Mastering Engineering Leadership

Angelique Adams
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Are you an engineer looking to go beyond your technical expertise to become an impactful leader? Join Dr. Angelique Adams each week as she features engineers in leadership roles. They discuss their career journeys, dissect real-life leadership challenges they've tackled, and share actionable advice on how to achieve success as a leader with an engineering background. Whether you’re an aspiring leader or a seasoned engineer looking to grow, join us. Mastering Engineering Leadership—your journey to becoming an exceptional engineer leader starts here.

  1. MEL #055 | From Academic Research to Business Impact through Hands On Leadership with Dr. Rahul Maharsia

    FEB 3

    MEL #055 | From Academic Research to Business Impact through Hands On Leadership with Dr. Rahul Maharsia

    In this episode, I speak with Doctor Rahul Maharsia, Senior Vice President of R&D and Engineering at Insulation Technology Group. Rahul did not grow up knowing he wanted to be an engineer and spent years searching for direction. His parents recognized his natural problem-solving ability before he did and encouraged him toward engineering, which ultimately gave him clarity, purpose, and momentum. After starting in mechanical engineering in India, he came to the US, pivoted through industrial engineering, and completed a PhD focused on materials and composites. In our leadership segment, Rahul shares how his leadership growth accelerated when he began stepping into problems without waiting for a title or formal authority. One defining moment came when he was asked to tackle a critical manufacturing issue threatening the survival of a business. By moving to the plant floor, building trust with operators, and leading through action, he helped transform yields, stabilize the company, and earn an executive role.  Rahul encourages engineers to stop waiting for permission and actively seek opportunities to solve meaningful problems. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and pivoting as the world of engineering changes rapidly. Above all, he stresses that purpose, effort, and peace of mind matter more than titles or linear career paths. Explore the full episode summary, including guest bio, key takeaways, transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at www.drangeliqueadams.com/podcast

    27 min
  2. MEL #054 | From Perfectionist Engineer to Global Startup President through Cultural Flexibility and Discomfort as a Teacher with Darshan Deshmukh

    JAN 26

    MEL #054 | From Perfectionist Engineer to Global Startup President through Cultural Flexibility and Discomfort as a Teacher with Darshan Deshmukh

    In this episode, I speak with Darshan Deshmukh, president at ProcureAbility, a Jabil company, delivering an industry-leading suite of procurement and supply chain services to global organizations. Darshan grew up in India with strong influences in engineering and math, which naturally drew him toward a technical career. He studied mechanical engineering, worked briefly in software, and then realized he was more interested in how business systems fit together than in writing code. That insight led him to a master’s in supply chain at Penn State and into manufacturing and planning roles at IBM where he moved from technical roles into leadership and took on global assignments across multiple regions. He later transitioned into startups where he helped build and scale organizations and eventually stepped into executive leadership roles following acquisitions. In our leadership segment, Darshan talks about a defining challenge that came during his first startup experience. The company was growing quickly, but depended heavily on one major customer who announced plans to shift most of the work to a larger provider within a year. That decision put significant pressure on revenue, morale, and leadership credibility. Rather than sugarcoating the situation, Darshan chose to be open and transparent with the team. The experience tested his resilience and reinforced the value of trust during prolonged uncertainty. Darshan’s advice for aspiring engineering leaders? Stop waiting for perfect certainty before stepping into leadership roles. Many of the most important career decisions involve risk, discomfort, and acting without all the answers. He also encourages engineers to apply their analytical thinking to people, teams, and organizations, not just to technical problems, and to avoid common identity traps, such as believing you are not a seller or not the leadership type. His core message is to take smart risks, trust your instincts, and let discomfort be a signal for growth. Explore the full episode summary, including guest bio, key takeaways, transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at www.drangeliqueadams.com/podcast

    47 min
  3. MEL #053 | From Independent Contractor to Company Builder through Clarity, Trust, and a Willingness to Act with Cathy Toth

    JAN 19

    MEL #053 | From Independent Contractor to Company Builder through Clarity, Trust, and a Willingness to Act with Cathy Toth

