graduates tossing caps in the air

Dear Class of 2021 (And Leaders)

February 22, 2021

In a few months there will be the usual onslaught of commencement speakers, albeit this time on ZOOM, across the nation. Since I won’t be speaking anywhere, here is the advice I would give to graduates. It happens to be the same advice I would give to leaders. First off, read insatiably. Living in the […]

gauge measuring volts

Harshness Reflects the Hidden You

February 15, 2021

One of the my favorite weeks of the year is the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Work seems to wind down, while time with family winds up. Having three kids (9-7-4 respectively) our house was full of energy this year. Unlike other years, however, we had nowhere to go. This combination worked well […]

anxious woman gnawing on pencil

One Action To Save Time and Lessen Stress

February 8, 2021

Here is something I am working on to save time and lessen stress: Rather than having a conversation with someone in my mind, I am working on having it with them directly and in person. That’s it. Maybe you can relate to my issue, which is the issue of stewing over potential conversations with others. […]

photograph of abraham lincoln

Learn From History: Applying Lincoln’s Wisdom

February 1, 2021

More books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than any historical figure save Jesus Christ. So, there is not much I can add to what has already been said about our 16th President. What I want to do instead is apply one aspect of his wisdom to modern-day leadership. David Reynolds’ 2020 book, Abe: Abraham […]

boss and subordinate

Learn From My Mistakes: Confrontation

January 25, 2021

The other day I was walking through our plants and noticed that a few presses were running slow. In our business, a slow cycle hurts profitability and delays orders. It should always be addressed. Yet, when the Plant Manager walked up to me and asked how things were going, I did not mention the slow […]

colorful mural with believe spelled out

Learn From Our Success: Believe

January 18, 2021

My leadership in 2020 quite possibly pivoted on one, single conversation. While there were countless important conversations in 2020, one outweighed them all. It outweighed all the others because had it not happened, the door would have been shut to possibility. The conversation was one I had on ZOOM with my Executive Coach. It was […]

alex hoffer

5 Actions I am Taking For Civility

January 11, 2021

The last week has been momentous for America. Naturally, I found myself having several conversations during the week about what was transpiring. Therefore, I am pivoting from my original post for this week and writing this post on January 8th. To be sure, what follows is not about politics. In fact, I started taking these […]

woman typing on laptop in factory

3 Not So Obvious Reasons Why Manufacturing Matters

January 4, 2021

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, manufacturers accounted for 11.39% of the total output of the economy, and employed 8.51% of the workforce in the year 2018. Another 2018 study done by PRNewswire-USNewswire found that family-owned businesses create 78% of new U.S. jobs and employ 60% of the workforce (obviously this accounts for more […]

plan your year on tablet

Going Out With A Bang – The Annual Quit List

December 14, 2020

The New Year always brings endless possibilities for more. As a go-getter, I am always fired up to set new goals and take new ground. But, one can only take on so much. To that end, as a leader I want to always evaluate the tasks I am asking team members to do because I […]

small boy with mouth open astounded on black background

20 Minutes of Learning

December 7, 2020

Various studies have been done the last several years on how much time employees waste on social media in the workplace. One recently from a “staffing firm” found that workers waste an average of 56 minutes per day using their mobile devices for non-work activities. I am sure that you and I do not have […]