MEL #058 | From Electrical Engineering Student to Mission Director Through Be Fierce Leadership Under Pressure with Erin Gulden

In this episode, I speak with Erin Gulden, a senior executive leader, engineer, and mentor with experience guiding complex, high-impact programs in the national security and space domains.Erin started out thinking she would become an architect, but an early bridge design project helped her realize she was wired for function over aesthetics. She switched from civil to electrical engineering, kept her Air Force ROTC scholarship, and stepped into a career where five years of service turned into twenty-five. Over time, she moved from technical work to major satellite programs, policy, and budgeting at the Pentagon, and eventually leadership roles during the stand-up of the Space Force, then shifted her focus to mentoring and developing the next generation.In our leadership segment, Erin describes leading a high-stakes national defense space program where the technical problem was real, but the bigger challenge was trust, honesty, and team behavior under pressure. She chose an authentic leadership approach instead of the aggressive style she was advised to use, and introduced a simple rallying motto: Be Fierce. The turning point was not just solving engineering risks, it was creating psychological safety so teams could surface issues early, ask questions without fear, and collaborate across organizations.Erin’s advice to aspiring engineering leaders is based on three pillars.  One: build a strong foundation that can carry the load of change. Two: be fierce by choosing courage over comfort, and three: learn something new every day through deliberate reflection and support from coaches, mentors, and champions. She also offers a practical reminder she used in senior roles: WAIT, which stands for “Why am I talking?”Explore the full episode summary, including guest bio, key takeaways, transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at www.drangeliqueadams.com/podcast