Join 1k+ other forward-thinking professionals who receive the weekly newsletter, where I provide actionable strategies, insights and tools to escape the grind and build influential, future-proof careers. Sign up and I will send yoy a FREE copy of my 5-Stage playbook to multiply your impact and build a career that AI can't replace.
Why Your Best Ideas Keep Losing?
|
Hello Reader, I spoke with an old friend last week. He told me he spent 4 years as a senior engineer watching less experienced engineers get to the next level ahead of him. His designs were cleaner. His solutions were faster. His technical reviews were thorough. But he kept getting the same feedback: "You need to be more visible and strategic" He thought that meant talking more in meetings. He was wrong. What he lacked was influence at work The Real ProblemHere’s what actually happens when you lack influence as an engineer: You wait until your analysis is perfect before sharing it. Meanwhile, someone else frames the problem, sets the constraints and aligns the stakeholders. By the time you present your solution (even if it’s objectively better), the decision is already made. Your idea doesn’t lose because it’s wrong, It loses because it arrived too late. The Shift That Changed EverythingI discovered something that transformed my career: Influential engineers don’t start with solutions. They start with problem ownership. Here’s what this looks like: A project proposal drops in Slack. Most engineers wait to be assigned tickets. The influential engineer types: Before we jump to solutions, are we optimizing for speed or system stability? These lead to very different solutions. That’s it. One question asked early. That question reframes the entire discussion. Now you’re shaping the solution space before anyone implements any solution. Why This WorksWhen you determine how the problem is defined, you influence which solutions get considered. You’re not waiting for permission. You’re not being political. You’re clarifying the actual problem before the team wastes time solving the wrong thing. This doesn’t require authority. It requires timing. Your Action Step This WeekPick one upcoming decision at work. Don’t wait until you have the perfect solution. Instead, ask a clarifying question about the problem definition in the first 24 hours. Examples: What’s the primary constraint we’re solving for here? What does success look like in 6 months vs 6 weeks? Are we treating this as a temporary fix or a long-term foundation? These questions position you as strategic, not just technical. They give you a seat at the table where decisions actually get made. Try it once this week. You’ll be surprised how one early question changes the entire conversation. See you next Monday, Kayode |
The Influential Engineer
Join 1k+ other forward-thinking professionals who receive the weekly newsletter, where I provide actionable strategies, insights and tools to escape the grind and build influential, future-proof careers. Sign up and I will send yoy a FREE copy of my 5-Stage playbook to multiply your impact and build a career that AI can't replace.
Hello Reader, There is a point most engineers hit where progress quietly stalls. You are doing solid work, you are reliable, easy to collaborate with and technically competent. From the outside, nothing looks wrong. But the interesting projects start going to the same few people, promotions feel harder to reach, and your ideas land in the room but do not travel beyond it. What is uncomfortable is that you are not failing. You are just indistinguishable. Most engineers respond to this by...
Hello Reader, Have you ever watched someone else get picked for an opportunity you knew you deserved? You work hard, deliver consistently, and show up every day. And then you watch someone else get picked for the opportunity you wanted: a promotion, a project, or a seat in a room you know you belong in. It hurts in a quiet way. You don't complain or make a scene. You nod, tell yourself to keep your head down and do the work, because that's what responsible people do. That's what you were...
Hello Reader, There is a quiet instinct many people develop as they get more competent. Once you know your work is solid, you try to remove anything that might undermine it. You ensure that small slips that might make you look less capable are gone. The goal becomes clear. Do not give anyone a reason to doubt you. What is interesting is that this instinct often backfires. You have probably seen it happen. Two people demonstrate roughly the same level of skill. One is flawless. The other makes...