There is no doubt manufacturing is experiencing a rebirth across the United States, and there are a myriad of real estate choices readily available for manufacturers.  Moreover, the rapid advances in aerospace and transportation allude that future transport will surpass all expectations, thus greatly expanding real estate choices (possibly short-term choices) for manufacturers.  Given these dynamic considerations, manufacturing leaders’ real estate decisions are vital for success. Where are these manufacturing leaders that are empowering the [...]

Dr. Robert Materna (2011) writes clearly about a national issue “With the U.S. government shutting down the shuttle program without a new vision for space – very little has been done to excite and educate the next generation about the opportunities in the industry and, as a result, there is little enthusiasm for entering the field. The good news is that there are some very good reasons to enter the field. The challenge is to help students shift [...]

Every now and then a notion comes along that just captures the imagination. Leading from the emerging future is one of those notions that has captured mine for nearly the past four years. I first came across it while talking with my friend and colleague, Michael T. Kelly, PhD. We were discussing change in organizations. Specifically, why does sustaining the vitality, profitability, and relevance of organizations to their stakeholders and customers often elude leaders and senior managers [...]

There are number of exceptional organizations that support aviation and aerospace manufacturers. Many come to mind quickly, the Aerospace Industries Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers are but a few. There are regional and local ones as well, including the public-private Manufacturing Extension Partnership. All of these organizations are generally well know. However, there is one that is a gem of a national resource for aviation and aerospace that [...]

The more we practice, the more critical thinking becomes part of our natural thinking process. This is important, because we are normally wired to take shortcuts in an effort to conserve our energy, to survive, or just to move on. If our thought processes are normally intellectually lazy, can we expect to be able to turn on the critical and creative juices in a crunch?

Over two years ago, I got a phone call one afternoon from Dr. Robert Materna. He asked me if I wanted to be involved in something exciting. Knowing Robert as a serious person, I took him at his word and heard him out. Robert laid out an ambitious vision – of an organization dedicated to enhancing and building the competitive advantage of US aviation and aerospace on a global basis. The instrument would be an [...]

To improve our Secondary Education dismal diploma graduation rates, we have to change the STEM paradigm. Why does science have to be physical science? Why can’t science be Economics, Finance, or Accounting? Why does technology have to be computer based? Why does engineering have to be design, why can’t engineering include Leadership, Purchasing, Managing Teams, Logistics, and Project Management?

Just about every study that has been conducted on aerospace employment over the next twenty years indicates the U.S. will have a shortage of qualified aerospace workers.

It is clear that the past decade has been a challenge for most of the U.S. aviation and aerospace industry. 9/11, the financial crisis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the global recession and current geopolitical situation have created an environment that makes it difficult to plan and execute traditional business strategies. Commercial aviation has struggled, general aviation has been devastated, the space program is in turmoil, and the future of military aviation is unclear. [...]

Leadership is sometimes viewed as a one-size-fits-all solution to organizational issues. That view is further clouded by the multitude of theories that propose specific leadership traits, competencies, behaviors, or shortcuts as a cure-all answer to every organizational challenge. Since many people view leadership as the same across the organization and at every level, the focus remains on getting work done more effectively and more efficiently and not on developing new skills, behaviors, and values as [...]