AMBA Emerging Leaders Meet for Leadership Retreat

Young rising talent in Westminster Tool joined fellow members of the American Mold Builders Association last week for skill building activities and a tour of Prodigy Mold.

Some of Westminster Tool’s rising stars set out last week to join other members of the American Mold Builders Association for it’s first ever Emerging Leaders Retreat and Plant Tour. The inaugural retreat included a tour hosted by Prodigy Mold in Indiana, as well as two days of professional development workshops focused on leadership and management. The event served as an opportunity to learn, share, network and grow, providing an open space to discuss challenges faced in the industry

As one of the members of the Emerging Leaders Board, Colby Coombs says his main goal for the event was peer-to-peer discussions. “It was a great change to talk about the challenges I personally face as a leader here at WT and practice some self-reflection without judgement.” One skill he says was discussed was the ability to delegate. “In order for me to be the best leader I can be, I have to understand my strengths and weaknesses. And I need to lean on the strengths of my team and empower them to execute in the areas where I fall short.”

One activity, lead by guest speaker Alyson Van Hooser, explored the different levels and stages of empowerment and how each level describes a different outcome based on power and decision making. For instance, the most basic level of empowerment describes an individual that does research, reports the findings, and then brings to a leader for a decision. The most advanced level describes an individual that does research, takes action, and no further communication is necessary.

Understanding all the different levels in between, Colby says, will help him better understand the roles and potential of his own team and better help them achieve higher levels of empowerment. “This understanding of empowerment is a completely different way to look at leadership,” he said.

To learn more about the American Mold Builder’s Association and workforce development events, visit amba.org.