Engineering Faculty
Leadership Forum (EFLF)

Overview

The Engineering Faculty Leadership Forum (EFLF) is a college-level leadership development program designed to help faculty reflect on their leadership potential and cultivate the skills needed to lead effectively within the College, the University, and the broader academic community.

Through a series of structured conversations, readings, and interactive sessions, participants explore key dimensions of leadership including self-reflection, communication, motivation, consensus building, strategic thinking, and professional coaching. The program emphasizes practical frameworks that help faculty navigate complex professional environments, inspire colleagues, and translate ideas into meaningful impact.

EFLF sessions combine peer discussion, expert guest speakers, and applied leadership frameworks drawn from influential works such as Crucial Conversations, Drive, and Switch. These sessions provide participants with tools to better understand their own leadership style, engage in difficult conversations, align incentives and motivations, and build consensus around shared goals.

Ultimately, the Forum creates a supportive environment where faculty can step back from day-to-day responsibilities, reflect on their leadership journey, and develop strategies for leading initiatives, teams, and organizations more effectively.

---

Program Objectives

The Engineering Faculty Leadership Forum aims to help participants:

1. Develop deeper self-awareness as leaders
2. Strengthen communication and interpersonal leadership skills
3. Understand what motivates individuals and teams
4. Build skills for leading change and building consensus
5. Translate vision into strategy and execution
6. Benefit from mentorship and real-world leadership insights
7. Strengthen a network of future leaders within the College

---

Program Format

The EFLF program runs throughout the academic year, bringing together a small cohort of faculty for a series of discussion-oriented sessions held several times each semester. Sessions are highly interactive and focus on leadership reflection, communication, and practical leadership frameworks. They typically include:

• Facilitated discussions led by senior academic leaders and invited experts
• Conversations on leadership communication, motivation, and building consensus
• Guest speakers and professional coaches sharing practical leadership insights
• Interactive discussions on translating vision into strategy, planning, and execution
• Reflection exercises focused on personal leadership development

Participants are often asked to read short books, articles, or leadership frameworks ahead of each session to stimulate discussion. These readings commonly address topics such as:

• navigating difficult conversations
• leadership communication and influence
• motivation and incentives in organizations
• leading change and building alignment
• connecting strategic vision to execution

The small cohort format encourages open dialogue and peer learning, allowing participants to exchange perspectives and learn from colleagues across different engineering disciplines.

---

Recruitment and Participation

Participants in the Engineering Faculty Leadership Forum are invited or nominated by department leadership and college administration.

Selection generally focuses on faculty members who:

• Demonstrate strong leadership potential
• Have an interest in administrative, institutional, or community leadership
• Are actively engaged in research, education, and service within the college
• Would benefit from broader exposure to university leadership structures

Each year, a small cohort of recently promoted full professors from across engineering departments participates in the program, ensuring a diverse range of perspectives and experiences.

---

Program Leadership

The Engineering Faculty Leadership Forum has been coordinated by faculty leaders within the Grainger College of Engineering.

 Current Director: Mani Golparvar-Fard, Director, Grainger College of Engineering EFLF

Previous Program Leadership
Jennifer T. Bernhard, Director, Grainger College of Engineering EFLF; Currently ECE Department Head
Jennifer Bernhard helped establish and guide the program for many years, helping build a strong leadership development pipeline within the college.

---

EFLF Alumni and Participants

Since its inception, the Engineering Faculty Leadership Forum has included faculty from nearly every engineering department. Many alumni have gone on to serve in major leadership roles including: department head, associate head, center director, associate dean, and research institute director. The program therefore plays a key role in developing future leaders within the college. Below is a representative subset of participants by department and year.