đź“Ť By Lisa Lind, Founder of Glimpec

When a plant struggles, the first instinct is often to add more rules.

More checklists.


More reports.
More control.

The intention is good: to create structure.
But too much control doesn’t create excellence. It creates compliance.

And compliance alone won’t win in an environment of constant change.

👉 Operational excellence requires ownership, not just obedience.

In my 20+ years leading operational teams, I've seen this over and over:

  • Plants with more procedures but less initiative.
  • Leaders managing systems but not growing people.
  • Teams doing what they're told—but not thinking ahead.

The best performing plants aren’t the ones with the most rules.
They are the ones where people feel safe to think, safe to act, and safe to improve.

🧭 Leadership isn’t about tighter control. It’s about creating clarity and trust.

If you want better results, ask yourself:

  • Are we building problem-solvers—or checklist-followers?
  • Are our procedures tools for learning—or tools for blaming?
  • Are we empowering teams to adapt—or just telling them to comply?

🛠️ Take action

This week, choose one team meeting or shift briefing.
Instead of giving instructions, ask these two questions:

  1. “Where do you see risks today?”
  2. “What ideas do you have to improve how we work?”

Listen deeply. Encourage ideas. Act together.

Because leadership is not about creating more control—
It’s about creating more leaders.

🙌 Want to keep building stronger operations through smarter leadership? Follow me on LinkedIn for weekly insights and practical tools!