This is the 6th of a 10-part series on Customer Leadership.

In this LEADERSHIP MINTS series, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Steelcase Inc. (founded March 16, 1912) and salute their Customer Leaders (a.k.a employees). Those highly motivated Customer Leaders have consistently helped the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company reign as the office-furniture industry leader for most of its 100 years in business.

By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an example of a Customer Leader who breaks the rules to more creatively serve the customer.

It was 4 am. Two hours after Wayne’s shift normally ended. But this was no normal night for the supervisor in the Steelcase chair plant. Wayne was on a mission, prowling around the near deserted manufacturing plant. In the hunt. On the trail. Without fail.

Wayne needed to find ONE missing part to complete an order that was due that night. Without that missing part, an incomplete order would have to be shipped. And in Wayne’s World, there are only completed orders shipped on time. No matter what.

Wayne exhausted all the usual places for spare parts. But he was not exhausted. There was just one other place they hadn’t looked. Within minutes, Wayne was breaking into the Quality Control Office in the chair plant. Continue reading →