Mastering management and taking leadership responsibilities

Becoming a technological manager is more than acquiring new skills and building relationships – it entails profound transformation of identity. Mastering management & taking leadership responsibilities has become a routine task for, as well as an inherent expectation of, mid-to-high level management. Responsibilities as such include: learning how to motivate and exercise authority, understanding one’s own strengths and weaknesses, reconciling one’s own expectations with those of others, and finally, coping with new stresses and involved emotions.

Based on your personal on-the-job experience, and the managerial visionary concepts, what do you foresee as relevant psychological and physiological effects that may occur in a promotion or transition process?

Note: transitional examples include taking on new job assignments, becoming a manager for the first time, and moving from a lower to a higher level managerial position.

As you may recall, many theories that serve to help explain the topic of “Motivating & Leading Technical People”. From your perspective as an engineer advancing in positions and that of an accomplished engineering manager, how would you incorporate the theories of “Motivation and Leadership” into the daily routine of your company (workplace)?

As you respond, cite pertinent theories and job-related experiences that cover key attributes of management such as: risk-taking and decision-making, judgment by trial and error, performance monitoring and evaluation, observation and interpretation, strategizing and behavioral analysis. Discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and ramifications as they apply to personal conduct, overall managerial tasks, and the company’s operational vision.