The last newsletter I referred to the latest book I was reading, “Steel Toes and Stilettos,” by Shannon Karels and Kathy Miller, subtitled “a story of women forging a path in manufacturing management.” What “The Goal” by Cox and Goldratt was to the previous generation of manufacturing operations managers, this book should be for the next. A first-person (actually two first-people) account of how to communicate vision and build teams in order to achieve manufacturing transformation. The story also involves the personal challenges faced by leaders with family life and also challenges still faced by women in manufacturing leadership. Highly recommended.

I’ve listened to podcasts while exercising or driving for more than 20 years. The topics have varied from technology to management to health and fitness. For me, a great learning tool. Here are a few you might check out.

Leaders are Readers, or so I say on my new podcast. But they also listen to good podcasts. You can catch my podcasts or view them on my YouTube channel by clicking on the “ad” on my website. Here’s a podcast link: https://automation.libsyn.com 

In what’s called the tech world, sometimes they get confused over what is tech and what is not. Analyst Benedict Evans, on his podcast Another Podcast another-podcast.simplecast.com takes a look at Netflix, which recently suffered a dive in stock price. He argues that while it uses tech it is really a content company. 

Tim Ferriss interview with Tony Fadell of iPod and iPhone fame on investing in small companies doing good. Go to tim.blog, check out Fadell’s new book Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making  https://tim.blog/2022/04/27/tony-fadell-build/ Question from Fadell, “What big problems are you solving?”

A good discussion on Cloud technology and when you should use from HPE’s Michael Bird on his Technology Untangled podcast. https://www.technologyuntangled.fm'

Guy Kawasaki had Jim Weber, CEO of Brooks Running, with great business and marketing advice. https://guykawasaki.com/remarkable-people/ You don’t beat the competition, you win the customer. While I listened to the excellent Weber, I thought about the many executives who have talked to me about how they were going to beat Rockwell Automation or Siemens in the North American or European market. I have some first-hand experience with selling at the ground level. I always ask how they’ll reach the customer. They’ll mumble about just being so much better or the technology is so much better. Twenty years later, the incumbents have not been displaced. Get a reality check from this Remarkable People podcast.

From Kevin Kelley, author of some of my favorite books (see Out of Control) and founding editor of Wired, 103 Bits of Advice I Wish I Had Known https://kk.org/thetechnium/103-bits-of-advice-i-wish-i-had-known/

Gary