Hardware Podcasts

Servant Leadership in the Manufacturing Sector w/ Dan Erschen

The Manufacturing Executive · 10 Nov 2020 · 38m · Episode 22

What this episode covers

Dan Erschen, owner of Wisconsin Metal Parts, a contract manufacturer of metal parts and assemblies, explains how his personal battle with Multiple Sclerosis shaped his adoption of servant leadership. He details the operational benefits of this model, including attracting and retaining highly skilled talent by hiring for character and training for skill, and shifting power dynamics to support employees. Erschen also outlines practical steps for implementing this culture, such as using James C. Hunter’s 'The Servant' seminar, and discusses the challenges of converting 'power leaders' to this approach.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Wisconsin Metal Parts, Dye Concepts Inc., Dimeakers Manufacturing Inc., Lean Manufacturing Products Inc., Guerrilla 76
Also
James C. Hunter, The Servant

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 47m

    Hire Diverse Talent or Risk Going Out of Business Featuring Equity Machine Works Founder Justin Sherman

    Justin Sherman, founder of Equity Machine Works, explains why manufacturing companies risk going out of business by failing to hire diverse talent, citing a shrinking labor pool and a 95% male demographic in skilled roles like machining. He details his journey from a CNC machinist to launching a social enterprise that provides subsidized support (housing, food, transport) and registered apprenticeships for disadvantaged populations. Sherman argues that shifting from command-and-control leadership to person-centric, hybrid work models is essential to attract Gen Z and diverse candidates, noting that diverse companies show up to 35% better performance.

    Hiring & workforceLeadership, teams & culture
    7 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 46m

    160: Buying a Manufacturing Company and Reimagining Upskilling with Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindel Global Precision

    Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindel Global Precision, explains his strategy of acquiring a legacy machine shop and transforming it by investing in advanced CNC technology and a rigorous upskilling program. He details how Pindel shifted from low-value, multi-operation parts to high-complexity, single-operation machining, allowing them to capture more value through automation. Berrien emphasizes a 'hire for attitude, train for skill' philosophy, citing examples like promoting a janitorial worker to CNC operator, and discusses using AI tools like Otter.ai and ChatGPT to streamline training and administrative tasks.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringHiring & workforce
    8 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 8m

    From MBA To COO: Navigating EMS, Mentorship, And A New Leadership Model with Koh Young Europe COO Solin Ahmed

    Solin Ahmed, COO of Koh Young Europe, explains how an MBA holder navigated the technical SMT industry by shadowing 49-year veteran Harold and adopting a leadership model that pairs operations with sales. He details the transition from observing as a 'sponge' to becoming a trusted advisor, and the strategic partnership with Michael Zahn to bridge the gap between market signals and manufacturing capabilities. Ahmed also discusses the renewed energy at Productronica 2025 and the industry's need for mid-career talent ramps to address the 'missing generation' of engineers.

    Leadership, teams & cultureCareers & education
    5 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 28m

    How to Lead with Grit and Grace Featuring Ashleigh Walters

    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.

    Leadership, teams & cultureScaling production
    8 chapters

  • Product Startup · 29m

    120: People & Mindset at a Hardware Startup

    Karin Lindner, author of 'Make Manufacturing Sexy' and former Magna International employee, discusses the critical role of people and mindset in hardware startups. She explains how to bridge the communication gap between leadership and workers by hiring for resilience and passion, such as marathon runners, and building an 'upside-down' org chart that emphasizes servant leadership. Lindner also advocates for a positive, solution-oriented mindset, reframing failure as feedback and using 'dumb goals' (Dream-driven, Uplifting, Method-friendly, Behavior-driven) to maintain focus and attract talent.

    Leadership, teams & cultureHiring & workforce
    6 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Manufacturing Executive. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.