From Small-Town Science Fairs to Leadership Heights: Engineering a Path Through Parenthood and Automation

Have you ever wondered how a small-town curiosity can ignite a path to leadership in engineering and industrial automation? Jill Burdett did just that, and on the latest Uncommon Leader Podcast, she unravels her journey from childhood science fair enthusiast to a powerhouse of engineering prowess. As a working mom who has shattered glass ceilings, Jill doesn't just talk shop; she dives into the intricacies of parenting and how it parallels leadership, sharing her unique perspective on the synergy between nurturing a family and steering a team to success.

Leadership isn't just about being in charge; it's about the mastery of the unspoken arts—communication, presentation, and time management. This episode peels back the curtain on how Jill and I, John Gallagher, transformed our technical know-how into leadership savvy. By reflecting on our own career transitions, we underscore the importance of adapting one's style from directive to empowering, and how honesty, problem-solving, and trust can make or break a team. Listeners will walk away with a toolkit of soft skills and a renewed appreciation for the lifelong learning that leadership demands.

Brace yourselves for a candid discussion on the tightrope walk that is work-life balance, especially under the spotlight of the unprecedented COVID-19 era. We share our strategies for balancing the scales—color-coding calendars and prioritizing family amidst the whirlwind of professional responsibilities. This episode isn't just about climbing the corporate ladder; it's a treasure trove of insights on personal growth, setting an example for the next generation, and embracing the lessons from each twist and turn on the road of leadership. Join us for an enlightening session that promises to leave you equipped for the challenges of leadership, relationships, and finding your own unique equilibrium.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Being a parent has helped me be a better leader. I mean, you know, I have four kids. They're all different and managing them and trying to be a good role model for them really helps you, because they're all different and you're wanting to make sure that you're learning and they see that you're learning, because they're gonna be the future leaders.

Speaker 2: 0:25

Hey, uncommon Leaders, welcome back. This is the Uncommon Leader Podcast, and I'm your host, john Gallagher. Today I've got the privilege of sitting down with an exceptional guest, fellow West Virginia University alum, jill Burdett. It's been a little over a minute since she and I shared the halls of the Engineering Sciences Building in Morgantown, west Virginia. Her story is one that brings the essence of leadership to life in a way that's both relatable and inspiring. Jill's journey is a testament to the notion that your roots can indeed shape your future. Hailing from a small town of 800 residents, her fascination with science and math as a child laid the foundation for what would become an influential career in engineering and industrial automation. But it's her decision to explore the commercial side of engineering that provided a unique spin on the traditional path many engineers take. We also discussed the intricacies of work-life balance, as Jill, a working mom before, shares how she's managed to juggle the responsibilities of her demanding role in family life. And, what's more, jill shares the lessons she's learned as a female leader in an industry that's not always been welcoming to women, offering insights that are sure to resonate with many of our listeners. Let's get started.

Speaker 2: 1:37

Jill Burdett, welcome to the Uncommon Leader Podcast. It's great to have you on the show. I'm looking forward to our conversation. How are you doing today? I'm doing well. It's Friday. I'm going to start you off with the first question that I start off every first-time guest, and that's to tell me a story from your childhood that still impacts who you are as a person or a leader today.

Speaker 1: 1:59

Okay, I know you asked me that. Actually there's probably several. I'm not sure that you know this about me. I am from West Virginia and grew up in West Virginia and I grew up in a town about a population of about 800. And I've always liked science and math. Right. I got my engineering degree. I've always liked science and math, but I never really knew what I was going to do with it. So when I was a freshman in high school we all had to do science fair projects right, everybody's made to do a science fair project and you hate it and you just do it because you have to. And I went to the regional science fair that was held and it was held in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia and I sat there and I was overwhelmed and looked and there were two people that won a chance to go to the International Science and Engineering Fair. It Wasn't me, I wasn't one of them, but I sat there and said, okay, I want to do that. So I started working on a science fair project the next year it was on psychology, it was actually on ESP. It was kind of weird, but that's what I did. And I went again to the regional science fair and I actually got to go to the international science fair. So I went twice. I went when I was a sophomore and when I was a senior. I got to go First time I was on an airplane and coming from this little town with very little resources and went.

