Reliability Engineering and Leadership

Reliability Engineering and Leadership

Leadership is a difficult term to clearly define. A team leader may have poor or wonderful leadership skills. A product may lead in a market with a broad feature offering, yet not hold a recognized leadership position.

As a reliability engineer, you will find many opportunities to lead. Your ability to provide vision, direction, guidance, and support for a team enables you to affect change and accomplish goals.

Market Leadership

Product reliability is a common element of market leadership. The ability and attendant perception of a ‘rock solid’ product that just works provides an enviable market position.

Of course, the product has to actually solve a problem or provide value to the customer. Many products may provide a similar solution, yet if one product or brand is noticeably more reliable then the other offerings, it may become the market leader as a useful and dependable solution.

Personal Leadership

A leader in an organization may benefit, initially from a particular management position. A Director of Engineering has authority, yet may or may not be a leader.