Engineering leadership: definition, skills, taxonomy, and identity from the perspectives of engineering leaders in ABET and industry professional engineers

There is a lack of consensus on the definition of leadership in engineering and the specific skills that should be emphasized in engineering leadership training and discussions. This knowledge gap affects the quality of leadership education in engineering programs. Most existing definitions of leadership in engineering were borrowed from management and psychology literature. To foster a holistic definition that effectively embodies the principles of leadership in the engineering profession, this qualitative study explores leadership through the lens of engineering leaders in the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and industry. The Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology guided data collection through semi-structured interviews and subsequent analysis. The study resulted in a proposed definition of engineering leadership, an identification of 18 important engineering leadership skills, a proposed taxonomy of engineering leadership skills, and a re-envisioning of the leadership identity of engineering professionals, reiterating engineering as a leadership profession.