I still remember my first day as a shift supervisor—nervous, excited, determined. That day sparked a journey that has now led me to launch my own coaching and consulting practice. Over 20 years in manufacturing leadership, including 9 as a Plant Manager, taught me that integrity, stewardship, and putting people first are what sustain performance. I was never the loudest leader, but leading quietly earned trust, partnership, and results. One experience stays with me: stepping into a leadership role at a plant under real pressure. I realized I didn’t need to have all the answers—I needed to create space for my team to bring theirs. By listening, asking the right questions, and working through struggles together, we turned things around. That’s the essence of coaching in manufacturing: not providing easy answers, but being the partner who helps leaders uncover their own—and find the confidence to lead through the storm. This is why I’ve launched 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. My mission is to support manufacturing leaders in the challenges I once faced: 🔸 Transitioning from engineer to manager 🔸 Building strong successor pipelines 🔸 Raising engagement on the shop floor 🔸 Turning leadership training into measurable results If you’re building your leadership bench—or if you’re a leader navigating these challenges—I’d love to connect. Drop me a message or visit my company page: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eUyHr74x #ManufacturingLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #EngineerToManager #SuccessionPlanning #EmployeeEngagement #PeopleFirst #LeadershipExcellence

I’m pleased to share a personal milestone on my coaching journey: I have been accredited by EMCC Global at Senior Practitioner level. 🌍 This step reflects not only professional development and supervision, but also the many inspiring conversations with leaders who continue to shape my practice. A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who has supported, challenged, and trusted me along the way — mentors, supervisors, clients, and colleagues. 🙏 If you’d like to exchange thoughts on leadership development or the impact of coaching in your organisation, I’d be delighted to connect. #EMCCGlobal #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #ManufacturingLeadership #ContinuousLearning

Anyone involved in hiring — arguably the pivotal stage of the employee life-cycle — will find Prof. Kets de Vries’ article below essential reading. Before we apply his advice, however, we should clarify what we mean by an “A-Player.” Exceptional performance can spring from many sources: technical mastery, passion, mental agility (often a mix of all three). More important, an A-Player’s value is relative to the existing team; sometimes a gap-filling slice of expertise or social intelligence outweighs raw brilliance (including capabilities the team leader may lack). Effective recruitment therefore starts with a diagnosis of what the team still needs to reach its goals. Once those gaps are clear, competence-based interviews can verify that a candidate’s behaviours align with the organisation’s values and close those deficiencies. Whether a dysfunctional team can be rehabilitated through coaching alone—without “firing everyone and starting from scratch”—is a question for the specialists. But beginning with an A-Player who complements the team’s weak spots remains the healthiest recruiting strategy. I’d love to hear where you think we still miss the mark and which tools or processes you find most effective for spotting real talent. For additional food for thought, I’ve linked Episode 3 of The Economist “Boss Class” series — “Recruitment: Testing, testing” — in the comments (subscriber content).

Want to boost engagement, develop leaders, and keep goals alive in your plant? Forget the marathon annual appraisal. Start with consistent, meaningful 1-on-1 conversations. In this article, I share what worked for me and why this simple habit has outsized impact.

Mein erster Schritt vom Ingenieur zur Führungskraft? Ein spektakuläres Desaster. Ich war überzeugt, dass Technik und Fleiß reichen würden. Nichts lief so, wie ich es mir vorgestellt hatte. Und genau daraus habe ich meine wichtigste Lektion gezogen. Ich habe damals vieles falsch gemacht – und genau das hat mir gezeigt, was wirklich zählt.