Sebastian talks about how his time in the leadership institute has allowed him to remain constantly curious and innovative.
Digital Equipment Corporation or “DECK” was once considered to be the company that was building the best computers in the world. In 1988, it was the world’s second largest computer company and boasted 11.5 billion in revenue. Then their business computers began to be smoked in sales by personal computers like the Macintosh. They failed to realize that personal computers were the future of computing until it was too late. They ended up being bought by Compaq and the once huge company is now gone. A lot of factors brought down “DECK” but a glaring issue is that they simply never changed. Their culture was built around sticking to what they already have. They stuck to their “slice of the pie” and it caused them to fall behind. To put it simply, “DECK” failed to adapt. They lacked the vision and direction needed to take them into the future of computing.
Those who were at the top of “DECK” were good at making sure they had the best technical equipment but failed to expand their approach to their business. The technically gifted people of the world have great ideas but tend to lack many of the skills necessary to be effective leaders. Those people in education … Those people need an education capable of putting them in a position to become effective in the business world. The Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute is a program at Miami University that aims to mold leaders out of technically gifted students within the engineering school. Through a competitive application process, a cohort of engineering students of all disciplines is formed, and for the next 3 years they work together on discovering their own brand of leadership, while building on the necessary skills required to carry out their visions.
Throughout the entirety of the program we read, watch, participate in and discuss the teachings of multiple leadership experts from Daniel Goleman and his expertise on emotional intelligence to Patrick Lencioni’s “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”- a must read for any aspiring leader and a personal favorite of mine. The Institute members learn from dozens of books, articles, and online programs created by professionals along with hearing from those in industry in personal talks such as Jeffrey Wilcox, Vice President for Engineering and Program Operations at Lockheed Martin and Jeff Smith the Chief Information Officer at IBM.
All of these great sources to learn from are vital to leadership development but what I believe sets the leadership Institute apart is the focus on intrapersonal development. At least half of the assignments we work on cover intrapersonal growth, how to better ourselves. The foundation of any good leader is built on recognizing their own strengths and weaknesses and then acting on that knowledge to improve him or herself. The intrapersonal focus that the program takes is the extra step that other leadership development programs should take. Gaining and understanding of oneself allows them to mold and build their own brand of leadership while at the same time giving them the tools to understand how he or she should act when working with others.
Effective leadership not only takes into account small personal work relationships but keeps an eye on setting and completing long-term goals. The Leadership Institute fosters growth for exactly this, the strategic leadership mindset. A strategic leader is able to take on fluid situations that can change at any moment while keeping the long-term goals in mind. Strategic leadership is an extremely difficult concept to master but the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute gives its members the basis needed to grow into effective strategic leaders. Members study how the best companies foster different, well run cultures along with trying out their own large projects on their own. I was a part of the cohort that created its own podcasting website from absolutely nothing. We had to not only build a website but also provide our own content to it. It was a year long project that took hours of work and multiple iterations, but it allowed us to work on something challenging and long term. This does not happen in any other class in our curriculums. The rigor of the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute is unique. At the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute, the members are pushed and expected to perform at their highest levels.
Remember that the leaders of successful endeavors should never stop trying to improve themselves or their organizations. Standing still is what happened to “DECK” and countless other companies throughout history. It is an adapt or die market out there. Proper leadership training for young talented people can go along way in improving the organizations of today and transforming them into the successes of tomorrow. Programs as good as the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute can develop the kinds of leaders needed to take on the challenges of this world as the problems get harder and harder to solve.
Not only does Sebastian grow academically while at school but he also pressures himself to take on roles that will make him grow beyond just the classroom. He has joined Engineers Without Borders, AIChE, and Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society and has taken leadership roles in most. He also applied and was accepted to the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute his second year to take on the challenge of growing his soft skills and applying them to a team environment.
