3 Leadership Qualities We All Need!

To say I was nervous is an understatement!  

 It was my first day with a new company and I was asked to meet with the President/CEO.  I waited outside his office, anxiously awaiting my first meeting with “the man”.  His door opened and he invited me in with a friendly smile.  

I quickly surveyed the office and was surprised by what I saw.  Many of the offices in the building were lavishly decorated and had the newest a most corporate looking furniture that could be found.  These other offices were occupied by middle managers and even some VP level folks. One of the offices even had a hydraulic desk that would allow the occupant to stand or sit depending on his mood and comfort level for the day.  This CEO’s office was different.  I remember it vividly.  His desk, was an old, but sturdy, conference table, his single monitor was a small 17” screen propped up on 2 unused phone books to provide a more ergonomic fit.  His chair was the same as every front-line worker in the office (probably something that could be found at office depot for $30 bucks or so).

I don’t recall the specifics of our first meeting, but I do remember the thoughts and feelings I had when I left his office.  I recall 3 specific things that day that I learned about great leaders.  Before I get to the 3 things I’d like to add that my CEO, now friend, Rick Porritt was, on that first day and ever since, a model of a great leader.  Here are the 3 items I learned that day about leadership:

1. Things/Tools/Brands don’t make a leader – Rick wasn’t interested in the newest, fanciest technological tools nor the creature comforts that often time associate with C Suite leaders.  Rick was concerned about the people that worked beside him.  Our meeting was nothing more than a check-in with a new employee.  He was cordial, kind and accepting.  He understood that a name-plate with the title CEO on it doesn’t bestow leadership but rather leadership and is what created the opportunity for him to become a CEO.
2. Humility provides a medium for leadership – Rick, to me, demonstrated his inner humility on that first day and every day thereafter.  He truly wanted to know my opinion and more importantly let me work to resolve my own issues.  He didn’t have the need to dictate actions, but provided direction and a listening ear which has made him and those around him very successful.
3. Time matters – Each employee really wants to talk and bounce ideas off of their leaders.  Rick, although very busy, ensured that he met with each employee on a regular basis.  He believed and lived the principle that every employee matters and deserves my time.

I am grateful for my “first visit” with Rick.  In those few minutes I learned a great deal about leadership and what it requires.

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DuVall J Laws is the Director of Information Technology at Partners In Leadership. DuVall has managed in the Insurance, Banking, Healthcare and Leadership Training Industries.  DuVall holds a B.S. in Information Systems from Utah Valley University and an M.B.A from the University of Redlands.

Don't Drown Your Problems

WARNING!
Inventory Rapids

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In manufacturing, inventory is often compared to water flowing through a riverway.  It's up to you to decide what kind of river it represents in your organization. 

 

 Far too often, companies have the appearance of a smooth flowing operation, simply because they have drowned their problems with far too much inventory.

 

Purchasing excess raw materials, producing too much work-in-process (WIP), stocking extra finished goods, and using more space than is needed are just a few examples of how some companies appear to be well managed, but in reality are simply burying a variety of problems with unnecessary inventory.  In addition, though rarely considered "inventory", excess personnel is another common trick used in manufacturing to give the appearance of a well planned operation.

 

It is the obstacles below the surface of a river that prevent it from running smoothly.  

 

When the level of the water rises, the turbulence of the river disappears.  But, rising river levels are rarely an event people look forward to.  And thus it is with manufacturing.  Increasing inventory does not remove the production obstacles.  It only buries them.  This trend often slowly continues until, without warning, a financial flood occurs.

 

Alternatively, you can lower the level of the river water, and still maintain a smooth surface, so long as you identify and remove the obstacles as you go.  Manufacturing, again, is no different.  Slowly decreasing your inventory (raw material, WIP, finished goods, space, people) will undoubtedly reveal some issues.  So stop, fix the issue, and continue in your inventory reduction efforts.  Avoid the temptation to repair the issue by increasing inventory.

In the case of inventory control, companies should be trying to push inventory onto their customer or back on their suppliers.  And their customers and suppliers should be doing the same thing.  As a result, the purchasing/buying negotiations begin.  For me, I have always enjoyed this component of Operations Management.  I have been involved in numerous inventory reduction programs that have been executed successfully, without hindering production one drop.  In fact, inventory reduction has always resulted in a steady increase in both throughput and profitability (even when I turn-down discounts if I were to purchase in higher quantities).

Inventory management will define your corporate river.

• Poorly managed inventory, like the River Styx, can be the boundary between you and the manufacturing underworld.
• Alternatively, The Danube River in Central Europe is calm enough to host riverboat cruises lasting up to several weeks in duration.  Properly managed inventory is key to increasing throughput and profit simultaneously.

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R. Dru Laws is Vice President of Seljan Company in Lake Mills Wisconsin, the Chair of the ARM (Association of Rotational Molding) Education Committee, a member of the ARM Board of Directors, and a global contributing editor to RotoWorld Magazine. Dru has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University, and an MSc in Polymer Engineering from the Queens University of Belfast.