Thermoforming Report

by Keith Brown, President & Owner, Siena Group

In our ongoing Harvesting Potential series, we’ve explored how great organizations grow from the inside out – by cultivating the people already on their team. After highlighting how retention creates the foundation for long-term success in our November Thermoforming Report, we now turn to Pillar Two: Internal Development – Growing Leaders from Within.

And what a topic it is! Search “leadership books” on Amazon and you’ll get thousands of results – clear proof that everyone has an opinion on how to build better leaders and stronger teams. While this blog won’t attempt to reinvent that mountain of research, it will connect a few important dots from recent studies and real-world experience. One standout Harvard Business Review article puts it simply:

“Managers create value – for both their organizations and those they manage – by matching people to roles where they fit best.”

That idea may seem obvious, but in practice it’s far rarer than it should be. As I reflect on my own career, one leader stands out – someone with a remarkable ability to spot raw talent and place people where they could thrive. He didn’t just build strong teams; he built future leaders. Many went on to make meaningful impacts across the organization and beyond. His legacy wasn’t tied to plant metrics – it was tied to the people whose careers he shaped. (For those of you who know, this all happened in a small town in Mississippi.)

At its core, internal development is about this kind of intentional cultivation. Much like tending a healthy crop, it requires thoughtful placement, ongoing care, and the willingness to invest in people long before the “harvest” becomes visible.

What’s the Plan?

It takes real effort to build an internal development plan that sticks – and with so many experts weighing in, the advice can blur together quickly. I’m just one voice in the crowd, bringing a career’s worth of lessons from leaders who got it right (or wrong) – and from teams who grew (or didn’t) because of it.

Another recent article from Business.com highlights several fundamentals that align closely with the most effective practices I’ve seen throughout my career:

1. Prioritize Professional Growth and Development.
   As I shared in our Harvesting Potential blog, my personal experience with the VP of Engineering – the one who met face-to-face with every engineer across the sector – set a powerful precedent. Because he made development a priority, so did every leader beneath him. When expectations are clear – and built into metrics – growth accelerates.
2. Encourage Autonomy and Decision-Making.
   Everyone has made mistakes. The question is: what happens next? If missteps are punished, innovation disappears. Future leaders need room to take small risks, test new ideas, and learn how to make sound decisions. With coaching and trust, small decisions build confidence – and that confidence leads to bigger and more impactful decisions.
3. Support Employee Well-Being and Work-Life Balance.
   In manufacturing, “all hands on deck” moments happen – breakdowns, capital projects, 24/7 coverage. That’s unavoidable. But when times are smooth, give people space to breathe. Sending an engineer or line operator home early on a calm Friday pays off tenfold when the chaos returns. Great teams rally because they know their leaders value them as people and support them through the challenging times and when things are cruising.
4. Implement Creative Perks and Benefits.
   High performers usually don’t need bells and whistles – but thoughtful perks matter. They reinforce appreciation and help create a positive environment. The key is balance: incentives should motivate – not create entitlement.
5. Create Recognition and Feedback Systems.
   Recognition fuels momentum. Sometimes it’s a private thank-you; other times it’s a public shout-out during a Town Hall. The important thing is consistency. Regular one-on-ones, clear feedback loops, and measured follow-through help people stay aligned, engaged, and growing.

All of this matters – not as a program, but as a leadership discipline. Internal development is less about grand initiatives and more about the daily choices leaders make to invest in their people – consistently, intentionally, and over time.

Keep It Up!

Internal development isn’t a one-time initiative – it’s a discipline that has to be sustained long after the excitement of a new program wears off. A recent Harvard Business Review article, Your Transformation Can’t Succeed Without a Talent Strategy (October 2025), highlights this challenge clearly. As the authors put it, “enthusiasm can fade quickly once a program moves from launch to scale”.

Their research points to four keys for keeping development efforts alive and effective:

1. Cross-functional teams accelerate execution.
2. Learning fatigue is real.
3. Leadership accountability is non-negotiable.
4. Internal marketing must be continuous.

I won’t spoil the article – it’s well worth reading on its own – but one point especially resonates: leadership accountability. In today’s talent market, you simply cannot build strong teams without holding leaders responsible for retention, growth, and consistent development conversations. When leaders know they are accountable, development stops being optional and becomes part of how the organization operates – consistently, visibly, and at every level.

Bringing Us Home

This blog was supposed to be about internal team development that boosts retention. It ended up leaning more toward leadership development… but honestly, the two go hand-in-hand!

One of the most memorable leadership development moments of my career happened at that same plant in Mississippi back in the day. The training drew lessons from the well-known movie Apollo 13. Luckily, I don’t need to summarize the entire program – an old colleague recently did exactly that in a fantastic LinkedIn series (thanks, Michael!). I highly recommend reading through his posts. The lessons are just as powerful today as they were more than 20 years ago!

Lesson 1 — Back the Decision After You Lose the Argument
Lesson 2 — Redefine the Mission in Real Time
Lesson 3 — Work the Problem, Not the Politics
Lesson 4 — Constraint-Driven Creativity
Lesson 5 — Leading From Where You Are

“Leadership isn’t what happens when everything goes right. It’s what happens when everything goes wrong – and people still choose to work the problem, trust each other, and find a way home.”

Wrapping It Up

At the end of the day, retention isn’t driven by programs or kickoff enthusiasm – it’s driven by leadership. The research spells it out, and real-world experience makes it undeniable: people stay when they feel supported, challenged, and connected to leaders who show up consistently and work the problem with them.

Internal development and retention aren’t two separate initiatives; they’re a reinforcing cycle. When leaders communicate with purpose, back decisions, redefine the mission in real time, and hold themselves accountable, teams feel it. That’s when momentum builds. That’s when people choose to grow with you – not somewhere else.

So here’s the Takeaway for Pillar Two – Internal Development: Great organizations don’t just fill roles – they develop people, season after season. Strengthening leaders strengthens retention, culture, and long-term performance.

And that leads us to the upcoming final part of our series: Pillar Three – Succession Planning: Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today. We’ll explore how to build a pipeline that keeps your organization growing stronger, not just for today, but for years to come.

At Siena Group, we are your Thermoforming Talent Partner! We’re here to help in any and every way possible! With more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing, hiring & recruiting talent, we bring a greater understanding of the companies we partner with and the candidates we pursue. Let’s Strengthen Your Search!