The Impactful Engineer - Mentorship, Career Growth, and Personal & Professional Excellence for Aspiring Engineers

Steve & Jake Maxey - The Impactful Engineers
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Spreading awareness, success, and accessibility to the world of engineering to aspiring and early career engineers.

  1. 27m ago

    Episode 168 - You Can’t Hold People Accountable for Expectations You Never Set

    Accountability does not start when someone misses a deadline. It starts when the work begins. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how strong engineers and leaders set clear expectations, document them, follow up before problems become emergencies, and address missed commitments without turning the conversation emotional. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for anyone responsible for getting results through other people.  Key Topics Covered: Why accountability is impossible without clear expectations up front.Why important expectations should be written, not left to memory.How to anchor deadlines instead of asking, “When can you get this done?”Why confirmation matters after assigning actions or changing expectations.How early check-ins give you time to recover before a deadline is missed.Why responsiveness should be an explicit expectation, especially on fast projects.How objective scorecards remove emotion from performance conversations.Why criticizing behavior works better than attacking the person.How excuses weaken your ability to hold the standard.When to develop a struggling vendor, contractor, or teammate and when to move on.Actionable Steps: Define the deliverable, deadline, and communication expectations before work starts.Put important expectations in writing and ask the other person to confirm alignment.Set required response times for questions, urgent issues, and critical-path decisions.Check progress before the deadline, not on the day something is due.Ask immediately whether new problems will affect the timeline.When an expectation is missed, document what happened without adding emotion or excuses.Ask what specifically must change to prevent the same miss from happening again.Look for opportunities to recover lost schedule elsewhere in the project.Track reliability, responsiveness, urgency, and execution over multiple projects.Decide whether someone is willing and capable of meeting your standards before investing more time.Who This Episode Is For: Engineers moving into leadership or project ownership.Managers frustrated by repeated missed commitments.Engineers coordinating suppliers, vendors, contractors, or cross-functional teams.High performers tired of rescuing projects at the last minute.Anyone who wants to build a reputation for reliability and execution.Why It Matters: Your reputation is built on whether people can trust you to deliver. But leadership also means creating the conditions for others to deliver. Clear expectations, early communication, objective accountability, and the willingness to hold the line give you more control over execution. If you consistently accept missed deadlines, vague communication, and excuses, you are teaching people what you will tolerate.  Where to Listen: SpotifyApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsOr wherever you get your podcastsShare: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  2. Aug 10

    Episode 167 - You Don’t Have to Like the Change. You Have to Lead Through It.

    Leadership changes. Your boss changes. The way your team operates changes. You can waste energy fighting it, or you can learn how to lead through it. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how engineers should respond when new leadership arrives and how leaders should approach an established team without destroying what already works. Not theory: practical, tactical advice for navigating uncertainty, earning trust, communicating clearly, and keeping performance moving forward. Key Topics Covered: • Why judging a new leader before they have a chance to lead works against you • How leadership transitions create an opportunity to increase your value and visibility • Why “that’s how we’ve always done it” is one of the most dangerous mindsets on a team • How to support a new leader without blindly agreeing with everything • Why your new leader’s success directly affects your own success • How good leaders learn before trying to change everything • Why established team members can become critical sources of context during a transition • How leaders earn buy-in instead of forcing compliance • Why managers must translate between their teams and senior leadership • How communication prevents good judgment calls from destroying trust Actionable Steps: • Drop assumptions about a new leader and judge them by what they actually do • Learn how they communicate, make decisions, and define success • Ask where you can help stabilize performance during the transition • Bring forward broken processes instead of defending them out of habit • Stay open to methods that worked successfully somewhere else • Give leaders useful context about what has and has not worked before • If you lead the team, listen before changing systems and expectations • Identify respected technical leaders and involve them early • Explain why decisions change when you override or modify someone’s recommendation • Keep the team focused on the mission, not personal preference Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers getting a new manager or executive leader • ICs frustrated by changes to familiar processes • New managers inheriting established teams • Engineers who want more influence during uncertain transitions • Leaders responsible for maintaining performance while changing direction Why It Matters: Change exposes whether you are committed to progress or just comfortable with familiarity. The engineers who grow are not the ones who avoid uncertainty. They communicate, adapt, take ownership, and make themselves more valuable when the environment shifts. Leadership is not waiting until you agree with every decision. It is helping the team move forward when things are changing.  Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  3. Aug 3

