The 5 Things People Look for in Leadership

Leadership has always been a major part of my life, both personally as the oldest brother in my family and professionally as a team lead, company founder, and consultant. Over the years, I've learned some key lessons about what people truly seek in a leader. Here are the five things I've found to be most essential:

1. Direction and Vision

"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet." – Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh

Every team, every organization craves leadership that provides a clear direction. As the leader of the Engineering Performance Management Team (PMT), which consisted of over 50 engineers from junior associates to senior staff, I quickly realized the importance of having a shared vision. Teams need to understand not just what they're doing, but why they're doing it. They need a leader who can break down senior leadership’s goals into actionable KPIs and performance targets that everyone can aspire to achieve.

A specific project where my vision played a crucial role was in creating a predictive model for a sustainment project. I was presenting to a group of stakeholders on a factory simulation I created, which caught the attention of an engineer in the sustainment function. We discussed how the model works and how it might be used for sustainment. Although the initial idea came from the engineer, I saw his vision and recognized how I could approach this vision using simulation.

I assembled an initial team and took a first crack at it. Unfortunately, it was a disaster—no value and wasted dollars. However, I didn’t forget the vision we were ultimately looking to achieve. I sought help from others, consulted my team, and consulted the experts, convincing them of the vision we were aiming for. By putting together a more capable team, we gamed out a three-phase approach, always leading with the end in mind. The result? We are now on the precipice of completing a significant tool that will empower the organization to forward position itself.

2. Support and Understanding

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood." – Stephen R. Covey

Teams desperately need a leader who has their backs and listens to understand their concerns. In my role at PMT, I was initially apprehensive about the responsibility, but I learned that being there for my team was crucial. It's about creating an environment where team members feel heard and valued. This support fosters trust and motivates the team to give their best effort.

A personal story that highlights the importance of support and understanding comes from when I started my fulfillment business back in 2020. We were desperately in need of scaling up to meet demand. Averaging 100-150 orders per day, we started up about a month or so after presales and had over 20,000 orders to fill just to catch up, on top of the ongoing sales. This meant the work was demanding, and we had to scale up quickly, building the team even faster.

Order fulfillment involves several phases: receiving the order, order management, packaging, storage, and shipping. For us, this process usually extended across an entire day. At night, we would pack and fulfill orders, and in the morning, we would rent a U-Haul, pack all of our orders, and take them to USPS distribution centers. Staffing these roles efficiently was crucial. I often worked both night and day shifts, with some team members overlapping between the two.

My best friend was running operations for me, but he had some personal issues that affected his ability to be present all the time. We had a fun and open, startup-like atmosphere when working. During appropriate times, I encouraged deeper conversations on meaning, philosophy, love, and other significant topics. Keeping the space open for team members to share their feelings is essential because our lives outside work are ever-changing. This approach ensured everyone felt supported and understood, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie and dedication within the team.

3. Leading by Example

"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." – Albert Schweitzer

A leader must be someone who leads by example. At RH Logistics, an order fulfillment company I built during the pandemic, I trained each of my 20 team members individually and optimized our processes from fulfilling 150 orders per day to over 3000. By being hands-on and demonstrating the work ethic and standards I expected, I was able to cultivate a working atmosphere that was efficient, friendly, and safe.

It is easy to tell people what to do, but much harder to follow our own advice at times. During my order fulfillment days, I had to learn every aspect of our processes because it was my job as the owner to train everyone I brought on. Like anyone, I have lazy days, and I learned all the 'lazy' ways to do everything that needed to be done. However, taking shortcuts does not build an organization; it weakens the quality of the product—unless it’s a process improvement!

When teaching new hires, I showed them exactly how things were to be done. I was present when needed, resolved any problems, filled in any role, and still tracked my budget for people. I don’t complain; I figure out ways to resolve problems and show that meeting the standard is not impossible. As a result, my team performed better, felt more empowered to make suggestions for improvements, and achieved excellence.

4. Communication and Business Acumen

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." – George Bernard Shaw

Leadership involves effective communication and the ability to interface with senior leadership. In my current role with the Advanced Manufacturing Technology team, I have worked with over 10 different programs, gaining an intricate understanding of how things come together. I've used this knowledge to communicate the value of our work, build business cases, acquire new clients, and serve in a consultative role. Clear, impactful communication is essential for aligning team efforts with business objectives.

One of the exciting aspects of my work as a Senior Research Engineer is using discrete event simulation to gain insight into clients’ throughput, cost, capacity, manpower, and more. Often, decision-makers lack a clear picture of what their data is telling them, primarily because the information may not be readily available in an easily digestible format.

In a recent project, I was tasked with evaluating the CAPEX Plan for a product to achieve the rates suggested by their demand signals. The CAPEX plan included an over $1.4 million investment in two pieces of test equipment, which was a significant point of contention. A previous analysis had suggested that acquiring these pieces of equipment was critical. My role was not to critique but to investigate, research, and provide answers.

Using my knowledge of the CAPEX process, my industrial engineering expertise, and my understanding of the company's setup, I assembled the right team. I built an initial model, identified potential issues, and suggested changes that would likely be accepted based on my experience with engineering changes. I proposed a step-down plan to reduce the risk of over-utilization on the existing equipment. Often, the solution is hidden in plain sight; siloed work keeps the solution from being apparent, and only through effective communication and demonstrating business acumen can these barriers be broken.

5. Continuous Growth and Adaptability

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." – Alan Watts

Finally, a good leader is always seeking personal growth and new opportunities to bring value to the organization. My breadth of experience, from leading the PMT to founding RH Logistics and pioneering model-based engineering, has taught me the importance of adaptability. Staying curious and open to new learning opportunities is crucial for evolving as a leader and effectively guiding teams through changing landscapes.

It is so important that we continuously evaluate where we are in terms of our craft. Sometimes we need to look at where the landscape is going and make the appropriate changes. If you do not adapt, eventually your way of doing things might stick out pretty badly. Leadership is not about being right; it is about doing what is right, and that requires a growth mindset. That requires letting go of ego and accepting that you don’t know everything. Throughout my career, I have constantly attempted to demonstrate a growth mindset. I have learned several times that there was a need to grow and learn new skills. AI is one of those areas where we really need to continue to learn. I am always learning.

If you enjoyed this article and want to dive deeper into topics like leadership, personal growth, and finding purpose in your career, check out my YouTube channel, Pathways and Purpose . There, I explore these themes in greater depth and share insights from my own experiences. Let's continue this journey of growth together.