Top 5 Reasons Advanced-Degree Scientists And Engineers Fail in Leadership Roles

I’ve interviewed dozens of senior leaders who have high-potential technical talent.

They want them to succeed in leadership roles but see several issues that need to be addressed.

Here are the top 5 reasons that advanced-degree scientists and engineers fail in leadership roles:

1️⃣Poor Communication Skills:
Technical experts often lack the necessary communication skills to effectively communicate with their team and stakeholders. They struggle to convey ideas or provide feedback, leading to misunderstandings and poor outcomes.

2️⃣Lack of People Skills:
Advanced-degree scientists and engineers often focus too much on technical tasks and overlook the importance of developing and nurturing interpersonal relationships. They struggle to motivate, engage, or empathize with their team members.

3️⃣Lack of Strategic Thinking: Advanced-degree scientists and engineers often focus too much on details and struggle to see the big picture. They have difficulty developing and executing a long-term vision or strategy.

4️⃣Inability to Delegate: Technical experts often feel more comfortable doing tasks themselves, rather than delegating them to others. This can lead to overwork, burnout, and micromanagement.

5️⃣Inability to Develop Talent: Advanced-degree scientists and engineers often lack the skills and experience necessary to identify and develop the talent within their team. They struggle to provide mentoring or coaching to team members, leading to low engagement and high turnover.

If you aspire to leadership roles with higher impact and earning potential, I suggest you get an assessment to determine if any of these common challenges are challenges for YOU.

Fortunately, all of these can be resolved with training and coaching.