Speaker 1: 3:25

The first one was in Dallas, texas. It was amazing. It was like, I said, little town going into a big one. But I walked in there and I saw all these wonderful things people were doing with science and technology and I said I want to do that. I don't think I really knew what an engineer was back then, but I saw all the problems they were trying to solve and that's kind of where I made the decision I wanted to go to engineering school and in West Virginia I had like one choice and so that's why I ended up at West Virginia University and that really probably changed my life. It was great.

Speaker 2: 4:08

I'm sure it did. As you told that story, I kind of think of Rocket Boys as you go forward, the folks from West Virginia who went to the science fair as well and won the medal. So maybe there's going to be a movie about you as the Rocket Girl as we go forward, and I find it fascinating. I'd love to say so. No, I didn't know that about you and I also did not go to West Virginia university necessarily because I fell in love with it to be a science project or some other thing.

Speaker 2: 4:37

I wanted to be in the science field was probably more encouragement that I was looking at a list and said which of these jobs hopefully gets a job as it comes out of college one day. So that's where I leaned toward and thankfully I had a little bit of math and science skill as well. But clearly you've continued to use your engineering knowledge that you picked up at West Virginia both your bachelor's degree and master's degree there for an accelerated career that you've been through. So bring me up to speed what has been on that journey for you with regards to leadership and overall your progress to your career.

Speaker 1: 5:10

Yeah, so I did not take the normal engineering track. So, like you mentioned, I got a master's in mechanical engineering but I did not go in to do the standard manufacturing, design, research engineering. I went to the commercial side of engineering, which people don't think about, but for me, when I got my master's, I got to teach some classes and I love that. I love being able to explain an idea or a concept or the technology to people, and sometimes that's not a trait that a lot of engineers have. A lot of them may be more introverted or they just would rather do than speak.

Speaker 1: 5:51

I'm on the other end of that spectrum. I like to ask questions and help find a problem and then explain something that may be really technical to someone that is just learning that. So I've been on a sales and commercial journey ever since I left, worked for a lot of big companies and little companies and all in the industrial automation side of technology so computers and industrial internet and motion, and now doing a lot with sustainability. So it keeps me going and I really enjoy that.

Speaker 2: 6:28

You know, you mentioned even going into that commercial field not going right into engineering, which would have been the science of it some of the natural path for others to go into design or whatever that means. But ultimately, as you've gone through your career, you've also gone through different levels as I've seen your LinkedIn profile in terms of different levels of leadership and organizations as well. What have you done specifically and this is really kind of the topic of the conversation today ultimately in terms of personal growth? But what have you had to do to stay up on the technology side, that is, the engineering and being in an industry that is changing so dramatically but, frankly, also on your personal development side? So you had to learn, ultimately, that new skill on the commercial learn to deal with people different. What are some of the things you do to stay up on those things?

Speaker 1: 7:15

Well, I'd love to say that being a parent has helped me be a better leader. I mean, you know, I have four kids. They're all different and managing them and trying to be a good role model for them really helps you, because they're all different and you're wanting to make sure that you're learning and they see that you're learning, because they're going to be the future leaders. So when I started out yeah, I got a degree in engineering. I didn't have any commercial background. I didn't. You know, they didn't teach you speech. They didn't teach.

Speaker 1: 7:48

I mean, you took a communication class, but it really wasn't the communication that you work with on a daily basis. So you had to really take some presentation skills and communication skills and really time management. They don't teach a lot of those things. I mean, I think they're getting into it more these days, but really an engineer going into that kind of role was not the norm. So I actually worked for a company that did give us a lot of training. They took engineers to put into the commercial role. So I was pretty fortunate in that. But you constantly have to adapt to what's going on. I mean, just like if you were a surgeon. If you're a surgeon and new technology came, you have to know about it because you need to be an expert and if you're talking, you want to have credibility and if you're not learning, you're not having credibility. And as you start to lead people coming out of college, there are great people to you know, individuals to help learn what they're learning, because it's it's not the same programming language when we were in school.

