When I walk into an underperforming plant, I expect the usual: bitterness, low trust, people going through the motions. I'm rarely disappointed. In that environment, I expect to hear management describe their own floor as lazy, pointing at guys barely out of their teens who "don't want to work." Picture a lazy kid on the shop floor at 1pm: leaning on a broom, phone in hand, doing just enough to not get noticed. Now picture him at 1am: video game controller in hand, hunched

The Uncomfortable Truth Behind Manufacturing's Leadership Crisis Every year, companies spend billions on leadership development: executive coaches, management training, accountability systems, values workshops. Yet, in facilities across the country, the same problems continue to occur: simple repeat errors, accountability complaints, machine downtime, poor morale and unfollowed processes. Looking at the outcomes, business leaders reach the same conclusion: leadership problem.

Complex initiatives tend to break at a fundamental level. Gall's Law: "A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work. You have to start over with a working simple system." This one is essential for the process designer in leadership and every leader is a process designer. When leading change, the temptation is to map out every detail