Post on 11-Jun-2020
International Leadership Summit
Hon. TRISH WHITE BE BA CPEng FIEAust FAICD EngExecNational President and Board Chair, Engineers Australia
IEEE Women in Engineering
Leadership: Some Lessons Learned
Why would you lead?• Demanding and time-consuming
• Can be lonely
• Adds complexity, responsibility and stress
Why would you lead?• Demanding and time-consuming
• Can be lonely
• Adds complexity, responsibility and stress
• You like leadership better than the alternatives?
• Means to achieving your goal?
• Benefits or admiration from peers, family, friends?
My career purposeTo solve problems to improve people’s lives
Engineering – problem-solving using technologyParliamentarian – problem-solving through policies and programsBoard Director – NFP, university, industry (housing, MAC, LSA)Engineers Australia – to advance the science and practice of engineering for the benefit of the community
My Career Path
1985
1990
1994Member Parliament
career change- people, policies doorknocking
2002
Engineer
Cabinet Ministermarriagestepback
02005
5
family firstheadhunted
Senior Exec + Boards
2015
Own company
private and NFP boards
Technology Policy Governance
Boards + Business
2010 Portfolio of commercial, Advisory
A Career of Diverse experiences
Engineer(Brisbane,
Canberra, San Diego,
Adelaide)
MP / GovtMinister
Senior Executive– GlobalMining &Energy
Own Consulting Business
Professional Company Director
More People Contact
Family
Balance
Non-executivecareer
Giving Back
Challenge : Women in Engineering
Only 6% Australian schoolgirls study pre-requisite subjects for Engineering
In the 2017 Australian workforce, only 12% engineers are women
Most women with engineering degrees remain in the workforce, however only51% stay in engineering careers
Many Reasons, but to highlight two:-
Lack of visible role models – hard to be what you cannot see
Gender Pay Gap (up to 22% in some engineering sectors
c.f. 16% across all professions in the Nation)
Problem Responses to that Challenge
Try to fit in, minimise the diversity (which robs the organisation) or use the difference in a way that diminishes my status (which robsme)
Prove that I deserve to be here, set higher and higher standardsfor myself … outperform
BUT in order to move to the next stage of leadership, it is necessaryto stop focussing on being the technical expert and instead focus on bringing the best out in others
A Strength becomes a Limitation; Energy to prove technical excellence gets in the way of the Leadership behaviour necessaryto progress to the next step
Lessons Learned #1
What got you here won’t get you there…
Three Phases of Career Progression
Your Technical Excellence –Mastering Skills
Delegating tasks and harnessing best output of others –Relationships
Business, Strategic and Financial Acumen –Relevance
Lessons Learned #1
What got you here won’t get you there…
- Career milestones
- False assumptions
- Performance + Relevance + Relationships
Lessons Learned #2Leadership: It’s not about you …
Lessons Learned #2Leadership: It’s not about you …
- Leadership is a gift, not a priviledge
Lessons Learned #2Leadership: It’s not about you …
- Leadership is a gift, not a privilege
- Fix the woman! (Hmmm … don’t get sucked in)
Lessons Learned #2Leadership: It’s not about you …
- Leadership is a gift, not a privilege
- Fix the woman! (Hmmm … don’t get sucked in)
- Surround yourself with talent
You breathe the performance of your team
Lessons Learned #2Leadership: It’s not about you …
- Leadership is a gift, not a privilege- Fix the woman! (Hmmm … don’t get sucked in)- Surround yourself with talent
You breathe the performance of your teamIt doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do - Steve Jobs
Lessons Learned #2Leadership: It’s not about you …
- Leadership is a gift, not a privilege- Fix the woman! (Hmmm … don’t get sucked in)- Surround yourself with talent
You breathe the performance of your teamIt doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we
hire smart people so they can tell us what to do - Steve Jobs
- Performance + Relevance + Relationships
Lessons Learned #3Influence to Lead and Lead to Influence
Leaders lead people, projects and organisationsInfluencers affect peoples’ character, behaviour or development
- Michelle Braden Influence is nudging, Leading is magnetically pulling
- Jay RookeLeaders are aware of their influence and call upon it, they are self aware and situationally aware.
If you can form a vision and can build trust, you can lead.
Lessons Learned #4For impact, develop Leaders, not followers …
- Creativity- Diversity of thought- Flexibility
Innovation is crucial to maintain and improve Australia’s economic position
20
Innovation activity accounts for
of economic growth in the
OECD50%
.
Australia’s Innovation is inward looking
Ranked last of 35 OECD on economic complexity:
Australian innovation improves efficiency doesn’t create new products for market
Low proportion of large businesses innovating
Ranked 23 out of 31 with 9% of businesses as new to market innovators.
LEADERSHIP
Seeing Clearly, Ignited by a Purpose, and
Influencingto add Real Value.