In school, a leader learns about leadership and the characteristics one needs to be successful. Studies have been conducted to analyze and identify the appropriate traits that make an effective leader. Peterson and Plowman have found 18 attributes that a leader should possess. Several attributes include a leader's forcefulness, enthusiasm, and ability to inspire others. Successful leaders must also be able to hire new recruits to the company. They must be able to follow certain processes that come up with the required quantity and quality of technical personnel a company needs. One process includes the writing of a description for the professional position that must be filled, the filtering and selecting of applicants eligible for job offers, the interviewing of applicants for the position, reference checks when needed, the planning of site visits, the negotiating of salaries, and the offering of jobs. To be a successful leader, one must also be aware of the authority and power one can possess. With this power, a leader must be able to effectively assign accountability, delegate authority, and take responsibility of duties to subordinates. A successful leader must also be able to motivate peers and subordinates. The two types of theories that try to explain how people are motivated are the content theories and the process theories. "Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs" is an example of a very important content theory, which is "based on human needs and [a person's] efforts to satisfy them." Equity theory is a process theory "based on the simple belief that people want to be treated fairly relative to the treatment of others" (Babcock, p.144). These theories are just examples of what a winning leader can use to help motivate peers and subordinates. To be a successful leader in the engineering profession, one must have leadership traits, be able to recruit new members to the company team, use power and authority effectively, and motivate peers and subordinates.
