Mastering Engineering Leadership Passes the 1,000 Downloads Milestone!

When I started the Mastering Engineering Leadership podcast, the goal was simple: create a few episodes to serve as direct assignments for my engineering leadership course.

I didn’t expect it to evolve into a scalable, evergreen resource, one that now fuels open-access learning, delivers real-world insights, and supports a growing community of learners and leaders.

What You Might Not See from the Outside

I didn’t build a fancy studio.
Instead, I designed for what is call PECS—Preferable, Enjoyable, Convenient, Sustainable (more on PECS below). Zoom, a mic, and a genuine interest in my guests have been enough to get started and keep going.

I reused proven formats.
The structured interview format came from my Executive MBA experience at MIT Sloan, which I’ve also used to write two interview-based books.

I chose consistency over perfection.
Rather than obsessing over flawless production, I focused on showing up regularly and building meaningful conversations.

What Surprised Me

• It’s fun (for me and the guests).
  Over 80% of my guests say “this was so much fun” before we even stop recording.
• It’s mentally demanding.
  Deep listening, crafting intentional follow-ups, and drawing out actionable leadership lessons in real-time takes energy. I’ve learned to avoid scheduling back-to-back interviews.
• Students love it.
  Podcasts give them flexible, engaging access to expert voices. Many say they prefer this format over live guest speakers (some of whom, they’ve told me, can be a little dull—their words!).
• It’s building real community.
  People reach out after hearing familiar names or discovering new insights. It’s sparked follow-up conversations and collaborations I never anticipated.

A Reflection of My Educational Philosophy

The podcast has grown far beyond its original intent. It now represents my core beliefs about teaching and leadership:

• Open access
• Lifelong learning
• Real leadership stories

About PECS: A Philosophy Worth Sharing

PECS is a concept I borrowed from my online fitness coach, Jay. His philosophy is that consistency matters more than doing the “perfect” thing. So we design PECS-aligned routines—preferable, enjoyable, convenient, and sustainable—to ensure I stick with them.

I found this mindset so powerful that I now teach it in my Engineering Leadership: From Concept to Execution course, especially during the module on building action plans that actually work.

In fact, my students ranked that lesson in their Top 5 for the entire course.

Keep learning. Keep leading.
– Angelique

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