How to lead today´s technical professional

Traditional management principles meet with only minimal success when applied to technical professionals. It is argued that technical leadership requires a special combination of knowledge about science and technology to acquire respect, knowledge about behavior, and skill to lead. Extensive research conducted over a three-year period in 19 technologically oriented companies was examined. The degree to which technical leaders were able to facilitate the achievement of individual and group goals over multiple projects was related to their ability to address five strategic dimensions of technical leadership: coach for peak performance, run organizational interference, orchestrate professional development, expand individual productvity through teamwork, and facilitate self-management. Blending of strategic thinking and behavioral competence across dimensions was most characteristic of the more effective leaders