# How to Lead with Grit and Grace Featuring Ashleigh Walters

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2022-03-01
- Length: 28m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-03-01-how-to-lead-with-grit-and-grace-featuring-ashleigh-walters
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Ashleigh Walters, President of Onex, Inc., discusses her journey transforming the culture of the half-century-old industrial furnace manufacturer from a command-and-control model to one based on trust, problem-solving, and employee ownership. She details the implementation of lean tools like value stream mapping and Kata to foster a 'freedom to fail' environment, and explains the strategic decision to transition Onex into an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) to ensure its longevity beyond the founding family. Walters also shares insights from writing her book, 'Leading with Grit and Grace,' emphasizing the importance of leadership resilience and the challenges of succession planning.

## Chapters

- [0:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-03-01-how-to-lead-with-grit-and-grace-featuring-ashleigh-walters#t=50) Defining Grit and Grace and Onex's History
- [6:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-03-01-how-to-lead-with-grit-and-grace-featuring-ashleigh-walters#t=372) Overcoming Command-and-Control Culture
- [8:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-03-01-how-to-lead-with-grit-and-grace-featuring-ashleigh-walters#t=501) Building Trust and Plant Floor Engagement
- [10:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-03-01-how-to-lead-with-grit-and-grace-featuring-ashleigh-walters#t=637) Making Change Fun and Value Stream Mapping
- [13:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-03-01-how-to-lead-with-grit-and-grace-featuring-ashleigh-walters#t=789) Implementing Kata and Freedom to Fail
- [15:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-03-01-how-to-lead-with-grit-and-grace-featuring-ashleigh-walters#t=953) Transitioning to an ESOP
- [18:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-03-01-how-to-lead-with-grit-and-grace-featuring-ashleigh-walters#t=1121) Succession Planning and Future Growth
- [22:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-03-01-how-to-lead-with-grit-and-grace-featuring-ashleigh-walters#t=1357) Writing the Book and Leadership Lessons

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Onex, Inc. (company)
- Leading with Grit and Grace (other)
- Eco asks (company)
- Kata (tool)
- Pennsylvania Center of Employee ownership (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [From Employee-Focused to Employee-Owned w/ Ashleigh Walters](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-03-21-from-employee-focused-to-employee-owned-w-ashleigh-walters) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Managing the Challenges of Leadership Transitions w/ Jon Summers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-10-01-managing-the-challenges-of-leadership-transitions-w-jon-summers) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [A 100-Year Manufacturing Journey: Navigating Change While Honoring Legacy w/ Matthew Feldman and Mike Feldman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-02-10-a-100-year-manufacturing-journey-navigating-change-while-honoring-legacy-w-matth) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Servant Leadership in the Manufacturing Sector w/ Dan Erschen](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2020-11-10-servant-leadership-in-the-manufacturing-sector-w-dan-erschen) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [From Lifestyle to Growth Business: 5 Key Transformations w/ Jason Pace](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-06-13-from-lifestyle-to-growth-business-5-key-transformations-w-jason-pace) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

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