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.

First time reading? You can subscribe here.

Alright, let’s get into it.

Highlights:

Highlights:

You don't cut corners on structural integrity. You don't rush critical calculations. You plan for decades, not just deadlines.

The Shindig Shirt™ was designed with the same methodology you bring to every project. Rowdee's team spent years perfecting the fabric blend. Sweat-proof technology that won't fail during those hot August afternoons. Wrinkle-resistant fibers that maintain their structure through countless wear cycles. Reinforced stitching at stress points because details matter.

Your values mirror ours:

Just like your best projects, this shirt gets better with time. No compromises, no shortcuts—just engineered excellence that works as hard as you do whether in or outside of the office.

Use code ECHELONS15 for 15% off your first order.

Start shopping now →

_{*Partners may compensate Engineering Echelons and/or its contributor(s) for sharing their message(s).}

One of the most harrowing real-life stories I’ve read is Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica in 1914, told in Alfred Lansing’s Endurance. On this trip, Shackleton’s ship becomes trapped and crushed in the ice, leaving the crew stranded in the freezing, barren landscape. Ultimately, the entire crew traverses back to civilization in small lifeboats—not a single crew member died.

During the many months Shackleton and his crew were stranded, they labored to free their ship, hunt seals, and create makeshift shelters. All the exposure to the fierce cold started to change their temperature tolerance.

So much so that during one summer, the temperature rose to around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, which is pretty warm for Antarctica. The men, having become accustomed to much colder temperatures, took off their shirts while they worked.

That image stuck with me: men working shirtless in Antarctica because they were hot.

Which made me think about other environments and how people adapt to those. Namely, work environments.

Leaders have an outsized influence on their organizational environments. People on their teams do contribute to the environment, but their contributions are shaped by what the leaders actively reinforce and passively tolerate.

To sum this up: people reorganize their baseline normal to their environment. It’s true for temperature. And it’s true for culture. So what is the baseline of your culture?

L. David Marquet (former Navy submarine captain) on treating people like followers:

“People who are treated as followers treat others as followers when it’s their turn to lead. A vast untapped human potential is lost as a result of treating people as followers. Only in the long run—three to ten years later—does it become obvious, but by that time people have moved on to new jobs.”

—

Franklin D. Roosevelt (former U.S. President) on leadership:

“It is a terrible thing to look over your shoulder when you are trying to lead and find no one there.”

—

Vex King (author) on authenticity:

“There’s a distinctive signature to authentic people: they prefer meaningful conversations with a few over shallow exchanges with many. Their love is demonstrated rather than declared. Their words and actions align, even when no one is watching. They bring a quality of presence that makes you feel truly seen, and carry a sense of peace and joy that doesn’t depend on external validation.”

Good communication is a superpower, and in this TED Talk, Charles Duhigg gives a great presentation about how to communicate better.

Know someone who could benefit from this newsletter? Let them know!

Did something strike a chord? Tell me about it.

Or…

Send me an email at [email protected]

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

Collin