Episode 59 - "What Advancement Demands of the Person Leading It," with guest Stacey Eeman
Sound familiar? You're pushing your whole team forward in manufacturing, aerospace, or any high-pressure industry, and somewhere along the way you've quietly decided one of them is never going to catch up.
On this episode of Hardcore and At Ease, host Shelly Rood sits down with Stacey Eeman, Director, Industry Strategy at SME, for a conversation about leadership, change management, and technology adoption inside one of the most demanding industries in the country: aerospace and defense manufacturing.
This episode continues Season 2's look at the unwinnable situations leaders are still inside, not the ones they've already solved. Advancing anything, a team, a company, an entire manufacturing industry, never happens on one single timeline, and sometimes that means leaving someone behind, whether it's said out loud or not.
Listeners will hear the real numbers Stacey uses to describe who adapts, who struggles, and who simply doesn't come along, and why she refuses to let any of it turn her hard. The conversation also covers how a commercial pickup truck platform became a U.S. Army vehicle, and one small, specific move any leader can make this week with the person whose pace has been testing their patience most.
ABOUT YOUR HOST Shelly Rood is the host of Hardcore and At Ease and co-host of Veterans Radio. A former U.S. Army Reserve Captain of Military Intelligence and Distinguished Military Graduate, she spent years as a broadcast television executive before becoming a certified Business Coach and StoryBrand Guide. Shelly has candid conversations with leaders who haven't lost themselves, sharing proven strategies so listeners can choose to live a better story.
FEATURED GUEST Stacey Eeman is Director, Industry Strategy at SME, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the nonprofit association advancing North American manufacturing technology, talent, and workforce development. She has spent over 40 years in the manufacturing industry, from CNC machining to injection molding to inventing one of the first online Kanban systems, and now works at the exact intersection where aerospace, automotive, and national defense manufacturing collide. Connect: sme.org | advancedmanufacturing.org
WHAT DOES SME STAND FOR? SME stands for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, a 90-year-old nonprofit association representing manufacturers, educators, and professionals across North America. Its mission is to accelerate the adoption of manufacturing technology and build the talent pipeline the industry depends on, work that shows up directly in this conversation.
WHAT IS THE ISV VEHICLE? ISV stands for Infantry Squad Vehicle, a lightweight U.S. Army transport vehicle developed by GM Defense. It's built on the same platform as the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, a commercial truck, making it a real-world example of the commercial-to-defense pipeline discussed in this episode.
CHAPTER
00:00 Who Adapts to Change
00:49 Leadership in the Gap
01:22 A Cautionary Tale
04:47 Meet Stacey Eaman
08:25 SME and Smart Tech
16:56 Defense Manufacturing Reality
35:46 Closing Lessons and Challenge
IN THIS EPISODE LISTENERS WILL DISCOVER
- ✓ Why advancing a team sometimes quietly means leaving someone behind, and what to actually do about it
- ✓ The real percentages Stacey uses for who adapts, who struggles, and who never comes along
- ✓ What the ISV vehicle reveals about commercial manufacturers dipping back into national defense
- ✓ One small, specific move to make this week with the person testing a leader's patience most
TOPICS COVERED Manufacturing leadership, aerospace and defense manufacturing, workforce development, technology adoption, change management, Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), GM Defense, Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), Others Over Self®, Hardcore and At Ease Framework
RESOURCES & LINKS
Hardcore and At Ease Framework: https://www.OthersOverSelf.com
Macomb A&D Intel Newsletter: https://macombcountychamber.us18.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=794f0be43deedac8bc379a174&id=48431cb0b8
GM Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle: gmdefensellc.com
Book a Strategy Session: info@missionambition.org
Affiliate Disclaimer: Shelly only recommends products she genuinely uses. Full disclosure: https://othersoverself.com/affiliate-disclaimer/
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Mentioned in this episode:
Notion Design Group - Sites That Drive Sales
notiondesigngroup. com
"Violent Positivity," by Doug "Odie" Slocum
📍 www.violentpositivity.com