Speaker 1: 8:59

it's not the same textbooks and everything's changing. It's changing weekly and um, and there's a quote by Albert Einstein that says once you stop learning, you stop dying, you start dying. Stop learning, you start dying, and I think that's the case because people naturally want to learn. You come into this world wanting to learn.

Speaker 2: 9:20

As leaders. There's no doubt about it. We've got to stay out ahead and it requires us to do different things to be successful. So I smile at some of those things, Like if I look behind my left shoulder, it's not there. I can't really see it. There's our old MAE 132 book. There's our Mark's handbook for mechanical engineering right there, and we won't again say how old that was a gift Mark's handbook as well. That was about 20 years older than ours, but I'm pretty sure we're not going to find in either one of those two books leadership development or time management or priority management or how to handle kids or whatever that means. To your point, they're all different so there were things we had to absolutely learn on the fly. In terms of getting those done. I appreciate you sharing and you're right, Kids don't always do exactly how we were as well, and so maybe that's a good thing and a bad thing at times, but I think more good on the different side overall, as I look back anyway with my two kids as well.

Speaker 1: 10:20

So you have to practice it, you have to learn new techniques and it's changing. I mean, if you look at a lot of the stuff that they're doing, studies now it's about adaptive leadership and, you know, being able to manage through understanding and relationships of people around you. It's not just being a dictator and telling people what to do anymore. It's not that stuff.

Speaker 2: 10:43

So let's stay there. What are the ways that you develop your leadership skills?

Speaker 1: 10:48

You know it's listening and solving a problem. So if you look back at I mean, if we take engineering, for example we learned how to solve problems. You know, in math everybody hated the word problems. Right, you had problems. Solving them was not the problem, it was setting them up and finding that problem to get into the equation, so to speak.

Speaker 1: 11:12

But see, I loved word problems because you had to kind of think a little bit and they can be solved differently. You don't have to have the same exact formula, but you get the same. You know, you kind of work your way through it. So that's kind of what leadership is. It's like a big word problem. You know you can't solve something that a business has or an issue until you truly understand the problem, and it may not always be what you think. So, being able to talk to everyone and truly build that relationship so that they feel okay to be honest with you. I actually did a LinkedIn survey the other day after I read some articles about what's the most important trait of a leader, and it was by far honesty.

Speaker 1: 12:02

And there's a lot of other sports out there that say you know they want someone that's honest, transparent, trustworthy as a leader, versus you know you spend all your time with people you work with. You want to work with people that you can work together with.

Speaker 2: 12:17

Absolutely. Trust is the foundation of leadership. There's no doubt about it. That's a John Maxwell quote. I wouldn't steal it from his book that he wrote a long time ago, but many people have said that since. And again, going back to our kind of traditional study days, it's probably not something that they teach. We often learn that in school hard knocks. We learned that on the projects that we did as engineering students together that we had to get done, and those weren't always smooth. Now, again, you've been in a role where you're both customer facing in terms of the commercial side of your business and also working with teams. How have you learned to facilitate groups and listen to them? What are some of the successful techniques you use to get through those problems?

Speaker 1: 12:58

Yeah well, sometimes I'm not opposed to someone's talking too much to kick them under the table. I've done that Because it's easy to start. It's easy to start talking and talking too much instead of listening, and I think that leadership goes to with my customers. I am pretty transparent with my customers and I believe if you talk to any of them, they would probably say the same thing. I've actually told them to go buy something from somebody else if I thought that it made sense, which is not something that they expected to hear, but it's also something that you would want them to do for you.

Speaker 1: 13:43

It's a kind of a two-way street. It's a partnership and, just like any partnership, you want them to be honest with you. So I would say that's a big deal. It comes back to the relationships that you have with them. I know that if they don't call me on weekends much, but if they do, I know there's a problem and they know I'll pick up the phone. But it's kind of you know.

