Becoming an Engineer Who Leads

Notes on clarity, ownership, and leadership.
The skills engineering school never taught.

Engineering isn't the hard part. Doing it well with others is.

Engineering rewards precision, correctness, and technical depth. That's expected.

What’s harder — and far more consequential — is moving good ideas through real systems: people, incentives, and constraints.

That's where most work breaks.

• Ideas only matter if they are understood by the whole team.

• Engineers who own communication gain disproportionate influence.

• Progress moves through systems of money, people, and incentives.

• Leadership is the ability to move others toward a direction worth taking.

Engineering isn't the hard part. Doing it well with others is.

Engineering rewards precision, correctness, and technical depth. That's expected.

What’s harder — and far more consequential — is moving good ideas through real systems: people, incentives, and constraints.

That's where most work breaks.

• Ideas only matter if they are understood by the whole team.

• Engineers who own communication gain disproportionate influence.

• Progress moves through systems of money, people, and incentives.

• Leadership is the ability to move others toward a direction worth taking.

A better way

The Engineering Way:
a philosophy built on three disciplines.

Greatengineeringisclear.Theworkisowned.Thedirectionisintentional.
Engineeringismorethanproducingartifacts.It’sadisciplineofjudgment.It'saboutdecidingwhatmatters,whattobuild,andhowworkmovesthroughpeople.
Theproblemsworthsolvingrarelyhappeninisolation.Theyrequiresharedcontext,earnedtrust,andalignmentovertime.
TheEngineeringWayfocusesonthedisciplinesthatmakethispossible:clarity,ownership,andleadership.

Clarity

Clear thinking. Clear writing. Clear speaking. Clarity turns complexity into simplicity and makes your work impossible to ignore.

Clarity

Clear thinking. Clear writing. Clear speaking. Clarity turns complexity into simplicity and makes your work impossible to ignore.

Clarity

Clear thinking. Clear writing. Clear speaking. Clarity turns complexity into simplicity and makes your work impossible to ignore.

Ownership

Ownership means taking responsibility for the work, the process, and the standard it’s held to.

Ownership

Ownership means taking responsibility for the work, the process, and the standard it’s held to.

Ownership

Ownership means taking responsibility for the work, the process, and the standard it’s held to.

Leadership

For engineers, leadership is influence. It’s the ability to guide decisions, communicate direction, and earn trust through clarity and composure.

Leadership

For engineers, leadership is influence. It’s the ability to guide decisions, communicate direction, and earn trust through clarity and composure.

Leadership

For engineers, leadership is influence. It’s the ability to guide decisions, communicate direction, and earn trust through clarity and composure.

Start the journey

Reading The Engineering Way

Observations on clarity, ownership, and leadership — written in public.

Oct 26, 2025

For the Love of Books

Oct 26, 2025

For the Love of Books

Apr 10, 2024

The Need for Humble Engineers

Apr 10, 2024

The Need for Humble Engineers

Aug 22, 2023

The Case for Daily Growth

Aug 22, 2023

The Case for Daily Growth

Oct 26, 2025

For the Love of Books

Apr 10, 2024

The Need for Humble Engineers

Read the latest

A weekly letter on clarity, leadership, and engineering excellence.

Written for engineers who want to do better work and help the people around them do the same.

What Comes Next

Where This Is Headed

In time, this work will expand beyond writing.

1:1 Coaching

Occasional, focused conversations to sharpen thinking and clarify next steps.

Not currently open.

1:1 Coaching

Occasional, focused conversations to sharpen thinking and clarify next steps.

Not currently open.

Speaking

Talks for engineering teams on clarity, ownership, and leadership.

Available selectively.

Speaking

Talks for engineering teams on clarity, ownership, and leadership.

Available selectively.

Reading & Learning

A shared reading practice for engineers who take growth seriously.

Ongoing.

Reading & Learning

A shared reading practice for engineers who take growth seriously.

Ongoing.

Becoming an Engineer Who Leads

Engineering isn't the hard part. Doing it well with others is.

• Ideas only matter if they are understood by the whole team.

• Engineers who own communication gain disproportionate influence.

• Progress moves through systems of money, people, and incentives.

• Leadership is the ability to move others toward a direction worth taking.

Engineering isn't the hard part. Doing it well with others is.

• Ideas only matter if they are understood by the whole team.

• Engineers who own communication gain disproportionate influence.

• Progress moves through systems of money, people, and incentives.

• Leadership is the ability to move others toward a direction worth taking.

The Engineering Way: a philosophy built on three disciplines.

Clarity

Clarity

Clarity

Ownership

Ownership

Ownership

Leadership

Leadership

Leadership

Reading The Engineering Way

For the Love of Books

For the Love of Books

The Need for Humble Engineers

The Need for Humble Engineers

The Case for Daily Growth

The Case for Daily Growth

For the Love of Books

The Need for Humble Engineers

A weekly letter on clarity, leadership, and engineering excellence.

Where This Is Headed

1:1 Coaching

1:1 Coaching

Speaking

Speaking

Reading & Learning

Reading & Learning

The Engineering Way:
a philosophy built on three disciplines.