Staying Plugged in on the Shop Floor | Executive Sessions Podcast
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In this episode of Executive Sessions, John Stewart, MiddleGround Capital’s Founding and Managing Partner, sits down with Scot Duncan, MiddleGround Founding Partner and COO, and David Dressman, Founding and Managing Partner at Banner Management Consulting, to explore what it really means for leaders to stay plugged in on the shop floor. With decades of experience across Toyota and global manufacturing operations, they discuss how leadership distance from daily operations can slow problem-solving and erode trust inside an organization.
Scot and David share practical lessons on building Gemba routines, setting clear expectations, and creating a culture where leaders engage directly with operators to understand conditions beyond the spreadsheets. They highlight why showing up with purpose and following through on what you learn are essential to driving alignment in an organization. This episode reinforces that strong leadership starts with seeing the work where it actually happens.