Evan Hickok

Evan Hickok has over twenty years of experience designing and managing high-complexity systems in high-consequence environments. As a Systems Engineer and Program Manager, he has guided projects through every phase of the product life cycle—from concept, detailed design, transition to production, production, installation & activation, and operational support. A dedicated researcher of team dynamics, Evan focuses on building high-performing teams capable of delivering exceptional results in the most challenging environments. He shares his insights and frameworks in the Lighthouse Leadership newsletter, published almost weekly at evanhickok.com.

The iPhone Development Process: Demonstrate progress constantly

An early multitouch keyboard concept (U.S. Patent 7,694,231, Fig. 12G) illustrating the kind of design that won Ken Kocienda the “Keyboard Derby” Public-domain image,

When most people hear the word process, they think of something rigid — checklists, approvals, bureaucracy. It feels like the opposite of creativity. Creativity, after all, is supposed to be spontaneous and free. But the truth is, the best creative breakthroughs hide a process beneath it — a structure that channels imagination into form. The … Read more

The Power of Purpose: Connecting Personal and Shared “Why”

I’ve been thinking a lot about purpose—what gives us meaning lately. Sometimes purpose shows up in the hardest moments, like holding the hand of a loved one at the end of life. Other times, it’s as simple as answering a question at a cocktail party: “So, what do you do?” In both moments, the answer … Read more

How Bill Gates Learned Teams Outperform Individuals

Bill Gates believed in his individual talents over a team……until this happened. As a teenager, Gates thought genius was enough. He wrote entire systems alone — from a class scheduler at 16 to a traffic startup. But he took some time off in High School to work on the Northwest power grid at a company … Read more

Make Progress Visible: The Power of Transparent Processes

A simple blue-background graphic of a Kanban board with three columns. A hand is moving a pale yellow sticky note into the 'Done' column, which is marked with a yellow upward arrow. Bold white text above reads 'Make Progress Visible'

Transparency gives progress a “sound.” 🎧 This Topic on the Lighthouse Leadership Podcast Real stories. Hard lessons. No fluff. In physical work, progress is visible and audible. A carpenter building a house feels progress with every nail she drives into a timber. It has a sound. It is visual. Her team feels collective progress with … Read more

How Emotional Intelligence Stopped World War III: The Toughest Skill No One Talks About

Split-screen thumbnail showing Air Marshal C. Roy Slemon on the left in a Cold War-era military uniform, with green radar graphics and a red rotary phone in the foreground. On the right, a glowing digital map shows missile arcs across the globe. Bold title text reads: "How Emotional Intelligence Prevented World War III," with “World War III” underlined in red. A black banner at the bottom says, "The most hardcore, valuable, learnable skill on Earth."

I believe emotional intelligence is mislabeled as a “soft skill.” It sounds too much like “sensitivity” or “agreeableness,” but a display of emotional intelligence is actually tough as nails. In high-stakes environments, boardrooms and battlefields alike, emotional intelligence isn’t about being nice. It’s about knowing the role of emotions in decision making, and using that … Read more

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