Momentum - November 2017 - 2

EDITORIAL

SAE MEMBERSHIP
STAFF

A LEADER ON LEADERSHIP

Donna Edenhart
Director, Membership and Sections

There's a reason Tom Stover, COMVEC17
Executive Council Chair and former SAE Vice
President - Commercial Vehicle sector, is so
focused on leadership:
"I'll be honest, it's because I was so oblivious
to it when I was a young engineer," he told
MOMENTUM on the first day of COMVEC17,
SAE International's big annual conference
focused on the commercial vehicle sector. He
is intent on doing what he can to steer today's
college students and young engineers off that
path to nowhere.
Patrick Ponticel,
Stover eventually got on track, rising to the
MOMENTUM Editor
position of Chief Technology Officer for Eaton
Corp.'s vehicle operations. Retired now, he acknowledges that his lack
of attention resulted in missed opportunities.
"I was totally into the technology, totally into what I could do, totally
into aerodynamics and computer programming and being on the
cutting edge of technology in the early years of my career," he related.
"I never really thought about the impact that my work and my ideas
could have on the organization except that I wanted to see my work
succeed. I've always felt that if I had been more self-aware and been
more aware of the leadership components of my role..., I could have
done more to be successful. I could have been a better engineer and,
ultimately, a better leader."
"That's what impels the leadership narrative from my end," he
continued. "It's wanting people to understand that everyone can be
a leader-that everyone should be a leader. I think if they work for an
organization that is the tiniest bit aware about how individuals intersect
with the organization, they expect it and they require it. And the people
that are good at engineering leadership-in other words, exerting
influence and having an impact as engineers-those are the people that
get noticed, those are the people that get developed and nurtured by
good organizations and rise to the top of organizations."
Other words of wisdom from Stover:
* "People don't ask enough questions about what the organization,
what the boss, expects from them. Those are uncomfortable
conversations, but I think they're really good to have."
* "Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes, and all forms and
formats. Some people will choose or be chosen to lead organizations.
But other engineers may prefer technical leadership-for example,
leading technical projects, developing new tools and methods for the
organization.
* "When people say, 'Well, leadership is their job; I'm just the engineer,'
to me that's a red flag. Whatever our role, we can find a way to
exercise leadership."

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* Spread the word about this magazine to other engineering students
and faculty, and encourage them to join SAE today by visiting
sae.org/membership.

2 November 2017

Patrick Ponticel
Editor, Member Magazines

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MOMENTUM The Magazine for Student Members of SAE International®, November 2017,
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Momentum - November 2017

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