> Good work does not speak for itself, it needs a shitload of people to speak for it.
Good work does speak for itself. The work speaks directly to other like minded engineers who "get it" and spread the word.
Nobody in authority needs to do any selling or mandating for the kind of work and the kind of person Rands is talking about here.
Authority may not have to sell or mandate for that person to get their work done but supporting good ideas and effective people is what authority should be doing.
Those types of ideas and projects have no need for the approval of authority. They are their own authority.
If a person in authority ends such a project or idea then the engineering culture at that organization is so completely broken the best path is to leave.
Edit: I wish I had access to ones more like yours.