Leadership in Manufacturing

A quick introduction. I’ve worked at several companies including Marathon Oil, Whirlpool, Honda, JCI, and Yanfeng in various roles including R&D, costing, and new product launch. 

I’ve been working in the automotive manufacturing industry for 14 years now. Today, I’m working in engineering management launching new interior products as a tier 1 to nearly every automotive OEM. 

For this article I was asked, “What does it mean to be a leader in manufacturing?”

My response is that leadership in manufacturing is no different from leadership in life. It is a choice to adhere to a set of values regardless of what you are doing, where you are, or who are with.

I’ve been fortunate to have had leadership training from an early age. In Scouts BSA, I learned several core values- trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, and friendliness, to name a few. 

It takes patience and courage to stand up to others and push for what you believe in.  Standing up despite the majority rule and doing so in a way which inspires others to come along with you is much easier said than done.

The ways I’ve pursued this are by:

● Always treating others with respect

● Asking lots of questions

● Listen to others with vigor

● Giving credit where credit is due

● Speaking with reasoning based in data

People are less likely to engage when an idea is forced upon them. You can inspire teams to action by providing a clear and concise problem statement. Don’t tell your teams how to get there. Focus on what drives the need for action- the why and not the how. Even if you have something in mind for the how, avoid it, at least initially.

“It takes patience and courage to stand up to others and push for what you believe in.  Standing up despite the majority rule and doing so in a way which inspires others to come along with you is much easier said than done”

I’ve found that the solutions provided under these circumstances come quickly and with ample options. While helping to sift through the options, the resolutions found are often better than the answer I initially had in mind. This is how you empower teams and drive the business.

Similarly, when you come across an idea that is at first glance bad, instead of saying an idea is bad, ask questions.

For example:

● How would this proposal address timing constraints? 

● What will we do for early builds? 

● How can we reduce waste?

People are often quick to react to negative feedback by shutting down. Asking questions and attacking the problem instead of the person will keep the conversation going. 

At Honda, I came across a concept- the pursuit of the ideal. It’s the idea that brainstorming should be done without restrictions. Throw away concepts of money, time, product specifications, etc. Focus on what is the best way to accomplish the task with minimal effort. 

This concept frees up the brainstorming process and opens to the door to ideas that might not have been there otherwise. 

The same should be done when working with others. Some of the best ideas have come from combining several options that at face value or standing alone were insufficient or inadequate.

I find myself making fast friends and driving projects in the right direction when adhering to these rules and interacting with others.

Today I lead my manufacturing teams at work, Cub Scouts BSA as a Cub Master for Pack 3043 in Holland, MI, and my family, by doing my best to live my values in daily life.

I leave you with a few of my favorite quotes. Not sure who said them, but I strive to abide by them.

● Always support your team in public, regardless of whether or not they are right

● Keep it professional, you never know who you might end up working for

● If everyone in the room is agreeing, no one is thinking

● Don’t discount unsolicited feedback

● Never stop learning

Wishing you and your family all the best!