    In this episode, I speak with Cathy Toth, founder, president, and CEO of Acato Information Management, a software quality assurance company located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Cathy grew up in a family full of engineers, started in biomechanical engineering, and ultimately finished an electrical engineering degree for practicality and momentum toward graduation.  She moved quickly into software, later negotiated flexible work through independent contracting so she could be home with her kids, and eventually built a career specializing in software quality and testing. That path led her to launch Acato, a company shaped by an early startup experience that proved “good work” and “good for people” could coexist. In our leadership segment, Cathy gave us two examples focused on scaling Acato. First, she talks about her approach to shifting a large project team from delivering every eight weeks to delivering every two weeks, and later she discusses how she is redesigning Acato’s org structure so the company is not “Cathy and everybody else.” Both challenges required clarity, operational redesign, and the courage to make decisions with incomplete information. A key thread was creating buy-in and honest feedback while holding a clear purpose.In our advice segment, Cathy emphasizes taking your leadership development seriously, acting with imperfect information, and telling the truth in a way that supports good decisions. She also highlights relationships as the pathway to results, including building networks through service and nonprofit leadership. Across it all: know what matters to you, do the homework, and be willing to step forward before you feel fully ready. Explore the full episode summary, including guest bio, key takeaways, transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at drangeliqueadams.com/podcast.

    45 min
  4. MEL #052 | The Podcast Built for Students and What It Became with Dr. Angelique Adams

    12/22/2025

    MEL #052 | The Podcast Built for Students and What It Became with Dr. Angelique Adams

    As we reach the end of the year, I wanted to share a more personal episode. This is the story behind the Mastering Engineering Leadership podcast. Why it exists, what I learned along the way, and how it has shaped, why it exists, what I learned along the way, and how it has shaped my approach to teaching and supporting engineers. Explore the full episode summary, including transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at www.drangeliqueadams.com/podcast

    11 min
  5. MEL #051 | Leadership Lessons From a Year of Engineering Stories with Dr. Angelique Adams

    12/18/2025

    MEL #051 | Leadership Lessons From a Year of Engineering Stories with Dr. Angelique Adams

    Hi, everyone! Angelique here. As we wrap up the year, I want to look back at some of the conversations that shaped the first season of the Mastering Engineering Leadership podcast. The themes were powerful on their own, but they become even richer when we anchor them in the voices of the leaders who shared their stories. Let me walk you through some of the patterns that stood out and the episodes that brought them to life. If you want to revisit any of the conversations I mentioned today, you can find episode links and other resources in the show notes at drangeligadams.com/podcast.

    5 min
  6. MEL #050 | From Underdog Engineer to Trusted Federal Partner through Steady, Approachable Leadership with Sherry Browder

    12/08/2025

    MEL #050 | From Underdog Engineer to Trusted Federal Partner through Steady, Approachable Leadership with Sherry Browder

    In this episode, I speak with Sherry Browder, CEO and president of Pro2Serve, an employee-owned company founded in 1995 with the primary purpose of providing critical mission support services to strengthen our nation's defensive posture. Sherry shares how a simple eighth-grade declaration that she wanted to be an engineer, plus parents who were lifelong educators, set her on a winding path to civil engineering. She describes struggling academically at Tennessee Tech, switching majors several times, and needing five and a half years to graduate, but using that adversity to build grit and determination. From her first role at the Department of Energy to long tenure at SAIC/Leidos and now as president and CEO of Pro2Serve, her through line is program and people leadership rather than design engineering. In our leadership segment, Sherry's example story centers on emotional regulation and how leaders respond when people bring them problems, frustration, and bad news. She describes intentionally remaining calm, giving people a safe space to vent behind closed doors and modeling steady behavior so her teams continue to bring her information. Over time, this approach allowed her to build what one supervisor called fiercely loyal teams that trust her with both the work and the hard conversations. Finally, Sherry encourages engineers to play to their strengths, even if that means stepping away from traditional design roles into project program or organizational leadership. She emphasizes that you do not have to be the smartest technical expert in the room, but you must be dependable, approachable, honest, and consistent so people are not afraid to talk to you. Her closing message is that leadership is not all easy or glamorous, but if you surround yourself with smart people, keep learning from everyone, and let emotional intelligence guide you, you can have an impact over decades. Explore the full episode summary, including guest bio, key takeaways, transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at www.drangeliqueadams.com/podcast

