1. Leadership in Automation
J Parsons, P.E., LEED AP O+M
Director, Construction & Design (ISA)
Controls Engineer (Jacobs)

2. Safety Minute: Control Panels
Most control panels have a mix of low-voltage (under 30V, 100W) and medium-voltage (120V or 480V) wiring and components.
Don’t touch terminals with bare hands or uninsulated tools.
Verify power is disconnected before working inside a panel, if possible.
Make sure someone knows where you are if working alone.

3. Are You A Leader?

4. Background 7 years as a Senior Non-commissioned Officer in the US Army
Led small special ops teams and detachments
Oversaw tactical networking and field artillery platoons
Currently training future Army officers
12 years in the automation industry
Managed an application engineering department doing SI work
Worked on many large controls projects here in Oregon

5. Agenda
This is a facilitated discussion. Everyone should feel free to contribute their ideas and experiences.
Some of the topics we’ll look at are:
Myths of leadership
Attributes of leadership (brainstorming session)
Techniques to become a better leader
Finding leadership opportunities in your organization
Leadership in the ISA

6. Myth #1 – Leaders are Born
Leadership is a skill
Like any other skill, it can be developed
Some people may be better at certain leadership attributes

7. Myth #2 – Engineers are Poor Leaders
Introverts may struggle with being a leader
Technical people tend to talk over others

8. Myth #3 – Leaders Don’t Make Good Followers
The ability to follow other’s lead is essential
Don’t ask people to do anything you wouldn’t do

9. Other Myths?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

10. Attributes of Leadership
What are attributes you look for in a leader?
Are there attributes you haven’t found yet?
Are you honest enough with yourself to identify deficiencies?

11. How to Become a Better Leader
Start small
Practice
Become an Active Listener
Follow through on commitments
Accept feedback (criticism)

12. Finding Opportunities
Ask your boss
Start a new initiative
Ask for a smaller leadership role in a project
Get involved in professional organizations (like the ISA)
Find ways to lead in your community

13. ISA Leadership Takes many forms Works on different levels
Technical
Supervisory
Event-oriented
Works on different levels
Local (Section)
Regional (District)
International (Divisions and Standards)
Many resources available and people to help

14. What Else?