Leadership: Some Lessons Learned · - Steve Jobs-Performance + Relevance + Relationships. Lessons...

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.