Manufacturing Greatness (Build Teams That Work Together, Get Results, and Stick Around)

What if the best people are already working for you?

Manufacturing is under pressure like never before, facing tariffs, rising turnover, and disruptive technologies, all contributing to a growing labor shortage. Finding and retaining a reliable team seems impossible, and yet “deliver results” is the constant drumbeat. In Manufacturing Greatness, twenty-five-year manufacturing veteran Trevor Blondeel offers you a practical leadership framework to bring out the best in your people.

In a 2026 North American study, more than eight in ten workers said they had experienced or witnessed basic leadership failures at work. Manufacturing leaders can make the biggest difference on safety, quality, and profits, yet we are failing to develop their skills.

There’s a solution. The industry needs leaders who can connect, communicate, and drive accountability to engage their team and achieve results. Blondeel shows you how to leverage the resources you already have in your plant to
- achieve stronger engagement from a team who respects you,
- reduce safety incidents and quality issues, and
- hit deadlines and targets without the chasing.

You can accomplish these goals with the Manufacturing Greatness Model, which identifies the three gaps that undermine trust and performance: the Showing Up Gap, the Expectation Gap, and the Accountability Gap. By identifying and closing these gaps, you will make better decisions, replacing judgment with curiosity.

Written for owners, CEOs, plant managers, and frontline leaders, Manufacturing Greatness offers field-tested methods and proven strategies to help you build high-performing teams, lead with confidence, and create a business that thrives.