In this episode, we talk to Margie Oleson, Ed.D., change consultant at Oleson Consulting LLC and OCM Lead at Lockheed Martin, about unique challenges faced by CEOs and C-suite executives. She also shares some great advice for navigating turbulent times in companies, building effective engineering leadership teams, fostering cohesion, and ensuring long-term improvements.
***The video version of this episode can be viewed here.***
Engineering Quotes:
Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About Engineering Leadership and Empowering Strategies for Success and Growth:
- Leaders in large organizations grapple with team dynamics and habits. Managing teams isn’t like handling machines — it’s about understanding human behavior and cultivating effective habits. Quick fixes won’t work; leaders must commit to long-term changes based on neuroscience and human behavior to build resilient, high-performing teams that can adapt to future challenges.
- Effective leaders understand they can’t directly control their team’s mindset but can establish the right structure and openness to encourage positive attitudes. Self-awareness, clarity, and open communication build trust and naturally develop over time, enabling leaders to address underlying issues and transform struggling employees into high performers.
- Creating an open and transparent work environment isn’t just a luxury — it’s strategic. It sets you apart from competitors, improves client service, and attracts and retains top talent. When leaders encourage openness and provide ongoing clarity on expectations and performance, employees feel empowered to excel, making for the best performance management system possible.
- Success in any team starts with clear goals and alignment. Leaders ensure everyone understands their role in achieving these goals. Open communication minimizes gossip and promotes cohesion. Effective meetings and metrics track progress, reducing crisis management and enabling innovation. This creates a happier, more productive work environment prepared for future challenges.
- Imagine a leader evolving with structured systems over time, sharpening skills for adaptability, especially in scenarios like mergers. By over-communicating goals and maintaining clarity, leaders prevent silos and promote inclusive cultures. Effective leadership engineers high performance through deliberate habits, driving meaningful change.
- To enhance team performance, prioritize a few key metrics that drive outcomes and behaviors. Avoid overwhelming dashboards with too many metrics. Choose around five to 10 critical metrics reflecting important outcomes and team processes. Use metrics to evaluate specific behaviors like meeting effectiveness, supporting skill development, and teamwork. Regularly refine metrics to ensure alignment and embed high performance into daily operations, achieving goals systematically over time.
- Leadership is learned, not innate. Focus on clear communication and over-communicate when needed. Increase self-awareness by understanding company goals and team roles. Engage in activities like therapy or meditation to develop emotional intelligence for effective leadership.
More in This Episode…
In the Take Action Today segment of the show, Margie talks about what you can do to practice effective meeting management.
About the Guest, Margie Oleson, Ed.D.
Margie Oleson is an executive coach and leadership/team development expert with a doctorate in Organization Development. She delivers her coaching with practical strategies and actions for leaders and their leadership teams to build the right foundation for teamwork and productivity. Clients have included companies in most industries, such as aeronautics, agriculture, financial services, fintech, healthcare, higher education, insurance, manufacturing, medical devices, nonprofit, retail, and more.
Margie developed Top Team Accelerator, which helps senior leaders and their leadership teams build systems and habits for successful change and sustain improvements going forward. With an emphasis on the organization, Margie works with senior leaders and leadership teams to become cohesive, high-performing teams — which translates to high performance among their teams.
About the Host, Jeff Perry, MBA
Jeff Perry is a leadership/career coach for engineers, building mindsets, leadership, and career intentions to unlock hidden potential and remove self-imposed roadblocks for career and life. For years, he has had the pleasure of supporting engineers and software pros, from new grads to director level. Having been on the front lines in the technical world, he has been able to map out the necessary skills for becoming a quality leader in the field.
You can connect with Jeff on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffcperry/ or visit his website, https://morethan-engineering.com. Jeff also has a new, FREE, on-demand training course for engineers who are job searching or in job transitions. You can see it at https://engineeringcareeraccelerator.com.
Resources and Links Mentioned in This Session Include:
Oleson Consulting
Lockheed Martin
Top Team Accelerator
RACI Matrix
Connect with Margie Oleson, Ed.D., on LinkedIn
We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share on engineering leadership and empowering strategies for success and growth.
Please leave your comments, feedback, or questions in the section below.