    42 min
  7. MEL #049 | From First Generation Engineer to Authentic People Leader through Self-Reflection and Brave Conversations with Dr. Andria Yates

    12/05/2025

    MEL #049 | From First Generation Engineer to Authentic People Leader through Self-Reflection and Brave Conversations with Dr. Andria Yates

    In this episode, I speak with Dr. Andria Yates, a leadership coach in the executive MBA programs at the Haslam College of Business and startup coach for the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  Andria started as a first-generation college student from a small West Tennessee high school, drawn into materials engineering by her love of math and science and her father's belief that engineering was the best path to opportunity. She began her career as an aluminum metallurgist at Alcoa. She moved rapidly into early management roles, then pivoted into industrial, organizational psychology and technology startups, eventually serving as an executive vice president of product development in the Bay Area. She later returned to Knoxville to build a portfolio career in consulting and teaching while still proudly identifying as an engineer.  Andria gave us two examples in our leadership segment. In her first management role, Andria inherited two senior engineers and learned the hard way that equal and equitable are not the same when it comes to development opportunities. Later, as a product leader in a fast-moving tech startup, she had to slow an enthusiastic leadership team that wanted to chase every possible customer request, pushing them to ask whether they should build something simply because they could. Across both stories, she frames leadership as the courage to understand people deeply, to ask unpopular questions, and to protect mission focus.  Andria's advice to aspiring engineering leaders? Build emotional agility and self-awareness, understand organizational environments, and lead from a place of authenticity. She recommends the work of Susan David, Adam Grant, and Brene Brown as practical anchors for engineers who want to grow as leaders in any context. Her closing message is that engineers should know themselves, seek at least a 75 % person environment fit, and stand on strong ground as authentic leaders rather than putting on a mask. Explore the full episode summary, including guest bio, key takeaways, transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at www.drangeliqueadams.com/podcast

    42 min
  8. MEL #048 | From Drawings and Calculations to Global Influence through Executive Communication Skills with James Hanley

    11/24/2025

    MEL #048 | From Drawings and Calculations to Global Influence through Executive Communication Skills with James Hanley

    In this episode, I speak with James Hanley, Senior Director at CBRE, where he leads a global team of engineers and program managers shaping the future of real estate through strategic innovation, talent development, and technology integration. A love of roller coasters inspired James to study mechanical engineering at Loyola University, where he then went, as he calls it, full nerd by adding math and physics minors. His early career zigzagged from selling pumps and boilers to multiple engineering roles that were heavily impacted by the recession. Through perseverance and networking, he eventually landed a turning point role that led to his current position at CBRE.  In our leadership segment, James describes two crucible leadership moments. First, he took over a massive project when both the lead engineer and project manager left, only to have no one show up to his carefully organized kickoff meeting because he had not included them early. Second, he was told he could not have any senior engineers for a critical deadline and instead received seven interns, which forced him to rethink his plan and leverage their strengths to deliver ahead of schedule.  James encourages aspiring engineering leaders to look beyond technical depth and invest in communication, people skills, and the ability to get things done. He shares how networking helped him navigate a tough economy and how a manager's question about his two, five, and 10-year plans pushed him to pursue an MBA and executive communication skills. For James, leadership growth means using setbacks as teachers and deliberately developing non-technical skills that unlock the impact of technical expertise. Explore the full episode summary, including guest bio, key takeaways, transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at www.drangeliqueadams.com/podcast

    25 min
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About

Are you an engineer looking to go beyond your technical expertise to become an impactful leader? Join Dr. Angelique Adams each week as she features engineers in leadership roles. They discuss their career journeys, dissect real-life leadership challenges they've tackled, and share actionable advice on how to achieve success as a leader with an engineering background. Whether you’re an aspiring leader or a seasoned engineer looking to grow, join us. Mastering Engineering Leadership—your journey to becoming an exceptional engineer leader starts here.

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