For more than two decades, Lukis Mackie served as an engineer analyst with the Department of Defense and provided solutions in areas such as strategic planning, weapon systems engineering, and milestone and budget execution. As deputy chief with the Systems Engineering Branch, he ensured that a $20 billion satellite system functioned properly. Lukis Mackie engaged in long-term budget planning and strengths assessment, and oversaw a system safety team responsible for satellite launch.
Mr. Mackie also has experience as a nuclear analyst and a nuclear research reactor operator. He revised the Defense Intelligence Agency’s (DIA) uranium enrichment calculator in ways that factored in enriched tails fed back into the nuclear production process. This revealed the capacity for producing an additional nuclear weapon. He also focuses on creating a “releasable matrix of indications” that the DIA employs to this day in assessing whether a country is seeking nuclear weapons.
Lukis Mackie’s background extends to a role as mission operations commander for UAV missions that provided support to combat troops across Iraq and Afghanistan. The overhead surveillance he delivered ensured the integrity of convoy operations and deployed units. Active in his professional community, he attended the 2023 United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM )Weapons of Mass Destruction conference.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
Typically, I wake up early and hit the gym: it starts the day off on a positive note and prepares me for whatever may come later. When work starts, I examine the tasks due for the day, week, and month—and possibly further out—and prioritize where my focus needs to be. My three main goals are to further the highest-priority tasks, avoid missing deadlines, and not have others waiting on my input. If I have free time, I think of my family and the fun things we’ll do when together, which motivates me to work harder, faster, and smarter.
How do you bring ideas to life?
By focusing on the desired end state and where the starting point is. Then I and/or my team brainstorm all of the theoretical ways to get from point A to point Z. No judgment, no wrong answers. Then we focus on three to five of the most probable pathways forward. I’ve found that the best solution is often a hybrid of two or more good proposals. Once a plan is solidified, we push forward, but remain open to the fact that unplanned variables could force course corrections throughout the project.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Technology which can help people overcome disabilities and injuries. Everything from biological matter transfusions which cure ailments to prosthetics enabling those with missing limbs to walk and grasp things again. Truly amazing.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Prioritization. If a multi-million dollar project needs to be completed in 30 days, or a multi-thousand dollar project must be done today, it’s probably okay to focus on the one due today. That smaller project could lead to larger ones in the future. However, prioritization also means not allowing that multi-million dollar task to wait until the last minute. If a new fire lands at your feet every day, sometimes it must be stomped out so you can focus on the higher priorities and larger projects.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Determine what your passion is and go for it, but be smart about it. Find a mentor. Build a network of like-minded and hard-working individuals. Live cheaply as long as you can. Save and invest whatever possible.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
That life would be better without social media. Seeing what people post online is like watching the highlight reel of an athlete. You see only the shots he or she makes, them in peak physical condition, all of their achievements. You don’t see the mistakes, the hours of practice, and the injuries. It provides a skewed view of how people actually live day to day.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
When you’re with your spouse and/or children, keep your phone in your pocket. Instagram and YouTube feeds are quick hits of dopamine that will be there when you’re alone and bored. Your time with your spouse—and especially your children—has a shelf life and when it expires you cannot get it back.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I strive to reset myself, often in solitude and with something that is what many would consider at least slightly unpleasant. Putting cold water on your body and face, jogging in the rain, and having a meal consisting of water and toast with nothing on it. Things which get me back to the baseline of how I used to live before I gained my current level of comfort.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Always produce something new. The difference between a small company versus a large one, and a large company versus a multi-billion dollar one, is production both in terms of quantity and the number of different products created and manufactured. This even applies to a single analyst working in a company. The more you produce, the more valuable you either are or at least appear to be. And right or wrong, that will make a difference.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Listening to the loudest person, not the smartest. It’s a trap many of us fall into: mistaking confidence for competence. The way I overcame this was not solely my doing. One evening the engineer being ignored stated that we needed to speak, and he laid out all the system issues that his boss, the loud one, had been claiming didn’t exist. The lesson I learned was how to better spot confidence masquerading as capability, and how to identify when a knowledgeable person is being intimidated into silence.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Anything that has to do with keeping children safe. The thought of something happening to your child keeps many parents awake at night, to the point where I’ve met parents who put iTag trackers in their kids’ sneakers. That’s a good idea, unless your child loses a shoe. But it gave the parent some sense of security. If you can think of a way to keep your kids safe—truly safe—parents would be very interested.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
When it comes to software, I’m a bit of a chameleon: it’s important to be able to adapt to a new company or a client’s preferred software. I also recommend that everyone gain proficiency in Microsoft Office. However, the software which helps me to be the most productive is probably not what you would expect: the calendar on my iPhone. There are many work trackers it can coalesce with, and it allows me to privately integrate personal items. While I cannot miss an important client meeting or deadline, I do not want to forget my child’s swim lesson, either.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Professionally, a new watch. I’ve always believed that a watch should be functional, but not flashy. Many others view watches as a status symbol. Image doesn’t matter when work needs to be done, but it opens the door. Personally, a playdate followed by dinner with some of my children’s friends and parents. The kids had a great time at a trampoline park and then enjoyed a meal together.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. It strongly reinforced how to prioritize and focus on the important tasks versus letting every issue carry the same weight.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
The Sons of Anarchy series. I watched the entire series last year and found it enticing for a number of reasons. First, the cast, setting, and writing allowed for a bit of escapism, which is the core of entertainment. Also, at the time I had a co-worker who was very familiar with biker culture who explained some nuances I would have otherwise missed, adding to the complexity and my enjoyment of the show. Lastly, it displayed both leadership and followership in an environment completely foreign to most of us, highlighting the rules and loyalty required to be part of a different culture.
Key learnings
- Start the day with exercise and a low-calorie, protein-filled breakfast. This will help you to focus on productivity and success related to your business, family, and personal goals.
- You will make mistakes and have failures. And you will apply for jobs and make business proposals and never hear anything back. Do not dwell on those instances. Learn and push forward.
- If you’re at home and your children or grandchildren ask you to play, do it now, not later. Unless you’re currently on the phone closing a major deal or answering a time-sensitive email, why not? Childhood once gone is gone forever.