Historical Projects explores iconic achievements like Hagia Sophia, the Library of Alexandria, and Cologne Cathedral to uncover timeless lessons in vision, leadership, and collaboration. Host David Jenkins and fellow technical professionals reveal how these stories become blueprints for modern project success. Join the community and be part of the journey where history meets leadership.
Historical Projects
Claim This Podcastby David Jenkins
21 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
Historical Projects explores iconic achievements like Hagia Sophia, the Library of Alexandria, and Cologne Cathedral to uncover timeless lessons in vision, leadership, and collaboration. Host David Jenkins and fellow technical professionals reveal how these stories become blueprints for modern project success. Join the community and be part of the journey where history meets leadership.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/6/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 28, 2026
Battle of Austerlitz_Full podcast
<p>The Battle of Austerlitz—often called The Battle of the Three Emperors—is widely regarded as Napoleon’s finest victory. But behind the cannons, cavalry, and fog lies a deeper story: a project executed with extraordinary precision.In this episode of Historical Projects, <strong>David Jenkins</strong> <strong>and guest</strong> <strong>David Matthews unpack how Napoleon transformed a singleday in December 1805 into a strategic masterpiece that reshaped Europe.</strong></p><p>David Matthews brings personal insight from visiting the battlefield and decades of experience in engineering,operations, and teaching. Together, they explore how Napoleon trained his army for years, moved them across Europe with unprecedented speed, gatheredintelligence, manipulated enemy perceptions, and used terrain and timing to devastating effect. The Allies, overconfident and misaligned, walked directly into the trap Napoleon had engineered.</p><p>The conversation then shifts from history to modern leadership, revealing powerful lessons for today’s project managers and executives:</p><p>David and David connect these insights to real project experiences—misaligned priorities, drifting intent, timing failures, and the courage required to stop a project that no longer serves its purpose.</p><p>Whether you’re fascinated by military history, strategic thinking, or leadership under pressure, this episode offersa rich, engaging exploration of how a nine‑hour battle continues to teach timeless lessons about clarity, preparation, communication, and decisive action.</p><p>•<strong> Preparation builds capability </strong>— Napoleon’s army succeeded because of years of disciplined training.• <strong>Know your environment</strong> — reconnaissance then, stakeholder analysis now.• <strong>Timing determines success </strong>— a perfectly timed strike at Pratzen Heights mirrors the critical timing of modern project execution.• <strong>Beware overconfidence</strong> — success can create blind spots and new risks.• <strong>Communication shapes perception</strong> — Napoleon influenced allies, enemies, and his own troops; leaders must do thesame with stakeholders.• <strong>Strategic alignment matters</strong> — the Allies invested heavily in the wrong priority, a mistake still common in organisations today.</p><p>David and David connect these insights to real project experiences—misaligned priorities, drifting intent, timing failures, and the courage required to stop a project that no longer serves its purpose.</p><p>Whether you’re fascinated by military history, strategic thinking, or leadership under pressure, this episode offersa rich, engaging exploration of how a nine‑hour battle continues to teach timeless lessons about clarity, preparation, communication, and decisive action.</p><p></p><p><br></p>
July 21, 2026
Battle of Austerlitz - Teaser
<p>Welcome back to Historical Projects – A Community podcast, exploring project success and leadership, and a teaser for our upcoming full episode. </p><p>I’m your host, David, and today we’re stepping onto a r</p><p>This is the Battle of Austerlitz, often called the Battle of the Three Emperors, and we’ll look at it not just as a military clash, but as a project: one with a clear purpose, a defined timeline, complex stakeholders, and a legacy that still shapes strategic thinking.</p><p>To help us unpack this remarkable story, I’m joined by DavidMatthews, originally an engineer, then operations manager, who now teaches physics and mathematics to secondary students.</p><p>He brings a passion for history and a wonderful ability to connect the past to the challenges we face in modern leadership and project work.</p><p><br></p>
July 14, 2026
Empire State Building_Full podcast
<p>What if one of the greatest construction achievements in history wasn’t built in a time of prosperity… but in the middleof the Great Depression?</p><p>In this episode of Historical Projects, we dive into the story of the Empire State Building — a skyscraper that rose atfour and a half floors per week, a pace so unbelievable you have to hear it to believe it.</p><p>And joining me is Associate Professor Tillmann Bohme, who brings sharp insight, supply chain expertise, and asurprising personal connection to this iconic project.</p><p>We start in late 1920s New York — a city locked in a skyscraper race. The Chrysler Building had just claimed the crown.40 Wall Street was close behind. And then… the Empire State project appeared.</p><p>Right as the economy collapsed.</p><p>Most companies were retreating. But this team pushed forward, believing that building something extraordinary could itself be a message of hope.</p><p>In Tillmann’s own words: “The purpose wasn’t just height. It was hope… a declaration that even in the hardest times,people could still build something that reached for the sky.”</p><p>From there, the story becomes almost unbelievable.</p><p>Construction began in March 1930. 102 stories completed in 1 year and 45 days.</p><p>At its peak, more than 3,000 workers were on site every day — immigrants, Indigenous ironworkers, tradespeople moving in perfectly choreographed sequences. Steel beams arriving daily. Riveters sealing joints. Electricians and plumbers just a few floors behind.</p><p>Fast track construction… before the term even existed.</p><p>And Tillmann brings a modern lens — including the time a PhD student once pulled him deep into the building’s supply chain brilliance.</p><p>In Tillmann's own words: “I was fascinated by the construction management approach… how the lean philosophy wastranslated into construction way ahead of its time.”</p><p>We also explore the building’s second life — from cultural icon to sustainability case study — and the fun details that make it human:</p><p>And yes — Tillmann even shares what he’d do on his first trip to New York.</p><p>If you love history, engineering, leadership, or stories that prove humans can build extraordinary things even inthe hardest times… You won’t want to miss this episode.</p><p>The Empire State Building: Built Against All Odds. This is just the beginning.</p><p></p>
21 total episodes available
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