Photo by Alan Wu
As a future catalyst for creating societal change, Faizan Akbani (MechE 1T7) is dedicated to enriching his fellow students’ university experience by learning from others around him and growing as a leader. He is currently serving on the Engineering Society Board of Directors as the Mechanical Engineering Representative. Faizan has taken one of ILead’s newest undergraduate courses: The Power of Story: Discovering Your Leadership Narrative (APS445). Here are his thoughts on leadership education.
Why do you want to be an engineer?
Versatility and flexibility. One of the greatest strengths of an engineering degree is how flexible it is. We will have learned calculus, thermodynamics, and solid mechanics, as well as many other technical skills. However, the invaluable trait that we will have learned is the ability to think critically. That means being able to look at a problem, understand it, analyze it, and then solve it using our sculpted critical thinking skills. This ability allows us to be boundless, and that is why I chose engineering.
What does leadership mean to you?
To me, leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire people towards a cause. It comes from being able to step outside of your own shoes, leaving behind personal biases and opinions, and trying to truly understand another person’s perspective. By being able to think from multiple points of views, you start to understand people’s needs and how they think. As a result, you’re able to better fulfill these needs as a leader and create a positive, inclusive environment for them.
What would the world look like if more engineers developed their leadership capability?
For one, we would see a lot more successful start-ups. As engineers, we already possess all the technical capabilities needed in order to innovate and find solutions for existing problems. The problems arise when it comes to implementation, bringing those ideas to life. This is why combining leadership education with an engineer’s technical know-how is extremely powerful. By successfully collaborating and learning how to work together using leadership knowledge, engineers can contribute even more to society and truly accelerate our society’s progress on a global scale.
How did APS445 impact you and your development?
APS445 had a profound impact on me since it helped me understand the importance of my past experiences. It provided me the means for self-realization and helped me reflect on how my personality and leadership traits were shaped as a result of past accomplishments. I learned the importance and true power of storytelling by putting my experiences in the form of stories and narratives. I started noticing how fundamental of a skill effective storytelling really is, since we’re subconsciously conveying our emotions and feelings everyday using stories. It really is an underlying art that every successful leader must learn, which is why I still practice to become a better, more engaging storyteller every day.
Why is leadership education so important right now?
Leadership is what sets you apart. Most large projects require us to work in teams consisting of individuals from different backgrounds, educations and experiences. The one quality that is recognized and appreciated across the world however, no matter what the profession, is leadership. This is why leadership education is more important now than ever, to allow students to discover and develop their style of leadership early on.
-Kevin Saludares