Engineering leadership assessment to action: Development leadership profiles for academic success

Abstract

It is well established by both industry and academics that while the current focus of the engineering curricula focuses on the technical aspects of the student's education, there is a definitive need to incorporate the inculcation of leadership, communication, and professional skills during the course of their undergraduate study. This point is emphasized in several reports, including the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the National Academy of Engineers (NAE), and the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) among others. In this study, a personal leadership profile instrument was tested that enables students to compare their personalized engineering leadership score with data obtained from a prior study (N=753)1. This establishes a baseline of leadership skills in comparison to one's peers. This paper describes the development of a personalized leadership profile for students that would aid them in creating their own leadership plan by comparing their responses with the baseline. The leadership profile helps to identify areas for improvement and provides recommendations of relevant courses as a step towards improving upon them. Students empowered with the results of their profile could make informed decisions about future course selection in their program. This study demonstrates one method of aiding students in creating a leadership experience that is unique to their needs. Profile creation could be a model for other institutions to ensure they are meeting the needs of the accrediting bodies and student expectations.