Eddy Azad is the CEO of Parsec Automation.
I’ve always been passionate about education, whether that means learning new skills or helping others do the same. I founded my company, Parsec Automation, nearly 40 years ago. In that time and in my capacity as CEO, I’ve had the privilege of helping others succeed and ushering in lasting growth. I’ve discovered firsthand what works and what doesn’t.
Below are some of the most important takeaways I’ve learned in my time as a leader. Other leaders—of any industry and tenure—may find them helpful as well.
The Importance Of The Long-Term Plan
No matter what stage your company is in, you’ve got to have a long-term plan—a compass heading to aim for regardless of any short-term disruptions or challenges. This plan might orient around overall strategy, a product roadmap, a list of desired partnerships or—as in my line of work, manufacturing technology—a list of solutions to eventually deploy.
The actual duration of any long-term plan will, of course, vary. But it’s key that you don’t rush to get there. In the case of technology adoption, moving too quickly could jeopardize business continuity, alienate teams and generate adverse outcomes. Take things step by step, waiting until you’re ready and stable before advancing to the next phase.
Take AI as an example. For many businesses, AI has been part of their long-term strategy for years. Getting there, as with any long-term plan, requires carefully laid groundwork and intermediate steps. Leaders should certainly make it a priority to move forward with AI, but not at the expense of operational integrity.
Of course, formulating your long-term plan is just the first step. You’ve got to stick with it and hold true to your mission.
Sticking To That Plan And Not Falling For Hype
To make their plans a reality, leaders need to look to the horizon while they move forward. Address any potholes or detours as they appear, but keep your eyes on the prize. Getting distracted—whether by disruptions or too-good-to-be-true shortcuts—will only delay your progress toward your long-term goal.
It’s especially easy for leaders to become unknowingly short-sighted whenever any new tech solution comes to market. There’s often a great deal of hype (some deserved, some not) and vendor promises about transformation and new echelons of efficiency.
Agentic AI, for example, has made quite a splash in recent months, but the tech is still in its infancy. Yes, the potential use cases are compelling, and eventually AI agents will earn their positions in many companies’ org charts. But we’re not there yet, and for most companies, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. For manufacturers, many of whom are still working toward their long-term goals of widespread digitalization, getting distracted by agentic AI would be putting the cart before the horse.
In general, leaders often think they need to chase home runs in every decision they make. And, to be sure, sometimes home runs are attainable and worth pursuing. But the opportunities for singles and doubles are often undervalued—and they’ll add up to real impacts over time.
Not every leadership decision needs to be a game-changer. In many cases, “changing the game” would steer you off course from your long-term plan. If your plan is sound, you don’t need to change the game. You need to take continued, manageable steps toward progress. That’s how you stay on track.
Deliberately Driving Culture
Culture isn’t something that organically happens to an organization; it must be built. While some concerted efforts (e.g., hiring the right people, setting the right benefits and policies, etc.) can help get the ball rolling, there are other unexpected places where leaders can foster company culture.
Many employees have neutral (or negative) feelings about their email and chat applications. They’re clearly necessary for work but don’t exactly spark joy in their day-to-days. Leaders can help change perspectives by demonstrating what business communication can be: efficient, productive and (dare I say) even pleasant.
• Strategically delineate when teams should use email versus chat to ensure the tools are being used to their fullest, most effective potential.
• Encourage casual touchpoints and relationship-building with chats.
• Make communication intentional. Don’t send emails when a quick conversation will suffice. Don’t hold 30-minute meetings when an email could’ve gotten the job done and provided a written record.
Culture comes in other forms, too. For manufacturers aiming for digitalization, data should be part of their culture. Manufacturing leaders need to show teams that data is how the entire business—not just production—thrives.
Set data-backed KPIs for team performance, use data to show teams how their day-to-day translates to real-world outcomes and celebrate the ways the business will grow and improve with smarter technology.
Whatever a leader’s vision for company culture, they need to take the wheel and make it happen. As momentum takes hold, driving culture won’t require as much continuous effort, but it’s still never truly done.
Step By Step
Many things will change over the course of a career: strategies, market conditions, technology, different ways of thinking. What hasn’t changed is the simple truth that lasting growth usually doesn’t happen in great leaps and bounds.
It happens through a clear vision, methodical decision-making and a cohesive team all striving for the same goal. The leaders who embody and commit to these principles will stand a better chance at guiding their teams into the future.
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