Take the Tennis Ball Challenge, Cyberattacks Strike Multiple Manufacturers: IndustryWeek's Weekly Reads

This week's IndustryWeek's Weekly Reads both begins and ends with lessons. Up front we have lessons in lean leadership and at the tail end we conclude with lessons from the Rockwell Automation ESG Summit. In between the extremes, the IW manufacturing community has turned its attention to cybersecurity, leadership adjustments at Wabash and more. 

The Top 10 most consumed content at IndustryWeek.com over the past seven days are: 

Lessons in Lean Leadership: The Breakthrough Tennis Ball Challenge: This simple exercise helps ground teams in breakthrough thinking and engage them on the need for overall process improvements.

Updated: Hackers Publish Stolen Boeing Data: Failing to pay out might risk the release of stolen data that could potentially include military industries.

Wabash Makes Big Changes That Are Starting to Pay Off: The manufacturer of truck trailers and bodies is venturing into new territory with leadership adjustments and realignment.

Updated: Clorox Cyberattack Cost $356 Million: The bleach manufacturer this week begins the cleanup process to fully repair damage from an attack first reported in mid-August that slowed production and caused product shortages.

ExxonMobil Bets on Electric Vehicles: The world’s largest energy producer, and the No. 1 company on the IndustryWeek U.S. 500 List of the largest manufacturing companies in the country, plans to drill for lithium-rich saltwater in Arkansas.

Supplier Cyberattack Disrupts Stellantis Production: The external supplier manufactures just-in-time components like seats, electronics and safety systems.

Eight Drivers for Manufacturing’s Next 50 Years: Digital dexterity will be required in workers and leaders, and data will be king.  (article from 2020)

Rivian Raises 2023 Production Guidance: The electric vehicle maker also announced it will end its delivery van exclusivity deal with Amazon.

The Power of Intentional Encouragement: Developing others and encouraging them to grow, every day and with intention, is part of servant leadership.

Lessons From The 2023 Rockwell Automation Fair’s ESG Summit: Familiar refrains about environmental responsibility and the need to set sustainability goals clash with the reality of unexpected costs and consequences.