Think Like an Owner What You Learn After 40 years of Leading Through Change with T.J. Coombs - EP.274
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Oct 28, 2025 T.J. Coombs, a seasoned operator with 40 years in leadership and turnaround roles, shares valuable insights from his extensive career. He emphasizes defining success as the moment you leave, fostering accountability in transitions. T.J. advocates for spending time on the shop floor to gather practical insights and highlights the necessity of open assessments for success. He discusses the balance between strategic vision and hands-on leadership, the importance of service in the building products industry, and the role of technology in enhancing processes.
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Harvest Ideas From The Floor
- Ask frontline workers what works, what doesn't, and what would be better to surface high-impact, low-cost ideas.
- Capture and implement the best floor-level suggestions quickly through iterative testing.
Use Interim Roles To Reset Structure
- Use interim roles (typically 6–12 months) to be the change agent and prepare the permanent CEO or promote from within.
- Align the new CEO's profile to the strategy because strategy drives structure and roles.
Turnarounds Start With Ruthless Assessment
- Start every turnaround with an unimpeded assessment and no sacred cows to identify root causes beyond symptoms.
- Time-box early wins, field-test the team, then install operating metrics to scale execution.