December 29, 2024 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)

The Brick Chronicles
Leading with Agility–When the Ground Shifts

Rick Nelson, COO of Baxter’s Bricks, walked into Sarah Thompson’s office holding a newspaper. “Have you seen this?” he asked.

Sarah glanced at the headline: Local Builder Turns to 3D-Printed Homes: Faster, Cheaper, Smarter.

She frowned. “3D-printed homes? What’s next, Ai laying bricks? Are we behind, Rick?”

Rick nodded. “Big time. If we don’t adapt, we’re going to be the last brick standing—literally.”

Sarah sighed. “Alright, time to get agile. Call the team. Let’s figure this out before someone prints us out of business.”

The Team Gathers

The leadership team assembled in the conference room. Sarah placed the newspaper in the center of the table.

“3D printing is disrupting construction. We need to move fast, or we’ll lose our edge. Ideas?”

Jan spoke up first. “We should look at companies that embraced agility. Think Netflix—pivoting from DVDs to streaming kept them ahead. Compare that to Kodak, who ignored digital photography and ended up obsolete.”

Carla added, “And Blockbuster… well, we all know how that turned out.”

Rick smirked. “Lesson learned: don’t get stuck in the past.”

Sarah nodded. “So how do we make sure we’re Netflix and not Blockbuster? What’s our pivot?”

The Pivot to Agility

Jan jumped in. “Our marketing needs to reposition Baxter’s as innovative, not just reliable. What if we partner with 3D homebuilders to provide specialty eco- bricks they can’t print?”

Tom leaned forward. “We can’t stop there. Let’s research hybrid materials—something that combines traditional durability with modern sustainability. If we innovate, we stay in the game.”

Robert added, “And agility isn’t just about product changes. It’s about leadership. We need to empower teams to make decisions quickly and adapt to changes in real time.”

“Agile leadership,” Sarah said, jotting it down. “What does that look like for us?”

Agility in Action – To make agility part of Baxter’s culture, the team launched three initiatives:

1. Empowered Teams: Robert held workshops teaching managers how to trust their teams and make decisions without waiting for endless approvals. “Fast doesn’t mean reckless,” he told them. “It means adaptable.”

2. Innovation Sprints: Tom introduced a monthly brainstorming session where employees pitched new ideas. “If 3D printers can’t make it,” he said, “we should be the ones creating it.”

3. Scenario Planning: Carla helped departments develop quick-response strategies for market shifts. “When the unexpected happens,” she said, “you’ll already have a plan.”

When Agility is Tested

Just weeks later, Baxter’s agility faced its first test. A major supplier for their eco-brick line shut down unexpectedly, jeopardizing an entire project for a big client.

Maria, the line supervisor, called an emergency huddle with her team. “Alright, we’ve got three days to find a solution. Ideas?”

Amir suggested using local suppliers to source similar materials. Jasmine proposed redesigning the production process to work with the substitute materials. Carlos, the maintenance lead, offered to modify the machines to handle the changes.

Maria grinned. “Brilliant. Let’s make it happen.”

By the time Rick checked in, the team had kept production on schedule and saved the project.

Reflecting on Agility

At the next leadership meeting, Sarah applauded the quick thinking. “That’s what agile leadership looks like—trusting teams to adapt and act fast.”

Rick nodded. “And that’s how we stay Netflix—not Blockbuster.”

Jan smirked. “Now, if we could just avoid the fate of Myspace.”

Takeaway

Baxter’s Bricks embraced agility by empowering teams, fostering innovation, and preparing for change. Whether pivoting to new products or solving unexpected problems, adaptive leadership kept them ahead in a shifting market.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent.
It is the one most adaptable to change. “

-Charles Darwin

Lead from your heart. Lead to Win.

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