    Episode 166 - Your Work Is Invisible Because You Never Learned to Explain Its Value, with Vanessa Errecarte

    Strong technical work does not automatically make you visible, memorable, or promotable. In this episode, Steve and Jake sit down with Vanessa Errecarte, author of Valuable and Visible and an instructor in digital marketing, corporate branding, and personal branding at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. Vanessa explains how engineers can communicate their value without bragging, build trust through service, and stand out without becoming an online personality. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for making your work easier to understand, remember, and recommend. Key Topics Covered: • Why excellent engineers still get overlooked • The difference between expertise, authority, visibility, and trust • Why personal branding should serve others instead of promoting yourself • How to communicate accomplishments without sounding arrogant • The Truth Framework for creating clear, counterintuitive messages • Why early-career engineers already have useful lessons to share • How stories make technical value more relatable and memorable • Why a focused audience beats meaningless reach and viral impressions • How personal branding improves meetings, interviews, and leadership conversations • How resumes and cover letters can break patterns without sacrificing credibility Actionable Steps: • Identify the specific person or group you want to help • Write down what that audience commonly believes • Define the real problem they may be missing • Explain what you do differently and why it works • Support your perspective with evidence, outcomes, or experience • End every lesson with one action someone can take immediately • Share one useful thought-leadership post each week • Turn project experiences into stories about human impact • Repeat your core message in different ways instead of constantly inventing new ideas • Build visibility before you need a promotion, interview, or opportunity Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers whose work is strong but rarely recognized • Early-career engineers who believe they have nothing worth sharing • Individual contributors trying to move into leadership • Engineers uncomfortable with networking, self-promotion, or personal branding • Technical professionals whose resumes and interviews sound like everyone else Why It Matters: Your career does not grow solely from the quality of your work. People must understand the value you create, associate you with meaningful outcomes, and trust you enough to recommend you. Visibility without value is noise. Value without visibility gets ignored. Learning to communicate both is part of becoming an impactful engineer. Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  4. Jul 27

    Episode 165 - You Know the Answer, So Start Sounding Like It

    You can know your project, understand the data, and have the right answer, yet still make leadership doubt you. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how passive language, hedging, weak tone, and overexplaining destroy credibility. They show you how to communicate decisions, problems, and recommendations with clarity and authority. Not theory. Practical, tactical advice you can use in your next meeting, email, or executive update. Key Topics Covered: • Why technically strong engineers plateau because they communicate without confidence • How phrases like “I think,” “maybe,” and “this might be dumb” weaken your authority • Why answering with a questioning tone makes leaders doubt your command of the work • How excessive context buries the decision and exhausts the listener • Why executives need the conclusion before the supporting explanation • How concise communication improves trust, visibility, and decision-making • When detailed context is valuable and when it becomes a distraction • Why collective intelligence matters more than being the person who knows everything • How strong communicators advance faster than isolated technical experts • Why listening closely to the question changes the quality of your response Actionable Steps: • Remove unnecessary hedging from your next project update • State the decision, result, or problem in the first sentence • Follow your conclusion with no more than two or three supporting bullets • Put detailed background in an attachment or below a clear summary • Separate what happened from why it happened • Answer the exact question before adding context • Pause after giving the direct answer instead of filling the silence • Practice replacing passive phrases with clear, factual statements • Use AI to rewrite your updates in a more assertive executive style, then study the wording • Review important emails from the recipient’s perspective before sending them Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers who know their work but struggle to sound confident • Individual contributors who feel overlooked despite strong execution • Technical experts whose careers have started to plateau • New leaders who need to communicate decisions with authority • Engineers who overexplain because they want everyone to understand their reasoning Why It Matters: Your work cannot create career momentum if people do not trust your delivery. Visibility is not enough. Leadership must hear clarity, ownership, and command when you speak. Strong communication turns technical knowledge into confidence, faster decisions, and greater responsibility.  Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  5. Jul 25

