What Advancement Demands of the Person Leading It

4 Aug 2026 · 40 min
Hardcore and At Ease - powered by Others Over Self®

4 Aug 2026 · 40 min

0:00

In this episode of the Hardcore and At Ease podcast, host Shelly Rood interviews Stacy Eamon, Director of Industry Strategy at the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). The conversation explores the unique challenges of the aerospace, defense, and broader manufacturing sectors, especially as they confront rapid technological change such as AI, additive manufacturing, and digital workflows. Stacy shares historical context about SME’s origins during the Great Depression, its evolution into a modern hub for talent development, technology adoption, and industry events. She outlines a practical framework for leaders: recognizing that only a small percentage of workers adapt quickly (8%), many need extra support (15%), and some will never adopt (5%). Advancement therefore demands consistent, patient leadership that invests equally in all team members. The episode also covers policy drivers like the National Defense Authorization Act encouraging domestic machine‑tool production, the convergence of aerospace, defense, automotive, and the emerging Space Force, and SME’s educational pathways from K‑8 through advanced workforce training. Stacy offers a concrete weekly leadership exercise—spending an uninterrupted hour with the team member whose pace tests the leader’s patience—to model the discipline of advancement. The discussion ends with calls to action for small‑mid manufacturers to engage SME’s resources, events, and online platforms, and a reminder that the future of U.S. defense manufacturing hinges on nurturing talent, technology, and domestic capability.

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