Developing Leaders at All Levels

Strong leaders create environments that encourage employees to adapt to change, foster innovation, and solve problems. At our February 18 manufacturing workshop, Enterprise Minnesota talent and leadership expert, Abbey Hellickson, will show participants how manufacturers can assess their leadership needs and establish a plan to meet them.

“Successful companies recognize and nurture leadership potential, knowing it drives employee and organizational growth,” says Hellickson, who has helped countless manufacturers develop future leaders.

Manufacturers need leaders at all levels to create the kind of climate that empowers employees, she says. “When employees are involved in daily problem solving, organizations grow and improve every day,” resulting in higher engagement and job satisfaction.

The process of developing leadership skills isn’t as simple as asking top performers to supervise a handful of their coworkers, Hellickson says. “Manufacturers who are committed to developing leaders need to determine which leadership traits are needed now, and which will be needed in the future.”

Abbey will show how manufacturers can assess their leadership needs and create a plan to develop and improve leadership skills across their company and share helpful steps to help employees make the critical transition from performer to supervisor.

“When we level up in that first transition, we think about it as our buddy to boss transition,” she says. An employee in this stage is responsible for their own work yet is also responsible for a team of other people. That means balancing getting their own work done with the need to ensure that others are getting theirs done too.

“Manufacturers need to think about which skills are necessary for these new leaders,” she says. “These can include coaching others on technical skills, time management, assigning jobs and tasks, and accountability.”

Hellickson also shares the key leadership traits needed across every organization.

Now is the perfect time to think about the skillsets of your leaders and investing in their development to support your organization in future growth. We hope you can join us.

The workshop will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 from 9:30–11:30 a.m. at South Central College in North Mankato.

During the workshop, participants will learn how to:

• Assess emerging leadership traits
• Determine the leadership competencies that are key to your organization’s success now and in the future
• Establish leadership development plans that fit your organization

Who should attend
Any manufacturer who wants to learn about effective strategies for developing leaders at all levels of your organization.

Registration
This event is exclusive to manufacturers and is free of charge.

Please click here to register.

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