What leads to sustained high performance in manufacturing? Is it the mentality of the management and the workforce in the factory that matter most? Or has it more to do with better equipment purchases and new technology adoption? More or less, all these factors contribute to the manufacturing success, but sustaining high levels of performance is more about leadership than training or using the latest problem-solving tools and techniques. Behind the performance of every manufacturing plant is the plant manager who mobilises the involvement of others in creating and realising a compelling vision with a clear product and technology strategy. In fact, the importance of the plant leader as a role model for manufacturing success was one of the conclusions of a global benchmarking survey of a few manufacturing plants all over the world, which summarised the plant manager’s role as to create an environment in which people feel free to experiment and take risks.