Speaker 1: 14:05

It comes back to those two things. It's the relationships. It's embracing the change, because now there's fewer people in the workforce, so people have to work more hours. It's people want to be with their family, so they want to have a solution or a way to take care of an issue quickly and want to know who they can work with on that. So I mean it comes back to the whole leadership. I mean you're leaders within your business, you're leaders in the community and you're leaders with your customers, but it's still the same traits. You're still growing and changing and adapting to what's out there. I just think you have to really listen to what the person's saying and kind of how they're saying it. Sometimes words are different depending on how they're actually said.

Speaker 2: 14:58

Hey listeners, I want to take a quick moment to share something special with you. Many of the topics and discussions we have on this podcast are areas where I provide coaching and consulting services for individuals and organizations. If you've been inspired by our conversation and are seeking a catalyst for change in your own life or within your team, I invite you to visit coachjohngallaghercom forward slash free call to sign up for a free coaching call with me. It's an opportunity for us to connect, discuss your unique challenges and explore how coaching or consulting can benefit you and your team. Okay, let's get back to the show. How have you learned that leadership? Is it more on the job? Have you had a mentor that you've worked with? Is it reading books? Is there a book that's been a big influence on you in terms of your leadership?

Speaker 1: 15:47

You know, there's lots of books, there's lots of things and there's been lots of mentors. And then there's been lots of times just making mistakes, and it's okay to make mistakes if you learn by them. When you were learning to walk, you fell all the time but you got back up and you kept going right and you had someone to help you. I've had some good mentors in the past Right, and you had someone to help you. I've had some good mentors in the past and, being a female in this industry, it's a little little bit more of a challenge. To be honest with you. There's very few of us. So you know, it's a different type of learning and a lot of it, I guess, unfortunately, has been on my own, because it's different. You know, and I do read not as many books as I should, I'll be honest. That's what's.

Speaker 1: 16:37

One of my goals is to read more. I listen to a lot of podcasts. I'm reading a book now called Talking Nine to Five, and it's a difference between women and men at the workplace and how if a woman says something and the man says the same thing, it's construed two different ways and it's really kind of unique. But you see it. You see, women typically will apologize more and that's just in their nature, not meaning that they made a mistake, but saying sorry a lot. And you know, once you read that and you notice it, you're like, oh okay, that that does mean that doesn't mean that they made a mistake, that just means that's in their, their normal conversation. So it's been quite, quite interesting to read that book. And then you know I don't really read for joy too much.

Speaker 2: 17:30

Well, you gotta have time to do that, right? That's what we're talking about, even time management. And look, let's face it, one of the tests that we all face as we go through our careers is sometimes referred to as work-life balance, and I know we touched on this a little bit. But, frankly, having four children, jill being a working mom as well and you know they're kind of as you explained, they're all over. You got them at different schools. Now you got them getting ready to go to college. They'll be going on the college tours. You know what is that? When you hear that term work-life balance, do you chuckle with that? Or how do you make sure everything works with family and with work?

Speaker 1: 18:10

You know I do laugh a lot because everybody's like, oh, we're trying to get work-life balance. There is no such thing as work-life balance. I mean I know people want to strive for it but it's just not the case and that's okay. I mean there's sometimes that work gets more of me, so that scale is tilted, and there's sometimes that my family has to get more of me. So it is. There is no balance. Long-term there is probably a balance, but there are.

Speaker 1: 18:40

I mean during COVID, when we were here, I mean I put a note outside my door. It says unless you're bleeding, do not, you know, do not open the door, because there's. Sometimes you go ask dad and then you know, but then they think that all there's. Sometimes you go ask dad and then you know, but then they think that all I do is I was on the phone all day. I go no, that's not what, what I do. So setting an example for them is really important. But for people that are coming in and young individuals, you know, for them to think that there is truly a work-life balance, we can all strive to that. But understand, some days one may get more of you than the other, and that's okay.

