Where does leadership come from?

No secret formula exists for creating leadership. Not even Colonel Sanders could whip together enough ingredients to patent a leadership recipe.

Leaders, the good ones anyway, all share key attributes, like self-confidence, creative thinking, and the ability to delegate tasks to those further down the pecking order.

Leaders inspire others to follow them, which usually is a good thing. But wayward, haphazard, or lazy leadership can be dangerous for any organization. Just ask the men of the British 4th and 13th Light Dragoons, 17th Lancers, and the 8th and 11th Hussars … better known as the Light Brigade.

Its charge -- made famous by a Tennyson poem -- was a blueprint for disaster, with poor communication and grievances among the commanders leading the Brits into the Valley of Death.

It gives a stern warning: Leadership performed poorly isn’t leadership.

In the Canadian manufacturing sector, leadership takes a hit every time a senior-level worker retires. It’s creating not only a skilled trades gap in general, but it’s also leaving a gap at the very top of the industry.

No silver bullet will solve this, either. It needs careful consideration followed by action.

Grooming internal candidates for management and leadership roles is a good place to start. Doing this keeps tribal knowledge in-house and is a good way to reward qualified employees for their long service.

At Canadian Metalworking it is our mandate to write about the technologies, shops, and, most importantly, the people who can make a difference in our industry. Therefore, in 2018 we are actively seeking out the next generation of manufacturing leaders. In the December issue we will profile some of the young people making a difference in Canada’s metalworking sector.

The Next Gen Leadership Awards are meant to honour the skilled young people who are driving the Canadian metalworking, fabricating, and welding industries forward. We hope that you will nominate talented individuals from your own company, as well as the companies you supply. We welcome nominations from all areas of the metalworking, fabricating, and welding industries, including machinists, designers, programmers, fabricators, welders, and metrology experts.

To nominate someone for a Next Gen Leadership recognition, visit www.canadianmetalworking.com/mfgleaders to fill out a nomination form. Honourees will be featured in the December 2018 edition of Canadian Metalworking and our sister publication, Canadian Fabricating & Welding.