It was 2002, and I found myself in a meeting that can make or break my career.
As a Senior Supervisor, I was the only non-manager in a room filled with 30 Managers and Directors. The air was thick with tension. The factory had failed to meet commitments for weeks, and our General Manager was livid. His voice cut through the silence like a blade:
“We need a solution. Now.”
The problem? We were trapped.
✅ 95% of our weekly capacity was committed in advance.
✅ Any missed production rolled over to the next week, creating a never-ending cycle.
✅ For the next 12 weeks, 100% of our capacity was locked in.
No flexibility. No room for error. Just relentless pressure.
The room was silent. Everyone looked down, avoiding the GM’s glare.
Then, I remembered a piece of advice from our Operations Director: “When you see a leadership moment, grab it.”
And so, I did.
I raised my hand.
All eyes turned to me. I took a deep breath. Inspired by The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, I spoke. “I have a solution.”
A few eyebrows raised. The GM folded his arms.
“We need a fresh start,” I continued. “Here’s what I recommend:”
1️⃣ Decommit two days of capacity. We need breathing space to reset the system.
2️⃣ Build ‘The Two Towers’—the Tower of Defense (SFGI) and the Tower of Reserve (TRDI). Strategic inventory positioning would create a buffer against variability.
3️⃣ Commit only 80% of capacity in the first week and use the remaining 20% to build SFGI inventory, ensuring we never fall behind again.
The Planning Manager shot up from her seat. “Are you sure we won’t miss again?” she asked, skeptical.
I locked eyes with her. “Yes. We will not miss again.”
A moment of silence. Then, the GM spoke. “Execute the proposal.”
The meeting ended. The plan was put into action. And in the weeks that followed, something remarkable happened.
✅ Production stabilized.
✅ We regained control of our commitments.
✅ And soon after, I was promoted to Manager.
Life Lesson
That experience taught me a lesson I would carry throughout my career:
❌ No production system can sustain 100% capacity indefinitely. Variability is inevitable.
✅ To protect against it, we must use buffers.
👉 What worked yesterday may not work today.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the flaws in traditional best practices. Just In Time, once considered the gold standard, collapsed when global supply chains failed. That’s why leaders must constantly rethink and adapt their strategies. Because when leadership moments come, hesitation is not an option.
Engaged 