Make the Call and See What Happens

Have you heard of Servant Leadership? If you’ve been reading my column for any amount of time, I’m quite sure you’re aware of it. Meeting the legitimate needs of others is the center of it all. It’s not about being a slave but more about choosing to be there for others and taking a genuine interest in them.

I just discovered another term for Servant Leadership. It’s called Lean Manufacturing. One company, Barry-Wehmiller, is a leader in Lean Manufacturing.  Barry-Wehmiller owns many manufacturing companies, including one right here in Green Bay, Paper Converting.

Barry-Wehmiller’s slogan is “We build GREAT people who do EXTRAORDINARY things.” In Paper Converting’s case, the slogan is not “We build great machines that do extraordinary things.” This company gets it. Machines do nothing without people! I received a copy of a DVD that shows Barry Wehmiller’s CEO Bob Chapman talking about its philosophy, what it looks like inside and the results. Amazing!

If you haven’t decided yet to take a genuine interest in the people you serve… why? Let’s be greedy for a moment. What if I gave you a guarantee? What if I guaranteed that if you took an active interest in getting to know your associates better by asking for their input on projects and getting them more deeply involved in issues that your paycheck would increase by 30%. Now would you do it?

More and more companies are showing amazing returns when they practice their form of Servant Leadership. I called Bob Chapman’s office and asked if I could interview him for my radio show, Monday Mastermind, on WTAQ here in Green Bay. Guess what he said? Yes! We are working on details as to when. Have you ever wanted to learn from someone successful but were too afraid to make the call?

Let me tell you, I take anyone’s call who wants to learn. That’s what a
Brander-In-Chief does. We relied on people to help us on our journey and still do and we want to give back. Make the call, introduce yourself and learn.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Who will you call today?