Matthew Taub said one of the most challenging parts of being a leader is learning to relinquish control. Shifting from a doer to a facilitator who oversees and supports a team can be tough to navigate, he said.
“Making that pivot from direct contributor to leader is more difficult than I thought,” said Taub, the president of Blachford Acoustics Group. “You are no longer the person who gets things done but instead are the person who encourages, motivates and supports others in getting things accomplished. You can’t be a successful leader if you haven’t developed a team that you trust and empower to achieve the mission. In order to do this, you must create a safe space for people to fail and learn from their failures. Watching someone fail is challenging to do, but your responsibility as a leader is to create guardrails while letting your people solve problems on their own with your support.”
Blachford Acoustics Group specializes in noise, vibration and thermal reduction in engine compartments and cab interiors, using rubber, plastic and fiber molding. “Blachford believes that people and the planet come before profit,” the company said. “Profit is important in that it allows the organization to focus on initiatives that benefit Blachford’s people while protecting the planet and our impact on it. “
Taub was a sales manager at Blachford Acoustics Group for 10 years before leaving for executive positions elsewhere, but he returned two years ago to lead the company as president. Taub assembled a new sales team, challenged the R&D team to develop more acoustic and thermal material innovations, spearheaded acquisitions of two key companies and piloted internal strategies to boost sales, revenue, green initiatives and product quality.
Since his return to the company, Taub has helped it delve into new markets, including military and power generation, and he grew relationships with key customers such as CNH, Bobcat, John Deere, DTNA and Caterpillar. And annual revenues have grown 50%.
In the next five years, Blachford Acoustics Group projects it will have $250 million in annual revenue, increase staff and operational facilities by 20% and engineer custom noise and thermal reduction products for customers from across the globe.
“You can have the best equipment or facilities, but none of it is of any use if you don’t have dedicated, intelligent people working together to achieve a common goal,” he said. “Every day, the team grows stronger and the limits to what Blachford can achieve are increased.”
