Reflective Analysis of Industrial Engineering Leadership Skills Applied in Being a Capstone Team Leader

This paper presents a reflective analysis of leadership skills that I, Sarah Nesmith, have acquired and applied as an honors student serving as a capstone team leader within the Industrial Engineering program at the University of Arkansas. My senior capstone project is in partnership with Walmart’s Transportation and Optimization Department and focuses on identifying the root and contributing causes of empty miles (miles driven without freight on a truck) and exploring backhaul opportunities. The ultimate goal is the development of a tool or method that can identify these opportunities to save money while maintaining service level. As the appointed team leader, I have been responsible for guiding four other students through project planning, communication, professionalism, and engagement with our industry partner. In this reflective summary, I will discuss the various stages of the project. Early stages revealed challenges related to project scope clarity and team chemistry while later stages showed team growth and completion of project goals. These challenges prompted me to apply and further develop my leadership and teamwork abilities using frameworks from professional development resources such as LinkedIn Learning, as well as through project management and industrial engineering principles. Team progress over time helped solidify my strengths as a developing leader. This paper connects leadership practices to industrial engineering and professional development principles, contributing to a broader understanding of leadership within an engineering education and team-based environment.