Contemporary Leadership Theory in Biomedical Engineering

Author(s)

Anna SeifriedFollow

Major

Biomedical Engineering

Minor(s)

Leadership Studies

Advisor

Alison Jackson Frasier

Advisor Department

Human Development and Family Studies

Date

5-2020

Keywords

Prosthetics; Leadership theory; Servant Leadership

Abstract

Modern leadership theories have begun to slowly weave their way into technical skill based fields, such as Biomedical Engineering, due to a critical need for effective communication skills.

Effectively and efficiently integrating contemporary leadership techniques into these industries, allows for clear goal setting and increased personal and professional satisfaction for both the customers and faculty.

For my Honors Project, I sought to find pre-existing connections and form new ones between modern leadership theories and the current Biomedical Engineering field. I focused specifically on Prosthetics and Orthopedics, but these theories can be applied to other branches of Biomedical Engineering and extend into the STEM field as a whole. Research was conducted by contacting companies that create prostheses and asking them a series of questions about their consultation and creation process. Completing research on contemporary leadership models allowed me to get a better understanding of the content and applications of the theories. The information that was collected was then analyzed for common threads of specific models within the practices of the Prosthetics and Orthopedic companies. The modern leadership theories identified were Robert Greenleaf’s Servant Leadership, David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, and the Johari Window. When implemented, these contemporary leadership theories are dynamic tools that can help create a more welcoming and efficient workplace.