their roles. Included also is a review of related theoretical and empirical scholarship on leadership and managerial effectiveness, focusing on research describing leaders' behaviors and competencies and approaches to deal with project and organizational complexity. Findings -The study surfaced 225 observable behaviors clustered into 54 elements, within six broad themes: leadership, attitudes and attributes (including executive presence), communication, problem solving and systems thinking, political savvy and strategic thinking. Research limitations/implications -Limitations include the small number of executives interviewed for 60-90 minutes and observed for a brief period. Future studies might include more executives, from a variety of organizations, and/or employ a quantitative approach based on or incorporating these findings. Practical implications -The study's rich data will serve as a framework to help develop technical executives where complexity and technology drive the need for systems-oriented leaders with technical backgrounds. Originality/value -The study and literature review provide a context for a deeper understanding of technical leaders' behaviors and use of systems thinking within complex situations.

First Impressions: Evaluating Student Performance in Demonstrating Engineering Leadership

“…Please circle your answer for each student you speak with during the mock career fair activity: On a scale of [1][2][3][4][5] o Articulation of personal leadership development and awareness through experience in internships/co-ops, student organization involvement, or engineering project groups. o Describe how experiences connect to the company; establish a connection with the company o Confidence o List student involvement activities, internships/co-ops, or project groups o Identify an interest in the company o Give the title of a leadership position held with a student organization, internship/co-op position or technical project position o Name a technical engineering project they participated in o Other: ________________________________________________________ (please add any 'others' from above) o Other: ________________________________________________________ (please add any 'others from above) o Other: ________________________________________________________ (please add any 'others from above)…”

“…1 Big-picture thinking, determined to be an important behavior for technical executives 3 relates to a student's ability to think about the position at a career level and not just towards getting a job upon graduating from college. Students connecting with a company show an understanding of what the company does, the position the student is applying for, and how it relates to their career goals.…”

The Role of ‘Togethering’ in Developing Teamwork Relationships and Shared Meaning

“…13 The conclusions Tonso draws about the reciprocal effects between identity archetypes and student team dynamics could only have been determined through analysing the interactions the students had with each other in their natural teamwork environment. Similar discourse analyses have also occurred in the military, 14 K-12 teacher teams, 15 and with executives 16 to determine how they make their teams more effective.…”

Identifying Engineering Leadership Potential During the On-Campus Recruiting Process

“…Engineering leadership programs are also noting the importance of incorporating self-awareness into program curriculum or training programs [27][28] . In a study to determine behavioral frameworks for highly effective technical executives in NASA, selfawareness emerged as an integral part of the relational competency category 29 . The importance of self-awareness demonstrated in these studies is evidence of the need to ensure leadership development interventions intended to build self-awareness are incorporated into engineering leadership development programs 26 .…”

“…Recent engineering leadership studies and frameworks position big picture thinking as a key attribute and learning outcome for engineering leaders 28,[30][31][32][33] . NASA's behavioral study on highly effective technical executives includes understanding the big picture and interrelationships as an important behavior of effective technical executives 29 . This theme is important to consider to ensure that students understand the importance of big picture thinking and how it can be perceived initially from recruiters during the career fair process through effectively connecting career goals to company opportunities.…”