John Gavan, Executive Chair and former CEO of Evergreen® company KPFF Consulting Engineers, offers a roadmap for leadership development through his concept of Engineered Opportunities. John shares his 35-year journey from intern to CEO, illustrating how leaders must adapt as they progress in the organization and move from one role to the next.

John outlines a four-stage career arc—Performer, Leader, Builder, and Guide—emphasizing that growth in leadership requires engineering success for those who follow, rather than just concern with moving oneself forward. Focusing on the later stages of the leadership journey, John draws on Arthur Brooks’ research explaining the necessary shift from one of youthful fluid intelligence to one of wisdom arising from crystallized intelligence later in the journey.

Watch this talk and be inspired to intentionally engineer opportunities for the people you lead.