Leadership is a critical component of success in the manufacturing industry. In this Q&A, we speak with Mike Wagner of the White Rabbit Group, an expert in leadership development, who shares practical insights and strategies to help companies cultivate effective leaders and improve their overall performance.
Q: Can you tell me about your background and how you reached your current position?
My journey has been unexpected. Twenty years ago, I founded White Rabbit after working as an Internet business strategist at Spindustry Systems. After my son graduated from Iowa State, he joined me, and together, we have been addressing leadership challenges and workforce development issues faced by client companies in Iowa.
Q: In your opinion, what traits make a great leader?
A leader’s willingness to meet regularly with each contributor reporting to them is essential. By committing to regular one-on-one meetings, a leader can become a student of their direct reports and enhance their capacity to contribute. This is the trait I consistently see in great leaders.
Q: Can anyone be a great leader?
The short answer is “yes”. The longer answer is that being a great leader is like learning any skill—it takes time and a commitment to work the processes that grow their direct reports. However, they must trust the process.
Q: When should a company begin formal leadership training?
We have observed intentional leadership development becomes crucial when a company reaches between 50 and 100 employees. At this point, a company may start to see a decline in quality, consistent process improvement, and increased difficulty retaining talented employees. This is the time to invest in intentional leadership development, as stronger leaders contribute to enhanced employee retention.
Q: How do you approach designing training programs for supervisors and leaders?
White Rabbit designs leadership training for any manager with direct reports. While many managerial skills exist, we focus on four that create the highest impact. Each behavioral skill is easy to understand but must be practiced to be effective. We believe that what matters most is not the training itself but the behavior that follows. That is how we measure the success of our engagements.
Q: What can supervisors do to build strong team relationships?
The list is short and deceptively simple. It includes regular one-on-one meetings, learning to lead with open-ended questions, asking great clarifying questions, and providing honest feedback with the sole purpose of improving future performance.
Q: Can you share a story from your training demonstrating its benefits to an organization?
One client was experiencing a 40% attrition rate among employees within six months of being hired. This was in a mission-critical department, so something had to change. White Rabbit led a pilot program with 14 supervisors from that department. The employee retention rate improved significantly as a result of our engagement. After the pilot program, we were asked to train every leader with direct reports within the company, which had 400 employees. Today, their CEO reports, “We will not hire a manager unless that person commits to regular one-on-ones with their direct reports.”
Q: What trends do you see in leadership development, and how do you stay ahead of them?
We will likely continue seeing a decline in workforce participation going forward. Combining this trend with low unemployment rates and an aging population raises a critical question: what will each company do to remain competitive? Companies with leaders who actively grow and develop their employees will be better positioned to attract and retain talent. A company will need exceptional leaders who prioritize employee growth to make this promise to potential employees. Strong leadership development and training will become more than a “nice-to-have”—it will be a “must-have” for any business that wishes to thrive and continue to exist.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to develop strong leaders within your organization, CIRAS is here to help. Our expertise and resources can guide you in creating effective leadership programs tailored to your needs.
For more information, contact Mary McGraw at mcgraw@iastate.edu or 515-231-4734.