Leadership challenges in an engineering environment

Leadership has evolved through history and will continue to do so as the business environment develops. The business environment is moving rapidly towards one of global markets and competition, employees based in many countries and flexible places and hours of work. A new type of leader is required, one who understands the value of information technology, one who can satisfy customer and shareholder expectations, and the greater aspirations of employees. The reliance placed on engineering products in today´s business environment makes it clear that the contribution that engineers make is vastly underestimated. Engineers and the industries in which they work are vital for creating the wealth of the UK. This paper looks at leadership in UK industry and the role engineers need to play, as leaders.