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MEL #049 | From First Generation Engineer to Authentic People Leader through Self-Reflection and Brave Conversations with Dr. Andria Yates
In this episode, I speak with Dr. Andria Yates, a leadership coach in the executive MBA programs at the Haslam College of Business and startup coach for the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Andria started as a first-generation college student from a small West Tennessee high school, drawn into materials engineering by her love of math and science and her father's belief that engineering was the best path to opportunity. She began her career as an aluminum metallurgist at Alcoa. She moved rapidly into early management roles, then pivoted into industrial, organizational psychology and technology startups, eventually serving as an executive vice president of product development in the Bay Area. She later returned to Knoxville to build a portfolio career in consulting and teaching while still proudly identifying as an engineer.
Andria gave us two examples in our leadership segment. In her first management role, Andria inherited two senior engineers and learned the hard way that equal and equitable are not the same when it comes to development opportunities. Later, as a product leader in a fast-moving tech startup, she had to slow an enthusiastic leadership team that wanted to chase every possible customer request, pushing them to ask whether they should build something simply because they could. Across both stories, she frames leadership as the courage to understand people deeply, to ask unpopular questions, and to protect mission focus.
Andria's advice to aspiring engineering leaders? Build emotional agility and self-awareness, understand organizational environments, and lead from a place of authenticity. She recommends the work of Susan David, Adam Grant, and Brene Brown as practical anchors for engineers who want to grow as leaders in any context. Her closing message is that engineers should know themselves, seek at least a 75 % person environment fit, and stand on strong ground as authentic leaders rather than putting on a mask.
Explore the full episode summary, including guest bio, key takeaways, transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at www.drangeliqueadams.com/podcast
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By Angelique AdamsIn this episode, I speak with Dr. Andria Yates, a leadership coach in the executive MBA programs at the Haslam College of Business and startup coach for the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Andria started as a first-generation college student from a small West Tennessee high school, drawn into materials engineering by her love of math and science and her father's belief that engineering was the best path to opportunity. She began her career as an aluminum metallurgist at Alcoa. She moved rapidly into early management roles, then pivoted into industrial, organizational psychology and technology startups, eventually serving as an executive vice president of product development in the Bay Area. She later returned to Knoxville to build a portfolio career in consulting and teaching while still proudly identifying as an engineer.
Andria gave us two examples in our leadership segment. In her first management role, Andria inherited two senior engineers and learned the hard way that equal and equitable are not the same when it comes to development opportunities. Later, as a product leader in a fast-moving tech startup, she had to slow an enthusiastic leadership team that wanted to chase every possible customer request, pushing them to ask whether they should build something simply because they could. Across both stories, she frames leadership as the courage to understand people deeply, to ask unpopular questions, and to protect mission focus.
Andria's advice to aspiring engineering leaders? Build emotional agility and self-awareness, understand organizational environments, and lead from a place of authenticity. She recommends the work of Susan David, Adam Grant, and Brene Brown as practical anchors for engineers who want to grow as leaders in any context. Her closing message is that engineers should know themselves, seek at least a 75 % person environment fit, and stand on strong ground as authentic leaders rather than putting on a mask.
Explore the full episode summary, including guest bio, key takeaways, transcript, and recommended resources in the shownotes at www.drangeliqueadams.com/podcast