Speaker 2: 19:16

Yeah, I appreciate that. I mean, I think it's I've often referred to it as seasons that we go through and not those seasons. You don't want them to be one year, two year, three year seasons of things being out of balance or out of proportion. But certainly there's projects that you have to work on at work, and so there's going to be times we're going to be there late or whatever that means. But what I'm hearing from you is that communicating that with your family as well is very important, and what are some of the tips and techniques you might have for working parents out there to keep that from falling? Because again, it sounds like your your children, ultimately are successful in sports education as well, as they go forward. How did you do it?

Speaker 1: 19:56

Yeah, well, I guess there's a couple of things. Uh, there is no. Everybody knows my family is the most important things. I block off all their birthdays so I will not travel on their birthdays. And people, people know that, uh, and they understand that. I think I've had to travel once on their birthday but I got back before it was over and that's a priority for me and it shows my kids that they're a priority for me, believe it or not.

Speaker 1: 20:28

I kind of color code my calendar so that important things are in bright yellow. So if there's doctor's appointments and then my husband and I share, share share responsibility, I'm going out of town, I send him a meeting request and say I'll be in Texas this week, in Texas this week. Then he knows he isn't to travel and it's finding what works for you and for my kids to understand that you can. Just because I have a job and I work really hard doesn't mean that I don't find their things, their ideas and what they do less important. I do my best to make every game. I do my best to talk to them every day and be a good mentor to them.

Speaker 2: 21:18

One of the one again, one of those things we didn't learn back there in that Mark's handbook about color coding calendars for important events and our children's and family's life and making sure that we're there when they need to be there. So I appreciate you sharing, because I know that's not easy. With two, it wasn't easy to try and be there all the time, and four that's usually more than double in terms of some of the challenges that you face.

Speaker 1: 21:42

I remember my first day with my younger son. I started and he was really young, so I had to take him with me for my first day at work, which happened to be in Texas again, and I actually took my. My sister actually ended up meeting me there. But you know you do what you have to do. I mean there's times where the bouncy seat sat on my desk and I did that. There's, there's they'll play in my office and you know they.

Speaker 1: 22:13

They know what I do. I mean they know what I do for a living, which is which is good. And then they also know you know we talk about that whole learning they also know that you know you kind of do an assessment of yourself and so I actually just finished a leadership certificate at University of Richmond, a woman leadership course. I think my kids thought I was crazy going back to school, but it was interesting for me to learn and to understand a lot of what's going on in the world. You kind of get sucked into your day-to-day piece, but you got to take care of yourself in order for me to be better and be a better.

Speaker 2: 22:57

Hmm, joe, you think about that. You think as you're, as you're two in high school still that have to come through to in college, that are working their way through you've had to give some advice to them, no doubt about it. Um, your parents that are considering that, with maybe their first kids going off to school, what's the best advice you have for them to prepare them and to mentor them to be ready for big decisions like that? Maybe something that we didn't have in our small towns of 800 or mine? Yeah, I had the mass 2,500 population in my city in West Virginia growing up, but what are some advice you have for those parents that are getting ready to go through that?

Speaker 1: 23:37

Well, be there for your kids, regardless of do you think the decision's right for them or not. And my kids? I told them a long time that everything happens for a reason. And now they're starting to say that it's not always good. I mean, good things aren't always the things that happen. It's bad things and you learn from that. And it happens for a reason. And I know you talk. What is the quote and the thing I tell my kids and and what I tell them a lot is go be you. Go be the best you that you can be, because nobody else can do that. So don't compare your kids or don't compare your employees or don't compare anybody to anyone else. Let them be the best that they can be. So I always say go be you, and that gives them the chance to be creative and be curious and learn who they are and what kind of leader they can be. But oftentimes people will think they have to be like somebody else, but that's what I tell my kids all the time Go BU.

Speaker 2: 24:45

Love that. Speaking of go BU, we talked before Hanson about the sports. You've got lacrosse children as well. Both my boys played lacrosse as well, but we still have the WVU in our blood, regardless in terms of what that's going. So I've got a really important question for you. It's an over-under question how? So? I've got a really important question for you. It's an over-under question how many wins next year for the WU football team and does Neil Brown make it another year as their leader?

