Timothy Rozic is Engineering Manager at PSB Industries, where he leads engineering and manufacturing projects focused on efficiency, quality and process improvement. With experience in program management and manufacturing engineering, he specializes in leading cross-functional teams, applying practical solutions and improving operational performance for global customers.
From Experience to Engineering Leadership
There are two key experiences that have shaped my leadership style: bad bosses and leader-follower structures.
Nobody likes a bad boss. I’ve had them. We all have. One takeaway from my bad boss experiences was to always be friendly but set expectations so no one takes advantage of your demeanor. Be inviting, listen, but make sure goals are set and are met in an efficient manner. Utilize the Golden Rule: Treat people the way you want to be treated.
Leader-follower structures have been around for ages, but they don’t always work. I’m a proponent of the leader-leader structure where each person on your team makes the decisions on their projects. Project owners are just that, owners. It helps build trust within your team and it builds confidence, plus it helps build new leaders! Constantly monitoring your team can be constricting, so train your team to monitor themselves. If they can’t, maybe they don’t fit.
Balancing Technical Expertise with Team Leadership
Surround yourself with the right people and delegate to the experts. My team consists of expert draftsmen and highly trained electrical, mechanical and professional engineers. When a new project comes in, a team of drafters and engineers are assigned to it. They run the project from beginning to end. I’m there to support the needs of my team and the other departments and make sure the whole machine is running smoothly. Having the right tools, processes and people in place is vital to making this work.
Adapting to Change in Modern Engineering
Good leaders don’t lead with unconditional authority; they listen to their environment and make decisions based on team input and what’s best for the company.
I believe it all comes down to adaptability. A challenge is a challenge, so adapt to it by creating a new process, investing in new tools or watch the competition overtake you. Know what you and your team are getting into by staying engaged in what is happening in your field, i.e., watching trends and market developments. Data drives a lot of decisions in today’s world, but it still never hurts to use old-school intuition as well.
Driving Innovation through Continuous Improvement
In my experiences, the best way is to talk to people. Don’t sit at your desk all day, get out on the shop floor. Talk to the workers that have their hands on the product. I tell my team all the time that our fabricators and assemblers are our first customers; listen to them. If they have to walk a mile to get what they need to build the product, change that process. If they have trouble assembling the product, change the design to make it easier.
Sometimes an innovation isn’t needed if you just dig a little deeper into what you already have (of course this doesn’t work for every company). I’ve seen countless “shiny new things” purchased just to gather dust. Don’t spend money on something without changing a process or two first. Let continuous improvement drive innovation, not the other way around. If it turns out that new widget will help, great! Just make sure you do your ROI homework first.
Preparing Engineers for Leadership Roles
Be open to new opportunities. Network. Listen and ask questions. Not in that order, rather all at the same time.
In your job, do what’s asked of you but also be open to other opportunities. Be open to them because you never know who you’ll meet and/or what you’ll accomplish.
In and outside of your job, network! Never be afraid to meet new people. Go to happy hour (just don’t get too happy), volunteer with local organizations, register for classes with likeminded people, etc. I’ve volunteered with a national education organization for almost 20 years. I’ve met a lot of great people and have made lasting connections.
Above all, listen and ask questions. In that order. Good leaders don’t lead with unconditional authority; they listen to their environment and make decisions based on team input and what’s best for the company. They ask pertinent questions based on what they hear to clear any confusion and to drive thought. It allows your team to speak freely and bring up their own ideas, which could be a breakthrough for the company.
