Written by Lance Kasel Lasam
Visuals by Jayvee Fulgencio
The mind of an engineer is unique. It is capable of analyzing its surroundings and using whatever angle it can see to find a problem to solve or an advancement to achieve. It holds the ability for them to utilize what is available to them and tinker and experiment with those things. It also carries skills of leadership, collaboration, fortitude, and courage — all emanating whenever they formulate, materialize, test, and promote what they make.
These characteristics are present in every engineer, but the habits and specific principles differ. Some hold differing philosophies, some are more eccentric in their actions than others. However, taking a dive into how one person thinks can give us a window into how engineers carry with their work.
Take Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, founder of The Boring Company, among others. His persona is almost that of the modern-day successful engineer — intellectual, strong-willed, spontaneous, perceptive, eccentric. His inventions reflect his expertise, from the electric car to the Falcon rocket, from online city guides with Zip2 to e-payments with X.com. Thus, we ought to know more about how he thinks and manages.
HIS MINDSET
Seeing his achievements, it may come as no shock to know that his upbringing revolves around engineering and science. He is, in his words, “raised by books”, poring over sci-fi and fantasy novels, nonfiction books, and even the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. At an early age, he also developed an interest in computer programming and inventing. He once made a Space Invaders-type game called “Blastar” and sold it to a technology magazine for $500. He also went off making explosives and rockets, all while being under the watch of his housekeeper. All this leads to him honing his skills and garnering immense knowledge, developing a spontaneous and fast way of thinking and an “always be learning” attitude.
His engineering philosophy, particularly, is quite different from what is cultivated in school. He has utilized what is called “first principles thinking”, which requires deconstructing a process or thing into its fundamentals, and reconstructing them in order to make a more efficient solution to a problem. To him, you need to question the limitations of your craft, as they are most certainly wrong, and we know this because the other case will be that these constraints are correct, which cannot be possible.
His way of asking questions is also notable since the formulation of such questions is more integral to an engineer’s success, contrary to answering a question that is already there. He especially asks this question when it comes to optimizing a part that may or may not be applied to a project - “Do we really need this component in the first place?” Answering this question can save precious time and enable a team to finish a project quickly.
HIS OPERATIONS
Musk is a hard-working engineer, possibly the hardest working amongst tech entrepreneurs. He works for 80 to even 100 hours a week. Even with concerns about sleep deprivation, this is a strong indication that he is incredibly immersed in his craft.
He is also not a hands-off CEO, in fact, he is the lead engineer of SpaceX. He upholds a transactional and transformational way of leadership. He is one to inspire his employees and make them take to heart his teachings and principles. He clearly communicates his goals throughout his organization and makes known his expectations and learning and working environments.
But, he also says that he wants his team members to think that they are lead engineers, as well. He has faith in his team as much as he has faith in himself. He encourages a positive, collaborative, and comprehensive environment in his companies, where clarity of doubt is maintained and employees strive to work to complete whatever projects are ongoing. However, he is also known to be temperamental and fires people who do not meet his expectations. But for the most part, his way of leadership and operation give a positive effect on the performance of his employees and the organization, and are a huge factor in his companies gaining such a reputation and technological edge.
HIS EMANATION
His effort can clearly be seen in his inventions and projects, whether self-made or with his teams at his organizations. His works are a manifestation of his thinking. His reach and influence go worldwide and thus, people admire him and yearn to work with him or be like him.
His employees give a wide range of opinions and impressions of him. He can be intimidating, scrutinous, controlling, and unrealistic when setting goals, but he can also be energetic, smart, motivating, inspiring, and also aims for the best of the best. Regardless, his teams are full of talented people, to the point where he commented that his companies “corner the market” of brilliant individuals. That is one result of his charisma and talent, his leadership and excellence.
Elon Musk is a one-of-a-kind individual, a person who always seeks to break any ceiling in order to achieve his goals and provide innovative solutions to any problem he can find. His aura exudes throughout his body and towards his works and his subordinates. A strong thinking man who aims and is willing to do anything and work around something in order to attain the solution he seeks, that is who he is.
He is a window to the mind of an engineer. Of course, he is not the only window out there, and he is certainly not the first revolutionary of his field, but learning who he is and how he works provides us the opportunity to learn more about who we really are and who we ought to be as future engineers.
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