Leadership – the Key to Revitalizing Manufacturing

This is article is part of a series of monthly articles produced by Harbour Results for PMA’s MetalForming Business Edge e-newsletter. Click here to view the full collection of articles.

Our mission at Harbour Results is to revitalize the North American manufacturing industry. We are passionate about helping small- to medium-sized businesses transform their operations. Since establishing the business 15 years ago, we have worked closely with manufacturers, associations and the government to improve the competitiveness of the industry we love. We created Harbour IQ to gather data and intelligence that can benefit manufacturers and help us advocate on behalf of them and use several different platforms to share business and operational best practices.

And now, more than ever before, we feel the future of manufacturing is in the hands of today and tomorrow’s leaders. There is an urgent need for North American manufacturing leadership to keep pace with the rapid changes in competition, economics and technology to compete in the global marketplace. 

We are at an inflection point where today’s leaders need to transition to the next generation of leaders – and, yes, we know this is easier said than done. We have visited many manufacturers that are struggling to create a succession plan and/or find the right people to trust with the future of their business.

In fact, it was this need for a transition and leadership transformation to invigorate the manufacturing industry that prompted us to write a book – Tradition Meets Transformation: Leadership Strategies to Revitalize Manufacturing.

We intentionally wrote it to share our hard-won insights, knowledge and experience with the next generation of leaders. We want to attract new talent to the industry – talent with new capabilities, drive, and technological expertise to encourage growth and sustainable performance.  

Scott Walton and Laurie Harbour of Harbour Results, Inc.

In the book, we walk you through the Improvement Process Wheel, sharing best practices, examples and stories to help current and future leaders drive business success. Starting with uncovering the possibilities of your business and transitioning through operations, labor, sales and technology, the book touches on every aspect of business. Additionally, we share insights on leadership transformation and shifting the manufacturing mindset to embrace the ever-changing economy, world and business environment. 

Our intention in sharing this with you is not to sell books – though we have included a link at the end of the article to preorder the book – but to encourage and inspire you to take time to reflect on your business. As 2024 kicks off, ask yourself what can be done today to impact tomorrow. Where are the gaps within your organization and what steps need to be taken to improve? There is no room for complacency for manufacturers because instability and business challenges are now the norm.  

Also, if we don’t act now and encourage the next generation to enter manufacturing by making it a better, more attractive place to work with a sustainable future, then the industry as we know it will dwindle away. And no one wants that to happen. But it’s not just the next-gen workers we need to influence, we need to reach their parents and school counselors. We must demonstrate to them that manufacturing is not a dinosaur industry, but instead offers worthy, technologically focused and enhanced careers. No one knows all that a manufacturing career can offer except those of us who live and breathe it every day. So, the responsibility lies on all of us to make a difference and spread the word about manufacturing.

Tradition Meets Transformation: Leadership Strategies to Revitalize Manufacturing will be available on January 30, 2024 (print, digital and audio). Use this link if you are interested in ordering a copy of the book today.