The AV industry is full of excellent technicians. We have brilliant minds capable of solving programming challenges, engineering dilemmas, and creating content that delights even the most demanding clients. These professionals are in the field every day, constantly solving problems and designing solutions.

However, I see few technicians leading AV companies.

Is this really a problem?

By nature, technicians are scholars: proactive in seeking, testing, and applying knowledge, with above-average logical skills and a strong problem-solving mindset. In theory, this profile could drive a culture of continuous learning and innovation within AV organizations.

I would like to see more technicians leading organizations, precisely to spark this drive for knowledge across entire companies.

But this raises a question: if technicians are so skilled, what kind of content could expand their leadership opportunities?

I believe the answer lies in human skills.

There is a wide range of soft skills courses on the market, but few are truly adapted to the reality of technical professionals. For this audience, I highlight topics such as:

• Effective communication (written and spoken)
• Reference and depth in technical reading
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving
• Decision-making
• Critical thinking
• Empathy, diversity, and inclusion
• Ethical behavior
• Priority management
• Leadership
• Influence and persuasion
• Public speaking
• Sustainability in the AV context

Just as technical knowledge still lacks structure for areas like sales, marketing, and logistics, human skills also need to be organized and directed so that technicians can become leaders in our sector. There are other important factors on this path, such as organizational culture, individual profiles, and team support, but all of these can be developed as people grow in these human concepts.

Mentoring and coaching models, common in sectors like healthcare and retail, can be adapted to AV. In these models, development is supported by feedback, internal promotion metrics, and practical application of knowledge.

Another alternative is to encourage volunteering in organizations and institutes, allowing technicians to apply and develop these skills in real contexts, accelerating their growth and impact in companies’ daily routines.

Developing more technical leaders is a strategy to increase the sustainability and diversity of the sector, bringing people with specific knowledge and practical vision into leadership—people capable of driving teams and dealing with the technologies they master. The ongoing pursuit of diversity is essential for building a more balanced industry.

What do you think? Do you believe the path to leadership in AV depends on developing these skills?

In the next article, we will discuss how companies in the sector can scale onboarding and team training.