Over the last several years, I’ve had the opportunity to lead teams through a tremendous amount of change. In the transportation industry alone, we’ve seen the growth of electric vehicles, the rise of more connected and autonomous technologies, new vehicle architectures, and the emergence of AI tools. To keep up, organisations have had to evolve internally, which often comes with change itself.
What I’ve found most interesting as I’ve navigated this transformative landscape is that much of my success has come from embracing my insecurities and trusting my abilities as a leader. When I joined TE Connectivity, I took on the responsibility for a team of field application engineers. These were some of the most knowledgeable technical experts in the organisation, including principal engineers and specialists with deep expertise across a wide range of technologies. To be honest, I was intimidated. I remember asking myself, “What value can I bring to a group of people who know so much more than I do about these technologies?”
What I’ve come to learn is that effective leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room, but instead, creating an open and supportive environment where experts can do their best work, especially during periods of uncertainty.
Here are five of my most practical tips for anyone facing a similar situation.
1. Build trust through transparency and consistency
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that trust isn’t built by pretending to have all the answers. In fact, some of the strongest relationships I’ve built with technical teams came from simply being honest and saying, “I don’t know.” During times of change, people want clarity and straightforward communication. I’ve found that being transparent about what I know, what I don’t know, and what we’re still figuring out together goes a long way toward building credibility.
For me, transparency also means providing context or “the why.” Technical experts are often deeply focused on the work they’re doing and rightfully so. Through consistent communication, I can help connect their efforts to what is happening across the broader organisation and industry, especially amidst times of change. By keeping them informed, I can help not only ease any concerns they may have but also reinforce their value.
2. Align your team around purpose and contribution
It may seem simple, but one of the most impactful leadership decisions I made was involving my team directly in creating our goals and objectives. It would have been easier and faster for me to simply define the goals myself and hand them down. Instead, we spent time discussing priorities, debating ideas, and working together to define what success looked like. It wasn’t always the quickest process, but it was worth it.
Because the team helped shape the goals, they felt connected to them, understood the purpose behind the work, and saw how their individual contributions supported a larger objective. In turn, this exercise created a stronger sense of ownership, greater engagement across the team, and a deeper commitment to execution.
3. Promote cross-functional learning and collaboration
As I mentioned previously, helping people see the bigger picture can dramatically change their perspective. Industry disruption affects everyone from engineering and commercial teams to product managers, manufacturing teams, and more. I’ve found that creating opportunities for cross-functional communication and learning helps people realise they are not navigating uncertainty alone and often creates opportunities for innovation. When teams understand each other’s challenges and priorities, collaboration naturally improves. Rather than focusing solely on individual problems, people begin working together on shared solutions. Some of the best ideas I’ve seen have come from conversations between people who normally wouldn’t work closely together.
4. Encourage continuous improvement
When leaders recognise curiosity and reward continuous improvement, they create a culture where innovation can thrive. Technical experts are passionate about proven methods and processes because they have delivered results over time. However, what I have found is that in a rapidly changing industry, you must be willing to challenge the status quo.
One of my goals has always been to create an environment where experimentation is encouraged. I want people to feel comfortable trying new approaches, exploring new tools, and sharing lessons learned. In some cases, those experiments lead to great outcomes. In other cases, they don’t work. Presenting new ideas, techniques, and project learnings to peers allows for an open discussion of successes and failures, which leads to important learnings for the future.
5. Ask questions – often
When I first started leading highly specialised technical teams, I felt pressure to prove myself. Over time, I realised that one of the most valuable things I could do was listen. Therefore, I ask a lot of questions. Sometimes it’s because I genuinely don’t know the answer. Other times it’s because I want to understand how someone else is thinking about a challenge. The key is being sincerely curious and truly seeking to understand.
Overall, these leadership lessons aren’t just ideas I think might work; they are practices I’ve applied in my everyday work. They’ve helped me lead teams through uncertainty, build stronger relationships, and create environments where individuals can thrive. As technology continues to evolve and industries continue to change, leadership will always still come down to the people. When people trust one another, understand their purpose, and feel empowered to contribute, they’re capable of accomplishing remarkable things.
Author: Kelly York, Director of Product Development Engineering, TE Connectivity
