It can be seen that today an engineering degree is a solid foundation for leaders. Their technical background gives them problem solving, innovation, critical thinking and systems thinking, as well as leadership.
Many CEOs of today’s top companies have one thing in common. That is, they are all engineers.
- Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, has degrees in electrical engineering and computer science.
- Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has a degree in industrial engineering.
- Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, has a degree in metallurgical engineering.
- Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, has a degree in electrical engineering.
- Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has degrees in physical engineering and economics.
- Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, has a degree in electrical engineering.
In the past, possessing a business administration degree was considered the best path to becoming a CEO. However, today, that is no longer true.
In the list of the 100 most effective companies in the world published by Harvard Business magazine in 2018, the number of CEOs with engineering degrees (Engineering – 34) is more than the number of CEOs with business administration degrees (MBA – 32).
Engineer CEOs have the following advantages:
- They have a strong technical background, enabling them to understand and design complex technology products and services.
- They have the ability to think logically and systematically, which enables them to make wise decisions.
- They have a spirit of innovation and creativity, which helps them lead the company forward.
For example, Jeff Bezos used his engineering knowledge to develop a new business model for Amazon, helping the company become one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world.
Tim Cook has used his engineering skills to improve Apple products, helping the company continue to be successful.
Sundar Pichai used his technical knowledge to develop new Google products and services, helping the company become one of the world’s largest technology companies.
When Satya Nadella, when he took over Microsoft, he sought to revive the company when their technology products at that time such as Windows phone or Surface were failing against competitors. Because they are not revolutionary.
In Nadella’s first email to his employees as CEO he wrote: “Our industry does not respect tradition. It just respects innovation!” He brought the company’s software to non-Windows devices and expanded its cloud computing business.
Through his innovative spirit and technical decisions, Nadella revived Microsoft and helped the company become one of the world’s leading technology companies.
In 2014, when Lisa Su was promoted to the position of CEO of AMD, the company was at the brink of the abyss with a debt of $2.2 billion and was considered irreversible. However, by taking advantage of the mistakes of other semiconductor manufacturers, she quickly revived the company. After 9 years of taking over, she increased AMD’s shares nearly 30 times.
Elon Musk has degrees in economics and physics, but exploring other sciences has helped him have the mind of an engineer. In an interview, he once said: “People with business degrees often focus a lot on financial issues, when they should focus on products.”
He used his engineering knowledge to develop new products and services, including electric cars, rockets and spacecraft, making him one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs.
In short, mastering technical foundations can help them design, innovate, and create better products. With the mind of an engineer, they have the ability to think logically and systematically and can find solutions to complex problems.
These skills are important for leaders who must make important decisions that can affect the future of the entire company. That’s why many of the world’s top CEOs today have engineering degrees.
