By Jonathan Shimko

While there were many takeaways from each session, one particular topic stuck out to me as beneficial to everyone.  Gerald Galloway, P.E., Ph.D., Dist.M.ASCE presented the 11 Principles of Leadership that were first published in an Army Field Manual on Leadership in 1951.  These principles are still used, essentially in their original form, by all of our Armed Forces in basic training and officer training.  These Principles are:

1.       Know yourself and seek self-improvement.

2.       Be technically and tactically proficient.

3.       Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates.

4.       Make sound and timely decisions.

5.       Set an example.

6.       Know your people and look out for their welfare.

7.       Keep your people informed.

8.       Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.

9.       Ensure assigned tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished.

10.   Train your people as a team.

11.   Employ your team in accordance with its capabilities.

These 11 Principles are relevant to the work we do every day. As engineers and project managers, our day-to-day often involves working on teams that include a diverse blend of personalities, competencies and disciplines. Our projects are often complex with specialized technical and logistical considerations.  Success is often dependent upon our ability to effectively and efficiently manage, communicate, delegate and mentor our colleagues.

I challenge everyone reading this to post these principles in your workspace as a constant reminder. An expanded summary of the 11 Principles of Leadership can be found in an article published by Tom Deierlein on the Academy Leadership website:  https://academyleadership.com/news/201406.asp