This week's issue marks the beginning of a new HPCwire column: High Performance Careers. The column will focus on career development and education, as well as other employment issues, in the fast-moving world of high performance computing. It's intended for anyone who's interested in maximizing their potential in the high-tech workplace. I'm assuming that's most of the people reading this right now.
Maybe the best thing about this new feature is the column's contributing editor, John West. John is the director of the ERDC Major Shared Resource Center, one of four major supercomputing centers in the Department of Defense. His interest in technology, high performance computing and leadership development led him to write his first book, “The Only Trait of a Leader: a field guide to success for new engineers, scientists, and technologists.” The book discusses the importance of leadership skills for all technologists.
John is a big believer in developing these skill sets whether or not you aspire to management. In fact, this is the theme of his first column — “Leading From the Trenches.” I wish I had known about these things when I was starting my career. I assumed leadership skills were optional for techie guys like me. Management seemed like such an unappealing career path that I wanted nothing to do with it. And yet, as you'll soon find out, being a leader is about much more than just managing others.
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As always, comments about HPCwire are welcomed and encouraged. Write to me, Michael Feldman, at [email protected].