Conductor to Navigator: The Leadership Shift the Industry Needs

It’s easy to get caught up in the mindset of being a train conductor. Your daily objectives are to keep the engines gassed up, and the schedules tight. With additional goals of keeping the day-to-day operations gliding along without going off the rails, especially in today’s print and graphic communications world, all of these things matter. Customers expect their schedules to be met, and your team to perform small miracles on demand. Face it, that’s the business we’ve all chosen.

But here’s what the snag comes in: If leaders stay focused on the tracks all day, no one is looking ahead. Who’s going to notice that curve coming or the storm on the horizon. And who will take notice of the entirely new destination the passengers are quietly expecting us to reach. In the world we live in where technology and customer expectations evolve each quarter (or daily), leaders have to be the navigators too. And without a good navigator, chances are things won’t end well.

This is where a longer view can help. Start the process simply with a six, nine, or even 12-month view. This does not have to be a long-term plan carved out in stone. Just far enough to have a clue as to what the clients will expect, before they expect it. Today’s print buyer may not know that the way they communicate is about to change, but strong leaders work to sniff out these signals long before the purchase order hits the inbox. Be curious about how your clients make money and how the work you produce for them plays into that, and you’ll have a running chance of staying ahead.

Looking back, think about how QR codes came about. They were once the punch line of most marketing jokes and now are practically the secret handshake between physical and digital worlds. Customer needs change at the speed of… well customers. And they never send a courtesy email ahead of time, saying heads up, our expectations will be doubling down next quarter. They simply show up one day, wanting more, faster, smarter, cheaper, and oh by the way, personalized.

The best leaders have their heads and a swivel. That's right, being in at least two places at once–monitoring today’s deadlines and anticipating tomorrow’s demands. That means intentionally making time to watch these trends, analyze what their clients are doing, talk to their vendors and competitors (the friendly ones anyway), and ask how all these inputs will shape the next chapter of their business.

Another skill these leaders possess is the ability to communicate a vision that stretches beyond just getting the jobs out. They excel at rallying their teams around where the business is going, not just where it has been. They talk freely about what the clients are asking for, and what they might ask for, and ask how the team can stay ahead of that curve.

Having everyone involved and engaged is very important to these leaders. They work to create a culture where learning isn’t a special event but rather expected. They build organizations that are both flexible and curious. And most importantly, they help each employee understand their role in the bigger picture. Face it, people want meaning in what they do. They want to know that their daily work is connecting to future success, not just today’s checklist. And yes, this requires discipline. And it requires time that feels impossible to carve out today. And finally, it means letting go of the comfort in today’s urgency, long enough to think strategically.

The companies that embrace the shift will be the ones that shape the market rather than chase it. Get your team together and begin charting that next route. Anticipate the next destination and make sure the team is ready long before the passengers even know what they want. That’s the difference between surviving the next year and owning it.

Mike Philie helps owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry validate what’s working, identify what needs to change, and create a practical path forward.

PhilieGroup | mphilie@philiegroup.com | LinkedIn

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.