Now here is a refreshing take on leadership:

High-Tech Crybabies Head for the Crib | Technology Industry Blog | BNET

I have to say, it does annoy me when anybody speaks down on anybody of their team. Not just engineers, but human resources (very common in German companies), accounting ("trolls" in Dilbert-speak), or members of call centers.

In fact, it is the engineers who secretly laugh about the inept and sometimes purely sad attempts of some marketing or sales wiz kids to game the system. I had the privilege to judge in the Innovation Challenge 08 and found most of the entries fall into that category: speak quickly, use cool images and sell the consumer an utterly useless and baseless product. Needless to say, I did rate those "ideas" rather poorly (0 out of 5, typically).

It takes ingenuity, team "work"(!), resourcefulness, a feel for the market and the need of the consumer, and an iron will to launch new products in this world. I cannot stand people that try to do this using shortcuts. They burn every single time, taking the esteem in a brand or company down a notch with them.

Engineers are smart (comes with the territory), and abhor shortcuts. I appreciate that attitude and have it made my own.