I’m an engineer. I think in systems. I look at the environment people work in for what it actually is, then help re-engineer it so it works better and makes people’s jobs easier. That’s how I lead, manage, and design.
Keeping people on the same page requires more than processes and documentation. It requires knowledge transfer and shared mental models — helping people understand how the pieces fit together, how they work together, and how they coordinate to get things done.
I build those shared mental models through the work products I create, as well as through coaching, training, and management. But that only works when the system people see in their heads connects to what matters to them: their roles, passions, goals, and career progression. People need to see how the work connects to them, not just how it connects on a diagram.
People are important. They’re the ones who ultimately get everything done. That’s why I work to protect both the people and the organization’s capacity, capability, and bottom line.
When things go wrong, the wrong people often get thrown under the bus. I do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen. Before assigning blame, I want to understand what the system was asking people to do, what constraints they were operating under, what they knew, and what they had the ability to control.
For me, good leadership and good engineering have something fundamental in common: understand the system, improve the conditions in which people operate, and build the capability and capacity to keep it working.
