Hey, it’s Collin. Welcome to Engineering Echelons, a newsletter full of ideas and insights to help engineers excel at management.

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week.

• New and noteworthy news

• A management perspective to consider

• Leadership insights to delve into

• And more…

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Alright, let’s get into it.

Noteworthy Headlines

3Q2025 Cost Report (ENR)

Highlights:

2025 Energy Jobs & Market Trends Survey (AEE)

Highlights:

• 75% of energy professionals worldwide report workforce shortages (90% in the Middle East and Africa).

• More than one-third of professionals plan to retire within the next decade, exacerbating the shortage.

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Management Perspective

It’s a common thought that if you’re irreplaceable, you have high job security. I think there’s a lot of truth to that.

In fact, it might make your job too secure.

By being irreplaceable, you create an environment in which it is very hard for you to be promoted. Think about it: if your boss were to promote you, who would do your job?

The managers who rise are the ones who’ve built teams that run smoothly without them. They’ve invested in cross-training, delegated responsibilities to share exposure, and elevated their people.

In short: being irreplaceable keeps you in place; being replaceable makes you a candidate for the next level.

Are you replaceable? What about your team?

Management Insights

David McRaney on being wrong:

“Until we know we are wrong, being wrong feels exactly like being right.”

—

Ed Catmull on how people are more important than ideas:

“Ideas come from people. Therefore, people are more important than ideas.”

—

Charlie Munger on needing colleagues:

“Everybody engaged in complicated work needs colleagues. Just the discipline of having to put your thoughts in order with somebody else is a very useful thing.”

Management Resource

Why aren’t I better at delegating? (HBR)

Delegating is hard yet necessary. Leaders must learn to effectively delegate to free up time and get high-priority things done.

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Get in Touch

Did something strike a chord? Tell me about it.

Or…

• Let me know if you’ve found something worth sharing.

• Let me know what challenges you’re having as a manager.

• Let me know what challenges you see other managers having.

Send me an email at [email protected]

Looking forward to hearing from you. See you next time.

Collin

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