    Episode 164 - If the Expectations Are Unclear, Get the Answer

    Confusion at work does not resolve itself. Unspoken expectations, poor meetings, unclear processes, and difficult leaders can leave engineers feeling powerless. In this episode, Steve and Jake explain how to stop accepting helplessness, ask better questions, and create the clarity you need to perform. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for engineers who want to move faster and take control of their careers. Key Topics Covered: • Why capable engineers still feel helpless in dysfunctional environments • How unclear expectations quietly damage performance and confidence • The career cost of waiting for someone else to create clarity • Why asking questions is not weakness or confrontation • How new employees can use curiosity to challenge broken norms • Turning hostile or unproductive meetings toward clear outcomes • The difference between blaming the system and improving it • Why agendas and defined objectives change meeting quality • How confusion interrupts learning and skill development • The connection between clarity, execution, and career momentum Actionable Steps: • Ask, “What are the expectations here?” before starting unclear work • Define what a successful outcome looks like • Request an agenda before meetings that regularly go off track • Ask what decision or result the meeting must produce • Replace complaints with specific questions that move work forward • Use your newness to surface assumptions others stopped questioning • Identify one recurring source of confusion and address it directly • Confirm priorities when multiple requests compete for your time • Document expectations so everyone is working from the same standard • Act before uncertainty becomes delay, frustration, or poor performance Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers working under vague or constantly changing expectations • Early-career engineers afraid to ask basic questions • Individual contributors frustrated by broken meetings and processes • Engineers who feel stuck, overlooked, or powerless at work • Emerging leaders who want to create clarity for others Why It Matters: Every day you remain confused is a day you are not fully executing, learning, or building trust. Clarity improves your energy because you stop wasting effort guessing. It improves visibility because your work produces stronger outcomes. It improves performance because you know what success requires. Your career moves faster when you stop accepting helplessness and start getting answers. Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  6. Jul 13

    Episode 163 - Nobody Cares Why You Didn’t Deliver

    Your technical skill will not protect your reputation when you miss expectations, communicate late, or bury people in excuses. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down why reliable engineers focus on outcomes, anticipate problems, and communicate before a deadline is already at risk. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for becoming the person leaders trust when the pressure is on. Key Topics Covered: • Why valid explanations still do not replace the expected result • How missed deadlines damage trust faster than most engineers realize • Why early communication matters more than a detailed excuse • The difference between explaining a constraint and hiding behind it • How to set realistic timelines before problems appear • Why leaders need clear answers, not a story about your workload • How poor preparation makes capable engineers look unreliable • Why anticipating questions is a core leadership skill • How ownership turns obstacles into better planning • What executives hear when you repeatedly say why something cannot be done Actionable Steps: • Communicate the moment you know a deadline is at risk • Give a new delivery date instead of a long explanation • Build schedule margin around predictable disruptions • Prepare answers before project reviews and leadership meetings • Anticipate the questions your boss, customer, or team will ask • Delegate work before vacations, travel, or competing priorities create delays • Separate facts, constraints, and next actions from emotional frustration • Ask for help improving the system instead of defending the failure • Track repeated obstacles and adjust future commitments accordingly • Make every update answer three things: status, next step, and timing Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers who are technically strong but struggle with follow-through • Individual contributors trying to build leadership credibility • New managers responsible for team deliverables • Overloaded engineers whose reputation is being hurt by late communication • Professionals who want to become more trusted, visible, and promotable Why It Matters: Your career grows when people trust your word. Energy affects preparation. Preparation affects execution. Execution affects visibility. Visibility affects opportunity. The engineers who advance are not the ones with the best explanations. They are the ones who anticipate problems, communicate clearly, and consistently deliver. Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  7. Jul 6

