# Leading by Listening w/ Joe Molesky

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2021-03-30
- Length: 26m
- Episode: 42
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-30-leading-by-listening-w-joe-molesky
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-22acfcaa-93f8-453d-b7ad-b5d0f2eb2620

## Summary

Joe Molesky, Vice President of Operations at MultiSource Manufacturing LLC, discusses why traditional 'canned lean' tools often fail and argues for a leadership approach rooted in listening to customers and leveraging employee strengths. He illustrates this with the story of his uncle, a millwright whose creative ideas were dismissed by management, leading to a career-long focus on people-first leadership. Molesky details how MultiSource and previous companies like Landscape Structures succeeded by aligning production systems directly with customer-defined value, such as configurability, rather than forcing generic methodologies onto the shop floor.

## Chapters

- [1:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-30-leading-by-listening-w-joe-molesky#t=64) Introduction: Joe Molesky and MultiSource Manufacturing
- [2:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-30-leading-by-listening-w-joe-molesky#t=174) The Millwright Story: When Managers Say 'Don't Think, Just Make Parts'
- [6:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-30-leading-by-listening-w-joe-molesky#t=369) Why Canned Lean Tools Fail and the Key Moment of Truth
- [12:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-30-leading-by-listening-w-joe-molesky#t=733) Landscape Structures: Reducing Lead Time from 32 Days to 16 Hours
- [19:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-30-leading-by-listening-w-joe-molesky#t=1181) Strength-Based Leadership: Identifying Pioneer, Promoter, and Creator Roles
- [22:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-30-leading-by-listening-w-joe-molesky#t=1367) Diagnosing Resistance: Is the Team or the Leader the Problem?

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- MultiSource Manufacturing LLC (company)
- Landscape Structures (company)
- Gorilla 76 (company)
- Cold Spring (company)
- Tenant Company (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [165: Unlocking the Full Potential of Frontline Operations, Lean Manufacturing, and Industry 4.0 with Natan Linder, Co-Founder & CEO of Tulip](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-12-26-165-unlocking-the-full-potential-of-frontline-operations-lean-manufacturing-and) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [293: Manufacturing Leadership That Works with Author and Geislinger CEO Jason Woodard](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2026-06-23-293-manufacturing-leadership-that-works-with-author-and-geislinger-ceo-jason-woo) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [225: From Enterprise Engineering to Owning a Small Manufacturing Business Featuring Amorphic Brewing Founder Ron Hockersmith and a BROADcast For Manufacturers, Live from Milwaukee, WI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-02-25-225-from-enterprise-engineering-to-owning-a-small-manufacturing-business-featuri) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [On-Demand Labor, Operations, and Finding a Co-Founder with Veryable CEO Mike Kinder](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-09-21-on-demand-labor-operations-and-finding-a-co-founder-with-veryable-ceo-mike-kinde) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [S7E7 Mike Romance | Industry 4.0, Production Transfers, & People-Centric Leadership](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-02-13-s7e7-mike-romance-industry-4-0-production-transfers-people-centric-leadership) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

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