Student Research Symposium Program Portal: Submission #161

Submission information
Submission Number: 161
Submission ID: 9009
Submission UUID: 02e04a59-6abb-464d-beda-1dac9f394e33

Created: Wed, 01/21/2026 - 10:58 PM
Completed: Wed, 01/21/2026 - 11:24 PM
Changed: Wed, 01/21/2026 - 11:24 PM

Remote IP address: 98.19.0.68
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No
Primary Student Contact First Name Michael
Primary Student Contact Last Name Finley
Pronouns
Primary Student Contact FSU Student Email mlf24h@fsu.edu
Photo of all individuals presenting this work Michael's Professional Picture_1.JPG
Major(s) of all individuals presenting this work MS Systems Engineering
Bio of all individuals presenting this work Michael Finley is an experienced Technology and Systems Engineering leader with over a decade of success delivering mission-critical solutions across complex engineering and business environments. He currently serves as a Staff Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas, where he leads high-performing teams supporting F-35 integration, test, and simulation labs. Michael is known for aligning technical execution with strategic objectives, driving operational excellence, and improving system performance in high-stakes, security-focused environments. Throughout his career, Michael has progressed through increasing levels of technical and leadership responsibility, contributing to major defense programs including the F-35, F-22, and F-16. His work spans system requirements development, verification and validation, integration and test leadership, lab operations, and cross-functional coordination with customers, vendors, and program stakeholders. He has led and mentored engineers, reduced certification timelines, improved onboarding efficiency, and strengthened communication across multidisciplinary teams. Michael holds an MBA in Security Management, a Bachelor’s degree in Technical Management, and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Systems Engineering. His strengths include analytical thinking, leadership, and problem solving, along with a strong commitment to continuous learning and sharing knowledge to develop others and strengthen the organization.
Poster Title From the Battlefield to the Boardroom: Colin Powell’s Leadership Principles
Abstract Colin Powell was a renowned military and political leader who rose from being poor to becoming a four-star General in the U.S. Army and then U.S. Secretary of State. Powell's leadership skills and actions were examined throughout his life, from when he was a child to when he was a top military and diplomatic leader. It examines Powell's leadership through the lens of various leadership theories, employing significant events from his career as a timeline to illustrate the evolution of his character, decision-making, and people-oriented approach over time. He puts a lot of emphasis on being honest, responsible, working as a team, thinking strategically, and staying calm as a leader when things get tough. This research seeks to identify the characteristics that contributed to Powell's effectiveness across various contexts by comparing his actual behaviors with established leadership concepts. The results reveal leadership practices that consistently yielded positive outcomes, alongside aspects requiring additional consideration. In the end, this study is a personal commitment to becoming a better leader through gaining knowledge from Powell's experiences to find qualities that are good and those that require caution. The goal is to make a leader who is more self-aware, moral, and effective.
Research Mentor Name Dr. Georgiadis
Research Mentor's College (or High School) College of Engineering
Research Mentor's Department (or Subject) IME
Research Mentor's Email dgeorgiadis@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Additional Research Mentor(s)
Co-presenter(s)
Keywords Leadership, theory, attributes, practice, United States, Army, Colin Powell, General, Secretary of State
Poster Session/Number
Work Complete
Presentation Modality Asynchronous Online Presentation
Year 2026
Annual description 5th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 17, 2025
Update URL https://pc.fsu.edu/student-research/symposium/research-symposium-program-portal?element_parents=elements/student_photo&ajax_form=1&_wrapper_format=drupal_ajax&token=flXr9pvEVfjWswphOx0FwukLkaSyk0m1F07FoIR_eCw