High-Leverage Engineering: Multiplying Your Impact
Series: The Effective Engineer by Edmond Lau
Welcome to the final post in my series on The Effective Engineer by Edmond Lau.
So far, we’ve explored how to prioritise effectively, leverage tools, iterate quickly, and measure what matters.
Now, let’s bring it all together by looking at the concept that ties everything in this book and this series into one powerful idea: leverage.
What Is Leverage?
Leverage is the ability to produce more output for the same input.
It’s what allows you to create lasting, compounding value instead of one-off wins.
In engineering, leverage comes from systems, automation, documentation, and people — anything that continues to create value even when you’re not actively working on it.
As Edmond Lau puts it, leverage means “maximising your impact by directing your energy where it has the highest return.”
Types of High-Leverage Work
1. Automation
Invest time once to eliminate recurring manual work.
Every script, test, or pipeline you build saves hours, not just for you, but for everyone on your team.
2. Documentation
Good documentation multiplies your impact by enabling others to act independently.
Write things down once; save others from asking the same questions forever.
3. Mentorship
Teaching is one of the highest leverage activities an engineer can do.
Helping a teammate learn a new skill or system compounds your impact across their entire career.
4. Knowledge Sharing
Whether it’s blog posts, internal guides, or tech talks, sharing what you learn creates ripple effects far beyond your own work.
5. Continuous Learning
Every new skill or perspective you gain increases your future leverage.
The time you invest in yourself is never wasted, it expands what you can accomplish later.
My Experience
Some of the highest-impact work I’ve done wasn’t about shipping code — it was about building systems and people.
Automating our deployment process, creating onboarding guides, and mentoring junior engineers saved our team countless hours and improved quality long after my direct involvement ended.
That’s the essence of leverage: you invest once and the results keep paying off.
Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Leverage
Quick wins keep momentum high, but long-term leverage compounds exponentially.
The most effective engineers find balance — they deliver results today while building systems that will save effort tomorrow.
Ask yourself regularly:
- What am I doing today that will make future work easier?
- How can I help others be more effective?
- Will this decision create value that lasts?
Actionable Tips
- Invest in automation. Eliminate repetitive pain points.
- Document as you go. Write it once, save it forever.
- Mentor and share. Multiply knowledge across your team.
- Learn deliberately. Build skills that expand your future options.
- Reflect regularly. Ask, “Where is my time creating the most leverage?”
Wrapping Up the Series
Becoming an effective engineer isn’t about working harder, it’s about working smarter and with intention. Each principle from this series builds on the last:
- Prioritize what matters.
- Leverage tools and automation.
- Iterate quickly and learn continuously.
- Measure your impact.
- Focus on high leverage work that compounds over time.
By applying these principles, you’ll create more value, grow faster, and make a lasting impact on every project and team you touch.
Thank you for following along and if you haven’t yet, I highly recommend reading The Effective Engineer yourself. It’s one of those rare books that changes not just how you work, but how you think.
Stay curious. Stay effective. And keep building leverage.