Developing MIT Undergraduate Engineers into Leaders: Watch the Video!

As Director of Communications and Outreach for the Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program, I've learned over the past 16 months that engineers--like most other professionals--take very seriously the future robustness of their profession. This is particularly germane as the older generation of engineers retires, revealing gaping holes in the knowledge, proficiency and leadership skills of those engineers who would replace them.

I've been told by lifelong engineers that the Gordon-MIT ELP is a truly new approach to teaching leadership to a new generation of engineers, and this video demonstrates how we're doing it.

I love the program because it really looks at how people lead and--similar to my participation many years ago in ROTC and experiences as a young Army officer--the program devises unique ways to help young engineers learn those skills. It's open to all undergraduates in MIT's School of Engineering - that's almost 1000 new students each year.

One part of the program is an "Industry Advisory Board" (IAB). Among the IAB members are Bill Warner of Avid (an Oscar winner who produced this video, and whose energy, creativity and expertise has helped advance the program in many ways), Vanu Bose, of Vanu, Inc, Dan Riccio of Apple Computer, Inc., Sorin Marcovici of Analogic, Victor Tang of IBM, Peter Zeeb of GeoSyntec, Javier de Luis of Aurora Flight Systems, Jean-Marc Soucy of BP, and of course Bernie Gordon, Founder of Analogic.

In my experience, outside boards like the IAB are often lightly involved: Brief'em, feed'em, get'em out the door. Not in the Gordon-MIT ELP: The IAB played an instrumental role in designing the goals, the methods, and even the philosophy of the program. Bernie Gordon actively participates in IAB meetings. The result is productive collaboration of engineering leaders from industry and from MIT. The IAB is heavily involved, and the program benefits at all levels from their active participation.

For students in the program, It's not the usual classroom routine: MIT sophomores enter the Gordon-MIT ELP through MIT's popular UPOP (Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program); after successfully completing UPOP they are eligible to participate in ELPOP (Engineering Leadership Practice Opportunities Program), which offers certain aspects of the Gordon program, but is less intensive.

The program's most intense level of participation is the highly selective GEL (Gordon Engineering Leader) track, which includes weekly Engineering Leadership Labs (ELL--see below); "Internship Plus" opportunities where students get jobs in industry over the summer and obtain meaningful leadership exposure; short courses in "Engineering Innovation and Design," "Engineering Leadership," and others; close mentorship relationships with industry leaders; one-on-one leadership counseling and development, and much more. Both ELPOP and GEL immerse students in leadership training for two years.

A core component of the GEL program are the weekly ELLs. Each lab teaches some element of leadership. Labs are designed by seniors in the program, and are delivered to juniors. It's a great way to delve into leadership - through high-pressure exercises, and later by designing and teaching those exercises. You'll see one example of a recent ELL in the video.

From a personal standpoint, being so closely involved with the design and evolution of the program has really given me a feel for what the program makes possible. I've seen our students evolve as leaders from week to week. I've seen them open their eyes to new ways to getting things done -- sometimes by taking the fastest path, not the hardest or most complex (as MIT students are reputed for doing). I've seen them learn from the staff and from each other. I've seen them understand why basic communications and interpersonal skills are essential, and put their new-found skills to use leading others.

Leadership isn't taught; it's learned. And what better place than MIT for our nation's future engineering leaders to learn the leadership skills that will help to advance engineering innovation and invention.

The Words You Use Matter... Use Them Judiciously.

In the age of texting, IM'ing and rushed emailing, it seems vaguely contrarian to reiterate the sheer importance of the words we use in speaking and writing. The power of words and the subtle nuances they convey are extremely powerful. Both the words we use and the way we structure vocabulary within our spoken and written conversations reflect our intelligence, our depth of thought, our intellectual capacity, and our understanding of dialogue.

Words create impressions, images and expectations. They build psychological connections. They influence how we think. Since thoughts determine actions, there's a powerful connection between the words we use and the results we get.

Poorly chosen words can kill enthusiasm, impact self-esteem, lower expectations and hold people back. Well chosen ones can motivate, offer hope, create vision, impact thinking and alter results.

One of my bosses at MIT recently referred me to a study that sought to determine what
successful corporate leaders had in common in terms of education, life experiences,
family background, etc. The result seemed to indicate that there was no common
denominator except for an above-average vocabulary.

If you want to be respected and esteemed both in your profesional and personal lives, learn to harness your word power to work for, not against you. Learn and incorporate in your spoken and written dialogue words that create a compelling visual of your desired outcome.

Choose every word as if it matters, because every word you use reflects back on you.