Engineers as leaders. They must be kidding? The only engineers I knew had no empathy for people, they were Quants and have helped to destroy our financial system, leaders indeed.
But the Israeli concept of engineers as leaders is different. Engineers without borders, goes into deprived and indigenous neighborhoods in Africa and the US and brings a community structure to the region.
They help people create housing, water supplies and develop skills for building and maintaining community . These skill sets are necessary for the people’s survival. So, yes engineers are leaders and in the true sense of TIKKUN OLAM they are giving back. For further information, look up Mark Talesnick at the Technion, perhaps you know a Community in ” need”?
All over Israel the entrepreneurial spirit is an out crop of necessity. If you want to improve your way of life, You have to innovate. When Yosef Abramowitz was assigned to the Negev, there was no solar energy, 7 years later, Yosi is bringing Solar Energy to Israel and the world. His corporations are global, ARAVA POWER CO, LTD AND ENERGIYA GLOBAL.
Their projects were born of necessity. We have choices; think. Innovate, fill a need and do!