Manufacturing Leadership: Benefits of an Industrial Coach

Illustration of gear representing industrial manufacturing coaching

What Makes an Effective CEO?

Automaker and business magnate Henry Ford once said, “Businesses that grow by development and improvement do not die.” 

Leadership development is important in all businesses, and that includes manufacturing. Factories and other industrial companies rely on streamlined processes to train their employees, manufacture products, ensure worker safety, organize inventory, and sell to their customers. However, even the most efficient processes will break down if not supported by a culture of leadership development..

I’ve had the privilege of coaching business executives and their teams from a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing. Without a doubt, I believe that leadership training and development is the key to being an effective manufacturing CEO. 

Executive Coaching for Manufacturers

Too often, I see manufacturing executives stuck in the day-to-day operations of their industry, unable to take a step back and focus on the big picture: strategy, team building, hiring, management, communication, and, of course, leadership. With an industrial coach, manufacturing executives can implement new processes for developing a culture of leadership.

I like how Greg Mulder, one of the owners of Mulder Holding Company (a transportation company based in Holland, Michigan), put it when I asked him to describe the impact of strategic planning and leadership development on his business:

“It has given our company a more well-defined organizational structure. This clarification is now empowering other leaders at all levels within our company to be more effective. And it has allowed me to spend more time developing and pouring into our current and future leaders. I like to say it’s allowed me to work more on the business and less in the business.”

Traits of a Strong Manufacturing Executive

The best leaders in any industry have a mission. They build a strategy around that mission, assemble a team to carry out that strategy, and ensure that their mission truly serves their market.

Strong manufacturing executives know that investing in their employees is the most important thing they can do. Employees are what make up a company; if properly invested in, they will only increase the value of the company over time. A strong manufacturing executive hires employees that serve their mission and invests in their growth and development. 

Benefits of an Industrial Coach

Leadership Training for Manufacturing Supervisors

Manufacturing executives should look for opportunities to grow their own skills as well as the skills of their internal leadership team. A manufacturing CEO who is receiving executive coaching from an industrial coach can better lead and coach their own team of leaders.

Development for Production Unit Leaders

Steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie once said, “It marks a big step in a man’s development when he comes to realize that other men can be called in to help him do a better job than he can do alone.”

A culture of leadership in a factory or manufacturing plant—with the CEO leading by example—can result in leadership development for production unit leaders, assembly line leaders, and others in the company who may or may not have official leadership positions and titles. By investing in the leadership development of others on your team, you’ll go farther than you would alone.

Training for Manufacturing Companies

Manufacturing companies usually have to invest in training in a variety of ways, from safety and OSHA training to on-the-job technical training to ongoing skills training. An industrial coach can help you create a similar process for leadership development.

Part of the learning curve for any new hire at a manufacturing plant is to pick up on industry jargon and company shorthand. Similarly, leader development comes with its own vocabulary. An industrial coach can help you get up to speed on leadership lingo and create a process so you can get your entire team speaking the same language about leadership.

Get Started with Industrial Coaching

There’s a reason so many great leadership principles used in business today came from titans of industry like Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie. The best place to start implementing leadership training in a manufacturing plant or factory is in the chief executive’s office. An industrial coach can pour into a manufacturing executive so they can better lead their team to higher levels of efficiency and success. 

I offer both executive coaching and team coaching for companies in the manufacturing industry, as well as strategic planning services. I’ve seen the impact these services can have on manufacturing executives and their teams. To learn more about coaching or leadership development, please reach out to schedule a chat