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JANUARY 2023 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 13 I oen thought of my grandfather's teach- ing—the mindset to "reach for the stars." at ethos guides me constantly in my search for wisdom. To that end, perhaps it's worth sharing something I learned recently. I made a point to attend the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders annual meeting in person to lis- ten to the legend of legends, Warren Buffett, and to observe the dynamic of all the aspir- ing people present. During the Q&A ses- sion, attendees kept asking the same ques- tion, although they articulated that question in different ways. In essence, they wanted advice on what to invest in and, more impor- tantly, how to succeed in life in this unprece- dentedly uncertain time of high inflation and a draconian increase in the price of goods and services in our daily life, not to mention the widespread geopolitical issues. Mr. Buf- fett shared this wisdom: Invest in yourself to gain rewards even when inflation bites. e abilities you have can't be taken away om you—they can't actually be inflated away om you. e best investment, by far, is anything that develops yourself, and that's not taxed at all. e best thing you can do is to be exceptionally good at something. You want to be the best at what you do—be the best engineer, the best doctor, the best dancer. I thought this was truly powerful advice for all of us. Some of this wisdom relates to women engi- neers. During the last four decades, as we know, women have made substantial strides in all professions, including engineering. Yet there is more progress to be made, especially in industry sectors such as the microelectron- ics/electronics industry. Women engineering professionals still need encouragement and support. For example, as of my recent profes- sional development lectures to the industry, I've noticed that attendees are still predom- inately male professionals. I made the same observation in the 1990s, and today, in 2022, the same dynamic prevails. What does being an engineer mean to you? I see engineering training as unique in a way that can be useful to all professions: as an engineering practitioner, a CEO leading a company, a venture capitalist investing in new business, or serving in the government. As an engineer, the ultimate goal is to inspire by demonstrating results. In the grand scheme of things, being an engineer means creating for the betterment of society and human life; engi- neers need to enable, to do, and to lead. e ability to lead comes with the ability to inspire and get the best outcome in any environment or in any situation. Leadership has great impact outcomes, from the war room to the boardroom to the engi- neering profession. ere are different defi- nitions and variations of leadership. I would define "leadership" as the ability to influence the outcome, not necessarily to command and control. In contrast to some opinions on this, I believe that leadership can be learned and nur- tured. In any case, wanting to learn to be a bet- ter leader is always rewarding, especially for engineering professionals. As an engineer, sharing knowledge and insights is a fulfilling experience. Outside my day job, I am invested in both writing and teach- ing; serving as an editorial columnist for two global industry magazines has been a mean- ingful endeavor to me. ese publications dis- seminate timely information to readers who are mostly engineering-trained profession- als. I have taken on this weekend employment for over 35 years. When it comes to speak- ing, I have delivered professional develop- ment courses, lectures, workshops, and webi- nars over the years to tens of thousands of engi- neers, researchers, and executives interested in continuing professional education in the work- force. is experience has allowed me to inter- face with engineering practitioners and exec- utives, which helps me relate my engineering education to the workforce.