Success story: engineers can make it in business by combining their existing technical knowledge with some easily learned 'softer skills', says Mark Tully

摘要

From Bill Gates to James Dyson, the list of successful engineers is substantial and 15 per cent of all FTSE 100 companies have engineers on their board, yet the industry is rarely seen as a strong entry route to business success. In today's economic climate, technical excellence alone is rarely sufficient to foster a successful business career. Even within engineering firms, the personalities at the helm may not be those with the greatest technical skills and ideas, but those with a wider package of skills that are suited to a range of commercial scenarios. So what does it take for a technical engineer to become a successful businessman?