We live in a society that tends to react to the latest threats found in the most recent news cycle. A terrorist boards a plane in Paris in 2001 with an explosive in his shoe, and passengers must remove their shoes before boarding planes for decades. A sociopath enters an elementary school in Connecticut in 2012 and shoots whoever crosses his path. As a result, school design is forever changed to incorporate security features that were not imagined decades earlier. Did we not know this could happen? …

In December 2017, renowned structural engineer Leslie E. Robertson delivered a presentation at the annual Connecticut Structural Engineers Coalition holiday event entitled The Structure of Design. While many in the audience were expecting a retrospective on Mr. Robertson’s long career of technical innovation and fascinating tales about the design challenges that he has faced, instead the presentation focused on the importance of building relationships and being willing to assume leadership on one’s projects, in one’s profession, and in life. …