Core Competencies for
Technical Leaders
Angelina Howard
Moderator
Howard-Johnson Associates
Tammy Orr
Executive Director, Strategic Marketing
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
Leadership
p at MPR
Bob Coward
Principal Officer
MPR Associates
MPR in Brief
• Industry leading specialty engineering and technical
services company
• Founded in 1964 by chief civilian lieutenants of
Admiral Rickover with focus on technical excellence
• About 215 people, mostly in Alexandria
• Nuclear is about 60% of MPR business,
remainder fairly evenly divided in non-nuclear
power, DOE/DOD/DHS, and medical product
development
• MPR brings a unique combination of depth &
breadth of capability in parallel with independence
and commitment to client success
4
Stops Along my Journey …
• “I can’t tell you how sorry I am”
– Leaders serve their people and
the enterprise
– Leader’s role is to enable success,
nott force
f
success
• “I don’t like you, or him either!”
– Wh
Whatt matters
tt
is
i what
h t people
l hear
h
or see, nott what
h t
you intend
• “You
You really don’t
don t see how you are messing this up
up,
do you?”
– Trust your team,
team they
they’llll surprise you
5
Next Steps …
• Understanding my strengths and challenges …
and recognizing that my strengths also are big
contributors to my main “growth areas”
• Electing to:
– Leverage the strengths for my own development and
for MPR success
•
•
•
•
Curiosity
Strong work ethic
Fast learner
Desire to make an impact
– Always
y work on myy
growth areas
6
Impacting & Advancing
• Question: “What do you look for in an individual
when you promote or advance within your
organization?”
• Restated: “What makes an effective leader at
MPR?”
My basis is that the best and most effective leaders
will
ill advance
d
and
db
be promoted
t d – the
th goall iis tto b
be an
effective leader, not to be promoted
7
Being an Effective Leader at MPR
• Live the MPR core values
– Use the values to guide your decisions and actions
– Display a visible commitment to and bring others into
alignment with the core values
8
Being an Effective Leader at MPR
• Drive to improve
– Create a self evaluating, learning organization;
identify and incorporate lessons learned
– Encourage experimentation,
creativity,
ti it flexibility
fl ibilit and
d growth
th
aligned with the MPR vision
– Enthusiastically pursue
excellence in everything
you do
9
Being an Effective Leader at MPR
• Provide direction and vision
– Develop, communicate, inspire and implement the
vision for your part of the business in alignment with
MPR vision
– Make
M k sense off and
d explain
l i
the MPR vision and overall
business to your people
– Be positive and optimistic
regarding the future of MPR
10
Being an Effective Leader at MPR
• Be the steward for the “whole” of MPR
– Act in the best interests of MPR the one company
– Drive integration, synergies, and improvement across
MPR; develop and implement common/best
practices,
ti
and
d collaborate
ll b t as appropriate
i t
11
Being an Effective Leader at MPR
• Build an effective Team
– Create a strong, collaborative teamwork environment
based on mutual respect and fairness; look for your
personal contributions by your words and actions
– Take
T k actions
ti
that
th t will
ill b
build
ild
mutual trust
12
Being an Effective Leader at MPR
• Be accountable for your performance and hold
others accountable for theirs
– Hold yourself and your people accountable;
don’t accept substandard performance
– Strive
St i tto iimprove yourselflf
– Drive responsibility and
authority down to the
lowest competent level
13
Being an Effective Leader at MPR
• Communicate effectively
– Understand the impact of your communication and
leadership styles; adjust as necessary to be effective
– Learn how to communicate and lead individuals you
work
k with
ith ((understand
d t d th
their
i communication
i ti styles)
t l )
– Communicate regularly and fully
with your peers and management;
encourage others to communicate
in the same way with you
– Be open to and receive feedback
14
Being an Effective Leader at MPR
• Empower and develop your people
– Help create a vision for their development and coach
them toward it
– Encourage them to take opportunities outside their
comfort
f t zone and
d learn
l
ffrom them
th
– Be generous with praise and
share credit
– Provide constructive feedback
– Grow and develop future
leaders
– Give them the needed tools, resources,
and information
15
Common Themes – Good MPR Leaders
•
•
•
•
•
•
Grow and develop others
personal success
Focus on MPR success, not p
Have a vision and work towards it
p
MPR as a company
p y
Improve
Make teamwork a reality
Are accountable
Accomplish important objectives within the
framework of our core values and goals!
16
Parting Comments
• Have a direction and goal – know where you are
going!
• Don’t be content to do things the same way as
before – be better!
• Invite others to ride with you – it is better that way!
• Don’t stand still – always continue striving to make
an impact!
17
Career Lessons
July 2011
Paula Marino
Southern Nuclear
VP Engineering
Career Lessons
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Know your customers
Get you
Ge
your hands
a ds d
dirty
y
Get a major and then several minors
Bloom where you are planted
All decisions have consequences
R i your h
Raise
hand
d
Run with good people
It is integration, not balance
Get results through
g people
Lift while you rise
19
Desired Attributes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
High expectations
Change
C
a ge age
agent
Vision
Effective communicator
Transparent
C
Courage
Passion for making a difference
20
Special Event
City Museum of St. Louis
7 – 11 p.m.
Buses depart 4th Street entrance at 6:45 p.m.