The Leadership Shift That Changed How I Think as an Engineer
"Leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about seeing the system, the risks, and the people."
✈️ Starting with the Technical, But Learning Something Deeper
When I began my career in aviation engineering, leadership looked very technical: solve problems, meet deadlines, keep the system running. My early focus was on checklists and compliance.
But through guidance from some remarkable mentors, I began to see something more powerful: that real leadership isn’t just about getting things right, it’s about understanding the systems, the risks, and the people behind the work.
Two models they introduced me to MSG-3 and the Swiss Cheese Model, became foundational to how I lead today.
1) MSG-3: More Than Maintenance
A tool that taught me to think beyond the checklist. MSG-3 (Maintenance Steering Group-3) is used to develop preventive maintenance strategies in aviation. When I first encountered it, it seemed like another rigid process. But my leaders challenged me to ask deeper questions:
Why this task?
Why now?
What risk are we managing?
How does this support long term performance?
They showed me how MSG-3 isn’t just about maintenance, it’s about balancing safety, cost, risk, and operational goals. That’s when I realized I wasn’t just following a document. I was learning to make strategic, system level decisions.
2) The Swiss Cheese Model: A New Way to See Failure
Failures don’t happen alone; they line up through layers.
Another mentor taught me the Swiss Cheese Model of accident causation. It was a revelation. Instead of blaming individuals for mistakes, this model helped me understand how multiple gaps in processes, culture, communication, and systems can align to cause failure.
They encouraged me to ask:
What allowed this to go unnoticed?
Were our defenses strong enough?
Are we designing to prevent or to react?
That shift changed everything for me. I began focusing on foresight and system design, not blame.
How These Lessons Shaped Me:These are the principles I now lead by.
They taught me to:
Think strategically, not just tactically.
Ask better questions.
Design for resilience, not just compliance.
Lead with systems, people, and purpose in mind.
Because of those early lessons from my mentors, I now see leadership as a balance between technical insight and human centred thinking.
Summary:“Leadership isn’t a title, it’s how you think and act.”
Leadership doesn’t begin with a title, it begins with a shift in how we think. For me, that shift came from two models my mentors shared early in my journey. They still shape the way I think today. If you’re reading this whether you’re an engineer, strategist, or leader in any field, I encourage you to reflect on the models that shaped your thinking.
What’s one concept that changed how you lead? I’d love to hear your story.
