The Stockdale Paradox in Engineering Leadership
Effective engineering leadership isn’t static—it moves between optimism and realism. Here’s how to find your team’s resonant frequency.
Hey System Thinker,
Ever notice how engineering leadership swings between extremes?
One week, you’re rallying the team with unshakable optimism—vision, possibilities, endless momentum. The next, you’re drowning in brutal reality checks—deadlines, setbacks, cold hard constraints.
But what if these swings aren’t a bug, but rather a feature of effective leadership?
Here’s what we’ll explore:
Leadership as a wave function
Finding your team’s resonant frequency
Amplifying positive oscillations
Let’s dive in.
The Leadership Wave
Leadership isn’t static—it oscillates between optimism and realism, creating a natural rhythm in team dynamics.
Too much optimism? Teams disconnect from reality, get overconfident, and lose grounding.
Too much realism? Momentum slows, innovation dies, and morale takes a hit.
The real magic happens when leaders learn to oscillate between these states at the right frequency—in sync with their team’s needs.
Resonant Frequency
Every engineering team has a natural frequency where performance peaks.
High-performing teams can handle rapid oscillations—tight deadlines, intense challenges, fast retrospectives.
Growing teams need slower cycles to build confidence, stability, and trust.
How to tell if you’re in sync?
Team energy aligns with leadership swings.
Productivity peaks become predictable.
Recovery from setbacks feels natural and steady.
If your team is constantly off-balance, your oscillations are probably out of sync.
Amplitude Control
Once you find your team’s frequency, the next step is controlling the amplitude.
Too much swing? Leadership feels chaotic, and the team experiences whiplash.
Too little oscillation? The team stagnates—neither energized nor adapting.
How to fine-tune amplitude?
Create deliberate cycles of vision-setting (optimism) and reality-checking (realism).
Use data and feedback to adjust your oscillation range.
Ensure enough optimistic energy to drive innovation, but enough realism to ensure execution.
Conclusion
Engineering leadership isn’t about balance—it’s about mastering the oscillation between optimism and realism.
By understanding your team’s natural frequency and fine-tuning your leadership amplitude, you can create a sustainable rhythm that fuels both innovation and execution.
So ask yourself: What’s your team’s natural frequency?
And how can you adjust your leadership oscillations to match it?
Cheers,
Thiago V Ricieri
System Thinker @ Systematic Success
Engineering Manager, Apps @ Pluto TV / Paramount Global
Founder @ Ghost Ship & Co.
Digital Nomad @ Threads, X.com, Instagram, LinkedIn, GitHub, Website
PS… If you liked this, check out my breakdown of how mental models spread through engineering teams—some go viral, others die off, and a few become endemic. Read it here.