MEL #026 | From Power Lines to People Leadership through Emotional Intelligence with Bob Colwick

In this episode, I speak with Bob Colwick an electrical engineer with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Bob's fascination with puzzles and unseen forces led him to study electrical engineering. Inspired by a mentor during undergrad, he added an MBA to his technical toolkit, enabling him to lead effectively across utility operations, first in power distribution, and now in generation at TVA. Bob discusses how, when faced with a delayed project, his emotional self-regulation and trust-based relationship with his team member helped him uncover a personal issue affecting performance. Rather than solve the problem technically, he created space for empathy, which led the team member to resolve the situation independently. Bob advises engineers to recognize that leadership is not simply engineering for people. It's a different skill set that requires emotional intelligence, humility, and constant adaptation. He encourages engineers to cultivate trust, read widely, and develop the ability to ask the question behind the question.Takeaways, transcripts, and more in the show notes: https://drangeliqueadams.com/insights/