YEARS OF EXPERIENCE…OR ABILITY? WHAT SHOULD DRIVE LEADERSHIP?
The Experience vs Opportunity Debate
One thing I’ve always found interesting about the civil engineering profession is how tightly leadership opportunities are tied to years of experience.
And not just loosely tied.
In many cases, almost dictated by it.
A Different Start
When I first got into recruiting, I had about two years of experience when I was promoted to lead the civil engineering recruiting practice at my firm.
Overnight, I found myself managing three other recruiters.
Did I have decades of experience?
Not even close.
But I had picked things up quickly, had some early success, and the company decided to give me the opportunity.
What I See in Civil Engineering Today
Fast forward to today, and I don’t see that kind of early opportunity happening nearly as often in civil engineering.
It does happen from time to time.
Occasionally, I’ll come across someone with four or five years of experience who is already:
- Leading a team
- Acting as a senior project manager
- Running client meetings
- Winning work
- Taking real ownership of projects
And when you dig into those individuals, there are usually some common traits.
What Sets Those Engineers Apart
They’ve typically demonstrated:
- Strong technical ability
- Clear, confident communication with clients
- A willingness to take initiative
- The ability to step in and solve problems without waiting
In other words, they’ve earned the opportunity through performance.
Not just time.
The More Common Reality
That said, there are still plenty of firms operating with a very structured mindset.
Something along the lines of:
“You need 10 to 15 years of experience before you can step into leadership.”
And to be fair, there is logic behind that.
Civil engineering work carries real complexity and real risk.
Mistakes are not just inconvenient.
They can be costly.
The Question Worth Asking
But it raises an important question.
Is the profession sometimes too tied to years of experience?
And not focused enough on:
- Ability
- Performance
- Leadership traits
- Client-facing skills
Or is the nature of the work such that experience really does need to come first?
There’s Probably Truth on Both Sides
There is a case to be made for both.
Experience matters.
No question.
But so does identifying and developing talent early.
Because the engineers who show leadership ability early in their careers are often the ones who can grow into high-impact leaders over time.
If they are given the opportunity.
The Bottom Line
This is not about eliminating experience as a factor.
It is about balancing experience with demonstrated ability.
Because if the industry leans too heavily on tenure alone, it risks:
- Slowing down leadership development
- Losing high-potential talent to more progressive firms
- Missing opportunities to build stronger teams earlier
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