{"id":26188,"date":"2026-04-20T18:52:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T18:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=26188&post_type=story"},"modified":"2026-04-20T18:52:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T18:52:18","slug":"leading-by-design","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Leading by Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

When triathlete Jonathan Huebner \u201907<\/strong> laces up for a long run or hits the bike trail, chances are he\u2019ll use technology his own team helped design. As senior mechanical engineering team lead at Garmin \u2014 a global technology company known for its navigation systems and wearables \u2014 he spearheads the creation of next-generation products redefining the fitness world, from indoor trainers to cycling computers to GPS-enabled running watches.<\/p>\n

But for Huebner, engineering isn\u2019t just about technical expertise. It\u2019s about people. Beyond building smart devices, the mechanical engineering<\/a> alum co-directs a leadership development program for Garmin\u2019s engineering teams worldwide, cultivating connections so ideas can move freely, and products feel intuitive, reliable and built for everyday life.<\/p>\n

Ask him where his affinity for mentorship began and he\u2019ll point to UCF, the place that first gave him a true sense of community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met people [at UCF] who became family,\u201d he says. \u201cThrough those relationships, I learned one of the most essential qualities of leadership: empathy.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shares more insight here.<\/p>\n

On Having a Growth Mindset<\/h2>\n

I feel privileged to lead some of the best engineers in the world. What\u2019s guided me most in this role is adopting a growth mindset \u2014 recognizing the complexity of my team\u2019s work and empathizing with the challenges they face each day. That perspective led me to create the Mechanical Engineering Leadership Development Program, which equips engineers with practical problem-solving tools and connects them with mentors who have walked in their shoes.<\/p>\n

On Owning Produce Creation<\/h2>\n

Garmin\u2019s commitment to vertical integration allows our engineers to own their work \u201cfrom cradle to grave.\u201d Whether it\u2019s wearables or cycling devices, they drive the design and partner across global teams. My job is to support their leadership and ensure their ideas reach customers worldwide.<\/p>\n

On Interdisciplinary Collaboration<\/h2>\n

Mechanical engineers at Garmin are often called \u201cthe glue.\u201d We\u2019re embedded in every stage of development. Product managers bring the customer\u2019s vision, we define what\u2019s mechanically possible, and designers craft the look and feel. Our role is like the hub of a wheel, holding the pieces together so the entire design works as one.<\/p>\n

On Finding His Calling<\/h2>\n

My senior year at UCF, I worked with Walt Disney World Resort to animate Daisy Duck\u2019s costume head so the character could move her mouth and eyes. Watching our design come to life in the parks was a true lightbulb moment. I realized I wanted to spend my career creating products that push the boundaries of innovation. That project showed me how engineering could shape experiences people remember for a lifetime.<\/p>\n

On Being Vulnerable<\/h2>\n

One of the most important lessons I learned at UCF was being comfortable with vulnerability. It\u2019s OK to say, \u201cI don\u2019t have the answer, but I\u2019ll figure it out.\u201d That humility builds trust and fuels growth. Even as a leader, I ask my team to break things down for me. Admitting uncertainty isn\u2019t easy, but it\u2019s how you learn \u2014 and it makes you a better teammate. My advice to aspiring engineers would be this: Stay curious, read like you drink water and embrace what you don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“What\u2019s guided me most in this role is adopting a growth mindset \u2014 recognizing the complexity of my team\u2019s work and empathizing with the challenges they face each day.” \u2014 Jonathan Huebner \u201907<\/strong>, Garmin Engineering Team Lead<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":26257,"template":"","categories":[999],"tags":[148,1452],"class_list":["post-26188","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumknights","tag-college-of-engineering-and-computer-science","tag-ucf-alumni"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Leadership Lessons Behind Garmin's Tech<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A senior engineering team lead at Garmin shares how empathy, curiosity and mentorship drive innovation in fitness technology and wearables.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Daisy Duck to Garmin Watches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Senior engineer on the unlikely path from Disney animation to fitness tech.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pegasus Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UCF\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2026\/04\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-FB-1200x630-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Leading by Design\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2026\/04\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-TW-1024x530-1.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UCF\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/leading-by-design\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/leading-by-design\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Leadership Lessons Behind Garmin's Tech\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/leading-by-design\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/leading-by-design\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/4\\\/files\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-1200x800-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-20T18:52:18+00:00\",\"description\":\"A senior engineering team lead at Garmin shares how empathy, curiosity and mentorship drive innovation in fitness technology and wearables.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/leading-by-design\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/leading-by-design\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/leading-by-design\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/4\\\/files\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-1200x800-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/4\\\/files\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-1200x800-1.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"A collage featuring Jonathan Huebner, Garmin Engineering's team lead. Various Garmin products and activities float around him.\u00a0\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/leading-by-design\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Leading by Design\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/\",\"name\":\"Pegasus Magazine\",\"description\":\"The Magazine of Å®ÆÍAV\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/pegasus\\\/leading-by-design\\\/#local-main-organization-logo\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Å®ÆÍAV\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Leadership Lessons Behind Garmin's Tech","description":"A senior engineering team lead at Garmin shares how empathy, curiosity and mentorship drive innovation in fitness technology and wearables.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"From Daisy Duck to Garmin Watches","og_description":"Senior engineer on the unlikely path from Disney animation to fitness tech.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/","og_site_name":"Pegasus Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UCF","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2026\/04\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-FB-1200x630-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Leading by Design","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2026\/04\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-TW-1024x530-1.jpg","twitter_site":"@UCF","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/","name":"The Leadership Lessons Behind Garmin's Tech","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2026\/04\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-1200x800-1.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-20T18:52:18+00:00","description":"A senior engineering team lead at Garmin shares how empathy, curiosity and mentorship drive innovation in fitness technology and wearables.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2026\/04\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-1200x800-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2026\/04\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-1200x800-1.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"A collage featuring Jonathan Huebner, Garmin Engineering's team lead. Various Garmin products and activities float around him.\u00a0"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Leading by Design"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/","name":"Pegasus Magazine","description":"The Magazine of Å®ÆÍAV","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/leading-by-design\/#local-main-organization-logo","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Å®ÆÍAV"}]}},"acf":[],"story_subtitle":"This alum is shaping the future of fitness technology at Garmin while building the connections that make innovation possible.","story_description":"This alum is shaping the future of fitness technology at Garmin while building the connections that make innovation possible.","story_thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2026\/04\/Huebner-ft-Pegasus-Spr26-1200x800-1-263x175.jpg","width":263,"height":175},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/26188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/26188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26376,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/26188\/revisions\/26376"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}