Leaders of the Pack

EXECUTIVES WHO LEAD THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY INTO THE FUTURE WILL HAVE TO BE MORE MULTIDIMENSIONAL THAN THEIR CURRENT-DAY COUNTERPARTS.

By Melanie D.G. Kaplan

Whether they’re leading troops across enemy lines or rolling out a new product from the factory floor, great leaders have much in common. They are effective communicators, visionaries, risk-takers and creative thinkers. The men and women who will lead the packaging industry to the next generation will have those qualities and then some.

But the job description of a strong leader for packaging operations has changed dramatically in the last few decades. Today’s leaders must have broader packaging experience, must operate effectively in a globalized marketplace, must keenly understand the ever-present and growing role of technology, and, perhaps most important, have a thorough knowledge of the complicated role of packaging line employees.

"Now, the competition is more intense, and the difference between success and failure will be made by subtle decisions that require the ability to see the pieces go together far into the future."

-- Ken Bloomfield, Tellico Harbor Consulting

Ken Bloomfield, president of Tellico Harbor Consulting, in Maryville, Tenn., believes that the classic MBA approach isn’t enough for those who will lead packaging companies in the future. “Now, the competition is more intense,” he says, “and the difference between success and failure will be made by subtle decisions that require the ability to see the pieces go together far into the future.” He predicts that packaging executives who help chart the correct strategic paths for new product development and marketing will be the ones who rise at their respective companies. “The days when the leader focused on cost control and productivity as the key ingredients to success are over,” he adds.

Ed Gerri, president of Digital Design Inc., in Cedar Grove, N.J., says that even thinking outside the box—one of the keys to strong leadership—has become more complicated for today’s bosses. It’s not just a matter of coming up with a product and hoping everyone can use it. “Most things are designed to solve customers’ problems,” he says. “An effective leader’s goal is to produce something that is super-reliable at a fair price.”

Recognizing and recruiting talent is one of a leader’s most critical jobs. And what made an attractive employee a few decades ago isn’t necessarily the best prospect today.

"Good leaders find people who offer a counterpoint."

-- Denise Holloman, General Mills

“We used to believe we’d get the next high school graduate who could come in and work on the shop floor for the next 30 years,” says Denise Holloman, director of manufacturing engineering for General Mills in Minneapolis, Minn. “That’s no longer the case. Now, instead of five or six people on a line each shift, you’re expected to have one person running a few lines.”

And, more likely than not, that person is trained in both engineering and design. “It used to be there were designers on the package and then there were the engineers,” says Walter Bohdan, owner of WB Packaging Consulting in Richmond, Va. “Now they’re looking for a person to do everything. It’s hard to find these people.”

Holloman says a good leader recognizes talent in a diverse number of people. “They see it even when it doesn’t necessarily show up in the same coat and hat,” she says. “They don’t follow a cookie-cutter formula.”

"It's a matter of finding what someone is uniquely good at and putting them in jobs that highlight that. "

-- Allison Kent, Hewlett Packard

Alison Kent, senior packaging manager for Hewlett Packard in Glen Allen, Va., agrees that an effective leader understands the unique contributions people make on a team and gets the most value out of their contributions.

“I have someone who works for me now who is the most creative person I’ve met in my life,” she says. “He loves getting a project that’s completely undefined, figuring out what needs to be done, laying out the framework.” Kent says she realizes that she needs to find new opportunities that require set up for this employee and then find someone else who is good at day-to-day operations. “It’s a matter of finding what someone is uniquely good at and putting them in jobs that highlight that,” she says.

"Leaders don't need to know everything. They just need to know the right person or company that does. "

-- Bob Collett, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co.

And a good leader also understands that he or she will have to rely on professionals outside the team, which means having a broad network of contacts is vital. “Leaders don’t need to know everything,” says Bob Collett, principal engineer at RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. in Winston-Salem, N.C. “They just need to know the right person or company that does.”

This is especially true for staying up-to-date in the fast-changing world of technology, whether it’s RFID or the latest control systems. “I don’t have all the answers,” Bohdan says, “But I’ve built a network of engineers and professors to help me.” When Bohdan is stumped on a new project, he calls one of his advisors, asks for their help and pays them a consulting fee. “You can’t afford to hire everyone to do this for you,” he says. “It’s impossible. So this is like having your own personal advisory board.”

But while surrounding yourself with in-house talent and experts on the outside, Holloman says savvy leaders take pains not to surround themselves with people who always agree with the boss. “Good leaders find people who offer a counterpoint,” she says. “There’s a propensity to look for heads nodding up and down. Instead, you want a leader who is comfortable with dialogue and challenge and who brings in other perspectives. That’s how you come up with the ultimate solution.”

Finally, strong leaders accept and even embrace failure: “Even when the project goes belly-up, they are willing to regroup and try again,” says Collett, who believes a positive attitude in these situations is critical.

Bloomfield says the best leaders he has met in the packaging industry have constructed a strategy in their mind and pursued it relentlessly. “They may from time to time make a mistake, but even then they don’t necessarily reject that approach out of hand, but rather look to see why it failed,” he says. “This ability to understand that a certain strategy should work and not be gun shy at the odd failure is most impressive to me.”

"It used to be there were designers on the package and then there were the engineers. Now they’re looking for a person to do everything. It’s hard to find these people. "

-- Walter Bohdan, WB Packaging Consulting

Although packaging leadership requires technical training—engineering, physics and general packaging—beyond that there are various theories about the experience a leader should have. Collett says a leader should have a broad range of experience, dealing with multiple companies as well as various product lines and industries. They also should have worked in enough positions that they understand the challenges and frustrations of people who work below them, he says.

Bloomfield adds that a successful leader will likely have an engineering background with some experience in packaging and technical product manufacturing, as well as some sales-related experience. “Certainly, it is critical to understand the market to define its needs, and there is no better way than to have had some experience,” he says. “A key criteria for a successful leader will be an understanding of all the aspects of their business. And that means a very well-rounded generalist.”

Melanie D.G.Kaplan is a frequent contributor to PMT.