Happy Sunday

Thank you for being part of the Leadership in Manufacturing community, now more than 4,500 leaders across electronics, manufacturing, and supply chain.

Most leaders will work in more than one kind of organization across their careers. A startup. A division of a large company. A growth-stage business. Each one operates differently: different speed, different risk tolerance, different definitions of what autonomy actually means. The mistake many leaders make is bringing the same playbook to every environment. The leaders who do it well are the ones who understand what changes and what does not.

In Episode 137, Chris Lanier, Managing Director, Americas at Exein, shares what he has learned doing exactly that, from Microsoft to Exein, across five continents and 25 years of building global teams.

Ready to grow?

Here are 3 insights, 2 quotes, 1 practical tip, and 1 challenge to help you lead more effectively, regardless of the environment you are in.

🔍 Three Insights on Leading Across Organizational Environments

I. Autonomy Without Judgment Is Just Risk

Large organizations build guardrails into the system.

Remove those guardrails and every decision lands harder.

The freedom to move fast is valuable. But only if the person moving fast knows when to slow down.

Autonomy does not come with built-in discipline. The leader has to bring it.

II. Trust Given First Creates Better Outcomes Than Trust Earned Over Time

Full trust from day one. Not conditional. Not probationary.

Assume positive intent, give freedom with inspection, and only recalibrate when a specific behavior warrants it.

When you pay for expertise, withholding trust is expensive.

It is not naïve. It is a leadership choice.

III. In-Person Time with Global Teams Compounds Over Months

A 2.5-hour car ride. Film. Art. Music. Work.

One conversation changed the quality of every remote call that followed, for months.

In-person time is not a perk. It is infrastructure.

One moment of real human connection changes everything that comes after it.

💬 Two Quotes to Reflect On

“I like to assume positive intent. So you get my trust out of the gates, you have to mess it up for me not to trust you.”

– Chris Lanier, Managing Director, Americas, Exein

“Leadership is not about the environment you're in. It's about the choice you make inside it.”

– Sannah Vinding, Engineer | Product Marketing Leader | Host of Leadership in Manufacturing

✅ One Actionable Tip For You

Start With Trust, Inspect With Intention

When you bring a senior hire onto your team, begin the relationship with full trust, not a performance period. Then use regular, low-friction check-ins to stay informed without micromanaging.

This week, before your next onboarding conversation or team check-in, ask yourself: am I withholding trust because I have a real reason to, or because it is just habit?

If it is habit, try changing the default. Extend trust first. Keep visibility. Adjust only when you have a specific reason to. That shift alone changes how quickly new team members contribute, and how they feel about working for you.

🎯 One Challenge For You

Audit the Environment, Not Just Your Performance

Where are you leading right now, and does your approach actually fit the environment?

Take five minutes this week and ask: is my current leadership style calibrated to the org size and culture I am actually in, or am I still running the playbook from my last role? What needs to shift?

The answer may be smaller than you think. But naming it is the first step to leading more effectively where you are, not where you used to be.

Vision gets you moving.

Humility keeps you honest.

The leaders who last usually have both.

Take me to Episode 137

If there is a leadership topic you would love to hear more about or a voice you think we should feature, I would love to hear from you. Just reach out.

I am grateful to have you as part of the Leadership in Manufacturing community.

Stay curious.

Stay focused.

Keep leading forward.

Sannah

Sannah Vinding Engineer | GTM, Growth & Product Marketing Leader, Host of Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast  leadershipinmanufacturing.com/hello/

P.S. Chris's 25-year-old son said something about work, passion, and how he is choosing to spend his time that Chris genuinely did not expect. If you lead or mentor people earlier in their careers, it is worth hearing.