Building a Sustainable Framework for Collaborative Engineering Leadership in Multidisciplinary Teams

This paper builds upon two previous studies that explored gaps between project managers and engineers, and the untapped leadership potential of engineers in project teams. While earlier research identified the challenges and suggested individual actions or roles, this study goes a step further by proposing a structured and sustainable framework for enabling engineers to lead collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams. Using two real-world case studies—Team KAIST’s participation in the MBZIRC robotics competition and MIT’s E-Vent initiative during the COVID-19 crisis—the paper extracts key leadership principles based on shared responsibility, technical trust, and role clarity. The framework includes five core components: (1) a Role Integration Map that identifies where engineers can lead, (2) a Participation Protocol for structured input in decisions, (3) a Leadership Growth Loop for continuous development, (4) a Transparency Mechanism to build trust, and (5) a Leadership Dashboard for team-based feedback. Unlike generic leadership models, this system is designed for real engineering teams. It can scale across different project sizes and adapt to diverse cultures and team styles—whether Agile or traditional. The paper also discusses limitations of the current proposal and outlines directions for future research, including pilot implementations and industry-specific adaptations. By shifting from suggestions to systems, the study offers a practical way to support engineers as long-term, collaborative leaders—not just technical problem-solvers. The goal is to make leadership a shared and repeatable part of everyday teamwork in engineering environments.