143 Beyond the Hammer: Transforming Manufacturing Leadership with Brian Gottleib

05/14/25 • 26 min

In manufacturing, many leaders try to use the same tools to address different problems. But just like a hammer won’t work for all projects around your house, your routine leadership approach might not work for all your team members. This means you need to go “beyond the hammer” and find ways to have deeper interactions with your team.

The hammer analogy comes from Beyond the Hammer: A Fresh Approach to Leadership, Culture, and Building High Performance Teams by Brian Gottleib. In this episode, Brian shares more about the lessons and insights in Beyond the Hammer, plus offers actionable insights manufacturing leaders can use to grow their relationships, create deeper connections, and improve culture in their organizations, from the top to the shop floor.

1:18 – Beyond the Hammer is an approachable, actionable book which uses a parable format to make a positive impact on leaders 2:38 – A leader’s mood and presence directly shapes their team’s culture and performance 3:34 – As a leader, be aware of the tone you’re getting for the rest of your team 6:24 – The ceiling of a business is limited by the ceiling of the people 8:56 – For true growth to occur, you need to focus on relationships and understanding how each team member’s work connects to a larger goal 12:10 – Be honest about your priorities and save time for self-growth and reflection 17:13 – To form relationships, your one-on-one conversations need to be deep and intentional 18:33 – Make your employees feel valued and they’ll be less likely to leave your organization 22:14 – While performance can be copied, culture cannot 24:05 – When teams believe in themselves and each other, it creates a stronger and more positive culture

Connect with Brian Gottleib Visit his website Connect on LinkedIn Buy Beyond the Hammer – Brian recommends checking out the audiobook for a more personal connection Read my book report on Beyond the Hammer

Previous Episode

142 HR Partnerships in Executive Coaching with Kristin Rivait and Joe Carrothers

When there’s a leadership shift in a manufacturing organization it leads to major change—and brings its own unique challenges like new team dynamics, cultural shifts, and general growing pains. With the right approach, a change in leadership can also lead to valuable opportunities for growth.

Just ask Joe Carrothers and Kristin Rivait from SWT Group. Joe is the president of SWT Group who moved from being the CFO to being the president of the organization, and Kristin is SWT Group’s HR director who worked closely with Joe during this unique leadership transition. In this story-filled episode, Joe and Kristin give a peek behind the scenes of SWT Group’s leadership transition. They give a honest look at both their success and struggles, offer insights on building trust and advocating for a stronger culture, and share why curiosity and patience are the keys to turning a leadership transition into an opportunity for transformative change.

1:07 – Some leaders struggle with being results-focused and being seen as unapproachable by teams 2:02 – During a time of transition, executive coaching can be a valuable tool 2:54 – How do you quantify the ROI of people-focused initiatives? 6:15 – If you want to grow and learn, you need to be willing to have tough respectful conversations 8:26 – Shift away from pre-formulated answers to truly listening and responding 11:17 – Patience and curiosity are key ingredients to a strong partnership 16:29 – When there is transparence and humility at the top of an organization, it contributes to a more accountable and open culture 18:00 – By being present on the floor as a leader you create a stronger sense of unity and collaboration 21:51 – It is important to be your authentic self and build true relationships with your team 28:13 – In times of leadership transition, practice patience and perseverance

Connect with Joe Carrothers and Kristin Rivait

Learn More about SWT Group