Leadership is the process of doing things with and through other people.
I was reminded of that recently, in real time, as we hosted eight other injection molding companies at our facility.
As the group moved through our plant, I watched our VP of Operations lead a tour through five different stations across the facility. I listened as two of our plant managers explained our metric boards and shared the continuous improvement initiatives happening throughout the facility.
I watched our Director of Quality walk through our quality systems and initiatives. I listened as our automation leader explained how we are using robotics, mir robots, and automated packing cells to improve efficiency and consistency.
I observed our tool room team explain how we manage preventative maintenance and move countless injection molds through the department to keep production running. And finally, I watched two of our maintenance leaders showcase our power plant and explain how we keep the facility operating around the clock.
As I stood there, I realized something important:
My role was secondary.
And that is exactly how it should be.
It Isn’t About Being the Hero
Leadership is not about being the hero of the story. Leadership is about putting other people in positions to succeed. It is about building a team capable of performing at a high level without needing the spotlight to constantly point back to the leader.
In many ways, it reminds me of being a point guard in basketball.
The point guard’s job is to distribute the ball, create opportunities, and help the team score. Success is not measured by how many shots the point guard takes, but by whether the team wins.
That is how I increasingly view the role of a CEO.
My responsibility is to help put our team in a position to succeed — to create clarity, remove obstacles, allocate resources, and empower great people to do great work.
And on that day, our team absolutely delivered.
I left the event feeling incredibly grateful for the people we have at Hoffer Plastics. I was also reminded that I am not the hero of this story.
Our team is.