Watch Video
A Leadership Program Takes Off
Lockheed Martin thinks a lot about how to develop engineering leaders. They thought Drexel might have answers…
Lockheed Martin executives think a lot about how to develop leadership skills in young engineers. They thought Drexel might have some answers.
That suspicion — grounded in the aerospace giant's experience as a leading employer of students from the renowned Drexel Co-op program — led to a new collaboration launched in 2014. The dual goals of the Lockheed Martin Engineering Leadership Program are to create tools that make Drexel engineering students even better leaders, and to bring insights back to Lockheed for use in employee development.
"LEADERSHIP EDUCATION IS SO IMPORTANT FOR ENGINEERS, BECAUSE THERE’S SO MUCH POTENTIAL TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE,” SAYS JEFF WILCOX, VICE PRESIDENT OF ENGINEERING FOR LOCKHEED MARTIN AND A 1988 DREXEL MASTER’S DEGREE GRADUATE."
"Real-world experience has become increasingly critical to today’s engineers. The world is moving faster and faster. The beauty of a co-op education is it lets you learn while doing."
Under the program, all Drexel engineering freshmen take part in case studies and design projects involving management, civic engagement, communication and other leadership skills, and receive assessments and feedback on their leadership strengths. Exceptional students continue in subsequent years, culminating in a fourth-year cohort of 40 Lockheed Martin Leadership Scholars who participate in Drexel's Enhanced Leadership Co-op with employers willing to offer additional leadership opportunities.
Experts from Drexel's LeBow College of Business and Institute for Strategic Leadership will evaluate the program's outcomes to help refine leadership training at both Drexel and Lockheed Martin.