Speaker 1: 25:06

Well, you know that's a very hot topic in my house. So my son goes to my one that plays lacrosse goes to Penn State and, as you know, penn State played West Virginia this past year and we were there. He was the one wearing the Penn State jersey in the picture and everybody else had on on West Virginia that day and you know we did not win. You know, I'd like to say we're 50 percent next year. No, it's going to. They're actually recruited some people from locally here in Virginia and we will try and get to another game.

Speaker 2: 25:45

I'm tried and true West Virginia, even when they Well then, the Lions got to come and see us next year, so maybe you can make the Penn State game and force your son to wear West Virginia jersey. So they got to come to Morgantown. That would be a big win. I don't think he's an athlete at Penn.

Speaker 1: 25:59

State. Don't think he's an athlete at Penn State. Don't think he'll wear West Virginia.

Speaker 2: 26:04

Probably not, not even in Morgantown, not even for mom's sake he wouldn't do that. Goodness gracious, what are we going to do with him.

Speaker 1: 26:14

But it's a great. I mean, I think athletes being in an athlete like all my kids are athletes. I've had two that play D1 sports and I have two more that are coming through and I don't know what I did right or wrong or anything like that but I'd like to think I did something right to. The kids that I have are wonderful and I see things in them that I can only I'm so proud of and know that there'll be good leaders and they teach me things every day and that's kind of the point of leadership. They teach me and I don't listen as much to my kids as I probably should, but they can't listen to the podcast because I don't want them to know that. I just said that.

Speaker 2: 26:58

But yeah, yeah we'll get it to them, they'll listen to it. They'll be proud of mom, no doubt about it.

Speaker 1: 27:04

Yeah, so leadership's tough, it's, it's complex, it's different for everybody, but you have to keep learning. It's changing every every day. And and I found, I found this one quote and I'm going to read it to you. It says it's by Matthew Leenik. He's a retired Navy SEAL. Do you know him?

Speaker 2: 27:23

I love him. I know the name.

Speaker 1: 27:30

Embrace the currents of leadership trends, for in their evolution lies the compass to navigate the ever-changing landscapes of success. So when he talks about, it's not always just about strength and muscle. It's about navigating and understanding who people really are.

Speaker 2: 27:45

Love that. Love that quote, jill. I appreciate our conversation. It's been a lot of fun as I listened through and one of the things I talked about.

Speaker 2: 27:51

The name of the podcast is the Uncommon Leader Podcast, and it becomes uncommon when we're able to succeed at both business and life and clearly you have success. Pass on both of those. You've had to remain on a growth pass as you go forward. So I wish you the best going forward as well. We still got some time to go. We won't say how old we are, but we've got time to go. As we left on this journey, we got all kinds of years left in this bucket. So I am curious as I finish all my first time guests off. In terms of the last question, I ask two things. One is how do folks stay in touch with you? Because they're going to want to connect with you and then to finish it off and I'll give you the last word I'm going to give you a billboard. You can put it wherever you want to. You can put it in Morgantown as you drive in or wherever you want to. You get to put any message you want to on that billboard.

Speaker 1: 28:41

Put any message you want to on that billboard. What is that message and why do you put that on there? Okay, Well, so I would say get you, can get up, find me on LinkedIn. It's uh, it's uh, Jill Burdette. Uh, please reach out to me. I love, uh, meeting people and, and, like I said, learning. And I think I'll go back to what I said earlier If my, if my billboard and it had two words on it, It'd be be you, be you, uh, because nobody else can.

Speaker 2: 29:05

Jill, I've enjoyed our time. I appreciate getting the chance to catch up with you and I wish you the best.

Speaker 1: 29:10

Thank you, you too.

Speaker 2: 29:14

And that wraps up another episode of the Uncommon Leader Podcast. Thanks for tuning in today. If you found value in this episode, I encourage you to share it with your friends, colleagues or anyone else who could benefit from the insights and inspiration we've shared. Also, if you have a moment, I'd greatly appreciate if you could leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback not only helps us to improve, but it also helps others discover the podcast and join our growing community of uncommon leaders. Until next time, go and grow champions.