# S2E39 Processes For Life & Business, McDonalds Ideas, & Feel Good vs Real Good | Joel Williams

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2021-09-10
- Length: 54m
- Episode: 39
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/processes-for-life-joel-williams/

## Summary

Joel Williams, President at ILC Dover and former MIT/Harvard-educated engineer, shares personal and professional frameworks for leadership, time management, and self-definition. He discusses the distinction between 'feel good' and 'real good' work, the importance of a 'personal user guide' for team alignment, and using 'McDonald's ideas' to stimulate brainstorming. Williams emphasizes that failure is a necessary component of growth and that defining oneself beyond one's career provides resilience.

## Chapters

- [0:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi#t=49) Introduction and Guest Background
- [4:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi#t=246) Time Management and Prioritization
- [9:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi#t=555) Balancing Life and Stress Mitigation
- [14:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi#t=841) Teaching Principles and Learning Mindset
- [20:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi#t=1249) Networking and Relationship Building
- [25:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi#t=1524) Spotting Opportunities vs. Risk
- [28:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi#t=1700) The Personal User Guide and Leader Assimilation
- [31:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi#t=1896) McDonald's Ideas and Removing Barriers
- [35:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi#t=2117) Speed, Bureaucracy, and Team Politics
- [41:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-10-s2e39-processes-for-life-business-mcdonalds-ideas-feel-good-vs-real-good-joel-wi#t=2486) Self-Definition, Identity, and Failure

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- ILC Dover (company)
- MIT (other)
- Harvard Business School (other)
- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- McDonald's (company)

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- [How I Built Resilience: Live with Simon Sinek](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-23-how-i-built-resilience-live-with-simon-sinek) (How I Built This)
- [Books in the box redux](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-06-28-books-in-the-box-redux) (Oxide and Friends)
- [220 - Managing Oneself, Reflections and a New Series on ICH](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2025-12-31-220-managing-oneself-reflections-and-a-new-series-on-ich) (Let's Combinate)
- [DeepDive 1-on-1 Series: THE METAPHOR - Guest Rob Carl, Founder & CEO of Global NPI Solvers (14m32s)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/npi-sherpa/2026-02-03-deepdive-1-on-1-series-the-metaphor-guest-rob-carl-founder-ceo-of-global-npi-sol) (NPI Sherpa)

## Citing this page

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