In the world of manufacturing, the machines may run the show – but it’s the people who truly power the business. And according to leadership expert Jim Mayer, the success or failure of a manufacturing organization often comes down to one critical factor: the visibility and authenticity of its leaders.
Mayer, the founder of the Manufacturing Connector platform and host of the popular Manufacturing Culture and Work But Make It Human podcasts, has seen firsthand how weak or absent leadership can trigger a downward spiral he calls the “Industrial Brand Death Cycle.”
“If that CEO, if that top level leadership is invisible, then nobody knows what the organization stands for, which leads to the culture being weak itself because again, nobody knows what anything stands for and that leads to the employees disengaging and not being part of conversations, not being part of the recruiting efforts or the branding efforts or the marketing efforts,” Mayer explained on a recent episode of the Manufacturing Executive podcast.
The result? Customer distrust, stagnant growth, and a revolving door of short-lived leaders. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Mayer believes that manufacturing leaders have the power to break this cycle by embracing visibility, vulnerability, and good old-fashioned shop floor presence.
It starts with modeling the very behaviors and values leaders claim to expect from their teams. Too often, Mayer argues, manufacturing leaders are promoted for their technical skills without being equipped with the necessary leadership chops.
We take the best welder, the best assembler, the best carpenter, the best HVAC, whatever, and we make them a team lead or a leader or a frontline leader, whatever they’re called. And we give them zero skills, zero help, zero development in those leadership abilities, a lot of times we hear them say, our people are our greatest asset, but they don’t listen to them. They don’t support them.
The antidote is as simple as it is powerful: be present. Get out on the shop floor and engage with the people who are doing the work. Highlight their contributions and celebrate their milestones on social media. Take a stand on the industry issues that matter. In short, be a leader that employees can look up to.
Mayer shared examples of manufacturing leaders who are getting it right, from scrappy job shop owners like Chris Carlson of Pureless Precision to thought leaders like Paul Akers of FastCap. What they all have in common is a commitment to authentic communication and employee engagement that permeates everything from LinkedIn posts to company newsletters.
For manufacturing leaders looking to cultivate a culture of trust and empowerment, Mayer offered some practical steps to get started:
- Evaluate your company’s mission, vision, and values – and if employees can’t recite them, it’s time for a rewrite with their input.
- Audit your own leadership behaviors. Are you walking the talk or just paying lip service?
- Talk to your employees directly to uncover pain points and opportunities. Skip the fancy consultants and start with real conversations.
- Start small with simple, no-cost actions rather than grand gestures. As Mayer put it, “None of what I do or any other coach, consultant, or trainer facilitator, we’re not talking about anything new. It’s not revolutionary, it’s not novel, it’s not rocket science.”
The bottom line? In an era where employees and customers are craving authentic connection, manufacturing leaders can’t afford to stay hidden away in the corner office. By embracing visibility and vulnerability, they have the power to create cultures that don’t just survive, but thrive.
To hear more of Jim Mayer’s hard-won leadership wisdom, check out the Manufacturing Culture and Work But Make It Human podcasts, or connect with him directly at www.themfgconnector.com.
