Melissa Giglio Bowers

An open mind and humble attitude, along with the ability to adapt and change. I "know enough to know that I don't know everything". A mentor shared this on the first day we at one of my jobs (the quote about knowing enough to know I don't know everything) and to this day that gentleman is still a great friend and big brother in the industry Continuing education is required to renew my license, so staying current is key. I have seen a lot of technological changes in my tenure in the industry and seen how people have adapted to that technology to advance their careers and streamline the tasks within their career paths. I try to learn something new everyday. I think as a professional, if you do not seek to learn something new everyday, you should do something else that inspires you instead. My grandfather owned his own architectural and interior design firm in New York and retired at 73. He told me that up until the day he retired at work, he still learned new lessons daily. At one point, I considered being a teacher, and at this point in my career, I am just as much teacher, mentor and confidante as I am engineer with the roles I play daily in my profession.

Do not be afraid to try and do not seek to be perfect - failure is allowed and it is valuable. Failure teaches greater lessons than success. I don't think one can truly succeed completely if she has never had a setback in the journey to attain that goal. And when you finally do succeed, the challenges to get there make that victory so much sweeter. I try to foster a legacy and culture of growing and learning together. I also do not see titles as anything other than words. It is about the actions you take as a leader that truly show whether you are a leader or not, not just the title after your name. No matter how high I get up a company chain of command, I want the people who report to me and come to me for advice to know I consider myself "in the trenches" alongside them. Also, the top of the pinnacle is not a peak, it is a pleteau, meaning that there is room for more than one person at the top. I also always seek to go above and beyond for my team and will do whatever I possibly can to empower those around me and I am consistently on the lookout for ways to be proactive with the lessons learned to help everyone continue to grow under my leadership.

Stay humble and willing to learn something new every day. Maintain a positive framework and mindset. Use the sandwich method for feedback: compliment, constructive feedback, compliment. Remember that people don't grow unless they have a reason to grow and are granted the permission to make mistakes. And also keep in mind as you grow into success, that there is always someone watching you from afar, so think about that before you act as you are constantly being watched as a role model and you do not want that image of you as a leader tarnished.

Artificial Intelligence; many fear it will take jobs but it should be seen as a tool to help do better work, not replace the Profesional Engineer's liability or human judgment. Technology advances must be adapted to positively, like past changes from VHS to digital. From analog to HD. Things are constantly changing and moving, and the people that do the best are the ones that learn to work with developments and not fight against them.

I try to treat others better than I want to be treated. I know I will probably fall short of treating people as I want to be treated, so aiming for better helps ensure I can meet the original goal if I do fall short. Being empathetic is huge - knowing and telling people you have been there and giving them guidance. Perseverance is also paramount. I do not easily give up on my goals. In fact, failure usually will just add fuel to the fire of me wanting to accomplish the goal that I set for myself. I also know I am under a microscope and I try to behave as a leader as much as is possible so as not to tarnish a positive image of myself to those who look up to me as a leader.