62 Find Your Wisdom and Vision with W. Kevin Ward
Release Date: 04/06/2022
68 Your Employees Aren't Batteries: Growing Your Mindset to Show People They Matter with Josh Levin
Mindfulness Manufacturing
At Empowered Electric in Kanas City, Missouri, it’s all about people! That’s why I was so excited to welcome Empowered Electric CEO Josh Levin onto the podcast to talk about all the unique and amazing ways he puts his people over profit. In this high-energy conversation, Josh talks about how leaders in the construction industry and beyond can practice accountability, harness their passion, and focus on their organization’s culture to create an environment that encourages their team to show up. 0:37 – In some organizations, people are treated like batteries, which can be easily used and...
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67 Growing Employees into Family: 3 Tips for Using Connection and Empathy, P2 with Ziggy Blondeel and Ronny Ledoux
Mindfulness Manufacturing
Welcome to part two of my podcast with my father Ziggy Blondeel and his long-term team member Ronny Ledoux, who are sharing the stories and secrets they’ve learned over the many years they’ve worked together at Ziggy’s business, Blondeel Nursery. In this continuation of their conversation, Ronny and Ziggy talk more about they’ve built and maintained a successful connection, plus share how leaders across all industries can use trust and respect to create positive, productive workplaces where employees want to do their best possible work. 2:05 – When an issue arises, approach it with...
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66 Over 40 Years of Lessons and Connections, P1 with Ziggy Blondeel and Ronny Ledoux
Mindfulness Manufacturing
A great working relationship can last a lifetime! Just ask my father Ziggy Blondeel and Ronny Ledoux, the guests of this week’s podcast. Ronny has been an employee with Ziggy’s nursery business for over 40 years, and the two of them came onto the podcast to share the lessons they’ve learned together about handling conflict, building respect, and creating long-lasting connections. 2:30 – What can leaders do to retain their employees for a long time? 3:25 – Respect plays a big role in building strong relationships 4:30 – In times of disagreement, look for common ground 8:40 –...
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65 How Leaders Make Employees Their Family with Paul Younes
Mindfulness Manufacturing
During a recent visit to Kearney, Nebraska, I had the pleasure of staying at a property run by , where I observed how friendly and motivated all the staff members were, from the housekeeping staff to the employees at the front desk. To learn more about this positive environment, I spoke with owner Paul Younes, who shared some amazing insights about fostering employee relationships, creating a supportive workplace, and how leaders can learn to really treat their employees like family. 1:00 – The manufacturing industry can learn a lot from the hospital industry 1:20 – When everyone on the...
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64 Growing Your "Rubber Band Resilience" with Kathy Parry
Mindfulness Manufacturing
As a manufacturing leader, you’ve probably had emotional times where you’ve felt “stretched” like a rubber band. In this podcast, corporate energy expert Kathy Parry joins me to talk about why the stretch doesn’t have to be a negative thing. Using her background in both business and wellness, Kathy shares her favorite tips for how leaders and their team members can handle conflict, improve their communications, and learn when to take a step back instead of blowing up or burning out. She also shares more about how times of tension can encourage leaders to embrace their own resilience....
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63 Embracing Connections, Collaboration, and Even Competition with Thom Singer
Mindfulness Manufacturing
You probably know the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. But what does it have to do with manufacturing? A lot, according to this podcast with public speaker In this episode, Thom talks about the many ways manufacturing leaders and business owners can use empathy to build better relationships, foster collaboration, and ensure their current and former employee speak positively of them. He also shares some ways leaders can turn their employees into their company’s best ambassadors by promoting growth opportunities, encouraging connections, and embracing competition....
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62 Find Your Wisdom and Vision with W. Kevin Ward
Mindfulness Manufacturing
Sometimes, a chance meeting leads to great conversations! After having a random breakfast with W. Kevin Ward of WKW Consulting Services, I knew I had to have him on the podcast to talk about how he helps others seek wisdom and reach their greatest potential. In this episode, he shares his steps for getting off “autopilot” and intentionally seeking wisdom. He also talks about why leaders should have a vision and core values, and how manufacturing industry leaders can improve results and morale by strengthening and communicating their vision and goals. 2:07 – To seek wisdom, start off by...
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61 The Four Characteristics of Great Leaders, P2 with John Raymer
Mindfulness Manufacturing
Welcome to part two with John Raymer, a long-time manufacturing leader who now helps others revitalize themselves and their careers. Last time, John introduced his idea about the four fundamental characteristics of great leaders and focused on the importance of humility. In this episode, he talks about the other key characteristics—integrity, empathy, and challenge—and how leaders can grow and improve these characteristics to create efficiency, improve communications and morale, and act as an inspiration to their team. 1:00 – Integrity is vital to being a sought-after leader 1:11 – If...
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60 Show Your Team Who You Really Are, P1 with John Raymer
Mindfulness Manufacturing
People see who are you—even if you don’t! This is one of the favorite messages of John Raymer, a longtime manufacturing leader and this episode’s podcast guest. With a background at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, John now helps others revitalize themselves and their manufacturing careers through coaching, mentoring, and teaching. In the first section of this two-part podcast about the fundamental characteristics of great leaders, John shares how people learn everything, both good and bad, from their organization’s leaders—and how practicing humility can help leaders own their mistakes,...
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59 Breaking Down Barriers for Women in Manufacturing with Nicole Provonchee
Mindfulness Manufacturing
Even in the midst of the ongoing worker shortages, women in manufacturing are a massively untapped market. In fact, women only make a small percentage of the manufacturing workforce due to challenges like a lack of flexibility, barriers to leadership positions, and systemic cultural issues. In this episode, executive coach Nicole Provonchee from Bright Blue Consulting discusses some of the common barriers that women and other minorities often face in manufacturing environments, plus shares how people in leadership roles can change their practices and mindset to help cultivate female...
info_outline2:40 – Growing wise is the attention process
4:35 – We all tend to operate on “autopilot”
6:36 – Any role where you’re teaching and influencing others is a leadership role
10:09 – It’s all about finding a healthy level for yourself and taking intentional steps to manage yourself
10:49 – A big part of being a leader is leading by example
11:55 – The biggest challenge of being a leader can be listening to your own lessons and applying them
13:22 – If something goes wrong with your team, the first step is looking at yourself
16:00 – One big reason people feel like they’re on autopilot is that they haven’t given good consideration to their own vision
17:50 – Your vision should be a driving force in your life
18:39 – Once you find your vision, communicate it and surround yourself with people with a similar vision
19:34 – If it’s something you can do yourself, it’s not a vision!
20:04 – What’s the difference between a vision and a goal?
20:53 – The pursuit of vision is rarely a straight line
24:56 – If you express your vision well, others will want to be involved
27:28 – A core value is something that you cannot be talked out of
27:56 – There’s a need for more love and care in high-stress industries like manufacturing
29:03 – The beauty of wisdom is that when you see it, you gain many other things as a result
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