=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-1728/paper19
|storemode=property
|title=Systems Engineer: the Ultimate Phronetic Leader?
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1728/paper19.pdf
|volume=Vol-1728
|authors=Vincenzo Arrichiello
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/ciise/Arrichiello16
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==Systems Engineer: the Ultimate Phronetic Leader?==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1728/paper19.pdf
Systems Engineer: the ultimate phronetic leader?
Vincenzo Arrichiello
AISE/ INCOSE Chapter Italia, Italy
va.incose@gmail.com
Copyright © held by the author.
ABSTRACT leadership. The topic of Engineering Leadership has indeed
The phrase “Engineering Leadership” may seem, at a first seen a growing interest in the last years. Both Universities and
glance, as the result of a simple juxtaposition of two, otherwise Organizations have implemented programs to foster the
not related, concepts; on the contrary, an analysis of the development of leadership traits in engineers; for that purpose
respective roots and evolutions shows an undeniable “fil the traits and capabilities relevant to Engineering Leadership
rouge” connecting the two with links intersecting ages and have been investigated and identified.
cultures. Leadership is charged with the expectation of When comparing the traits of wise leaders with those
providing guidance to decision making under conditions of deemed as characteristic of Engineering Leaders, a large
uncertainty, incomplete information and high complexity; what overlapping becomes apparent. On the other side, a strong
is mainly needed to that end is wisdom. The pertinence of similarity between the traits and capabilities of Engineering
wisdom to leadership has been outlined by ancient Leadership and those traditionally considered typical of
philosophers (Aristotle "phronesis", Thomas Aquina effective Systems Engineers is easily verified. As the "Guide to
"prudentia"), and continues to be the subject of study today. the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge" underlines,
This has resulted in the identification of the traits that, mainly, Systems Engineers' specific role in determining customers'
characterize wise leaders. Engineering, as a natural needs and desires, and their having to deal with aspects about
instantiation of the human aptitude to solve practical problems, which they have no direct expertise, puts on them "two ethical
can be reasonably assumed to be as old as humankind, but responsibilities over and above those of most other engineering
when considering modern engineering, some of its roots can be professions." And indeed Systems Engineering pays a special
tracked down to the cultural environment of the European consideration to ethics and to the behavioral characteristics of
Enlightenment; specially to: its belief in reason and knowledge its practitioners. Thus, while it is not intended here to claim
as enablers of human progress; the praise of mechanical arts as Engineering Leadership to be an exclusive fiefdom of Systems
“useful” arts and of their practitioners as people “very Engineering, this last appears to be in a true vantage position to
estimable and very useful, bringing happiness to humanity”; respond to the demand of phronetic leadership. The Systems
and the belief in the ability of the expansion and dissemination Approach, and its inherent Systems Thinking, can be
of knowledge to help solve practical problems. Indeed the reasonably seen as a solid foundations for an Engineering
engineers of the time saw themselves, and were reputed by Leadership, and thus their diffusion, among the engineers from
society, as useful servants of the state. The purpose "to be any discipline can be expected to be enable engineering to help
useful to humankind" has hence become a deep rooted trait of mankind in meeting its present and future needs[1].
engineering; this is well documented in the definitions of
engineering by dictionaries and encyclopaedias, across diverse REFERENCES
languages and cultures. Engineers more and more often are
required to address societal problems whose solutions lie at the [1] Arrichiello, V. (2016), Systems Engineer: the ultimate phronetic leader?.
INCOSE International Symposium, 26: 1824–1837. doi:10.1002/j.2334-
interstices of diverse disciplines, and that, therefore, require a 5837.2016.00263.x
wide interdisciplinary knowledge and a good understanding of
the social impacts of engineering activities. Thus, to fulfil its AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
purpose of benefiting humanity, engineering has often to deal
with problems that ever increasingly exceed its traditional Vincenzo Arrichiello holds a Laurea Degree in
(technical) boundaries, to address areas never explored before; Engineering from the University of Genova. He has practiced
here technical prowess is no more sufficient, but the ability to Systems Engineering for more than 30 years, covering
judge and take action for the good for humankind is also positions either in large companies (Defense Contractors) and
needed. These new demands may appear as an added burden to engineering consulting Companies (as a co-owner), applying
the engineering practice, but, at the same time, open a great the systems approach across diverse industry fields
opportunity for them to show how, through technology and an (Aerospace& Defense, Robotics, Packaging). He has been
interdisciplinary approach, they can effectively address societal Head of the Selex SI Academy, and Director of the relevant
problems, contributing to the creation of a better world. To Systems Engineering School. He teaches Systems Engineering
realize this opportunity engineers must have the willingness to courses in some University Masters. He was one of the
stretch their traditional "comfort zone" beyond pure founders of the Italia Chapter of INCOSE and is now serving
technology, and to broaden their social role; it is a true call to as Past-President.