    Episode 162 - Your Talent Means Nothing If People Don’t Trust You

    Confidence and trust are not personality traits. They are built through repeated behavior. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down why engineers do not fail because they lack technical skill. They fail when they cannot consistently follow through, communicate clearly, and protect the trust others place in them. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for engineers who want more responsibility, stronger reputations, and real career momentum. Key Topics Covered: • Why confidence is built by keeping promises to yourself • Why trust is built when others see consistent follow-through • How small misses quietly damage your reputation • Why being late, unreliable, or unclear can limit your career fast • How missed commitments drain the “trust bank” • Why communication can preserve trust even when timelines slip • The difference between faking confidence and earning it safely • How engineers borrow trust from leaders, teams, and company brands • Why bigger projects are given to people who prove they can handle smaller ones • What it means to be a steward of your company’s reputation Actionable Steps: • Do what you say you are going to do • Communicate early when a deadline or commitment is at risk • Set realistic expectations instead of overpromising • Track patterns in what you commit to and what you actually deliver • Build confidence through repeated execution, not wishful thinking • Practice higher-risk skills in lower-risk environments first • Borrow trust by working closely with people who already deliver well • Ask why strong performers make certain decisions, set certain timelines, or ask certain questions • Treat every customer, supplier, and cross-functional interaction as a reflection of your brand • Make more deposits than withdrawals in the trust others have in you Who This Episode Is For: • Engineers who feel overlooked but may not realize trust is the issue • Early-career engineers trying to build credibility fast • Technical contributors who want bigger projects and more ownership • Engineers who struggle with follow-through, timelines, or communication • Future leaders who want to understand how reputation is actually built Why It Matters: Your technical ability gets you in the room. Trust keeps you there. Confidence grows when you prove to yourself that you can execute. Trust grows when others see the same pattern. If you want more visibility, better opportunities, and real leadership growth, you cannot treat reliability like a soft skill. It is one of the main reasons people decide whether to bet on you. Where to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share: If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

  8. Jun 29

    Episode 161 - The Work You Refuse to Let Go Is Keeping You Stuck

    If you want to lead, manage, or grow into higher-impact work, you have to stop doing everything yourself. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down one of the hardest transitions for engineers: letting go of direct control, delegating real work, teaching others, and accepting that people will not do it exactly the way you would. Not theory, practical, tactical advice for engineers who want to stop being the bottleneck and start building capacity. Key Topics Covered • Why technical skill alone will not move you into leadership • The real reason many engineers resist delegation • Why “they can’t do it as well as me” becomes a career trap • How taking work back prevents your team from learning • Why your frustration may be creating the exact problem you complain about • How to review poor work without destroying confidence • Why teaching is part of leadership, not an interruption from it • How to know when someone needs coaching versus when a harder decision is required • Why making yourself less needed in your current role creates room to grow • How delegation applies to managers, project leaders, and senior technical experts Actionable Steps • Identify the work you keep taking back and ask why you will not let it go • Delegate with clear expectations, deadlines, and quality standards • Review work like a coach, not like an angry critic • Ask whether the miss came from skill, effort, tools, priority confusion, or poor instruction • Teach through questions instead of immediately showing the answer • Let people use a different method when the outcome still meets the need • Build review cycles into the process instead of expecting perfection on the first pass • Debrief after repeated corrections and ask how to reduce future rework • Give people the chance to improve before deciding they cannot • Make it your goal to build people who can eventually outperform you Who This Episode Is For • Engineers who want to move into management but struggle to delegate • Senior individual contributors who are overloaded because they keep owning every detail • New managers learning how to teach without taking over • High performers frustrated by the quality of other people’s work • Engineers who feel stuck and cannot see how their own control habits are part of the problem Why It Matters The work you refuse to let go does not prove your value. It limits it. If every task still depends on you, your team stays underdeveloped and your career stays pinned to the same level. Leadership requires capacity. Capacity comes from teaching, delegating, reviewing, and letting other people build skill through real ownership. That is how you create room for bigger problems, higher visibility, and more meaningful impact. Where to Listen Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcasts Share If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth, just like the best careers do.

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Spreading awareness, success, and accessibility to the world of engineering to aspiring and early career engineers.

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