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Move beyond incremental improvement — for yourself and your organization.
Most people agree: organizations could be much better at improving. And yet, despite good intentions, they typically settle for small, incremental gains — never realizing how much potential is left untapped. They think they’re good at improving... but are they really?
Leadership is no different. Studies show 80% of leaders rate themselves as above average — but ask their teams, and you’ll hear a different story. Why the disconnect? Because incremental shifts in how we lead rarely produce transformational results.
So, how do we move beyond “just a little better”?
This one-hour session is designed to challenge your thinking and expand your vision of what’s possible — for you, your team, and your organization. You’ll explore how small, intentional leadership experiments can drive significant performance improvement, when guided by reflection and purpose.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about learning to see what others miss — and taking consistent, focused action. Just like elite athletes, great leaders practice getting better every day. They develop the ability to notice what their eyes and ears missed yesterday — and respond with clarity and intent.
You’ll be introduced to the Reflective LeadershipModel for Change, a practical framework built on four foundational practices:
1. Reflection – Recognize your current leadership patterns through self-awareness and feedback.
2. Unifying Purpose – Clarify the “why” behind your behavior and how it aligns your team..
3. Build Relationships – Strengthen trust, connection, and a shared improvement mindset.
4. Visual Leadership – Use simple visual tools to drive tools to drive alignment, ownership, and action.
Whether you're a senior executive, frontline leader, team coach, or improvement professional, this session will give you practical insights you can apply immediately.
This kind of leadership isn’t easy. But it is worth it.
Join us — and start learning to see the invisible.
The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is the premier not-for-profit organization dedicated to the journey of continuous improvement and enterprise excellence. AME’s membership is composed of a trusted network of volunteers committed to leveraging the practitioner-to-practitioner and company-to-company shared learning experience. Through engaging workshops, plant tours, webinars, summits and industry-leading conferences, AME members are continually discovering and implementing new continuous improvement strategies and best practices. AME offers its members a multitude of valuable resources to help them stay abreast of current industry developments and improve the skills, competitiveness and overall success of their organizations. www.ame.org
Michael Bremer is an author, semi-retired from business since 2018. He has collected a variety of experiences over the years, including holding the positions of director of productivity improvement and director of information systems for Beatrice Foods. He is a past chief financial officer and Board member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME). He was also president of the Cumberland Group, a global consulting company in Chicago, for 28 years. Bremer served as adjunct faculty for the University of Chicago’s Graham School for a 15-year period and as a senior mentor at a new business start-up incubator focused on manufacturing (mHub Chicago). Bremer currently leads AME’s Excellence Award activities. 
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
10 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
10:05 a.m. Presentation - topics include:
- Why is this likely to be true?
- What steps can I take to develop a new habit?
- How will I know if it is fulfilling my purpose?
10:45 a.m. Questions and answers
11 a.m. Adjourn
Participants will walk away with an increased awareness of need for change and learn four practical steps they can practice within their organizations.
- C-level leaders
- CI leaders
- Operational Leaders and anyone with an interest in improving the way they lead
We strive to host events that are inclusive and accessible to everyone to fully participate and engage. Please email events@ame.org if you have any questions.
If you are not already a member of AME, we invite you to join at this time. Membership benefits include complimentary and discounted event registrations throughout the entire year. To learn more about membership benefits, please visit here.
By participating in this event, you grant AME, or anyone authorized by AME the right to use or publish in print or electronic medium any photograph or video containing your image or likeness for educational, news, or promotional purposes, without compensation.
To fully participate in an AME virtual event, a high-speed internet connection, speaker/headphones, microphone, and webcam are needed. While not required, you will have a better online experience if you do not use wireless internet service. A wired/ethernet connection will have a stronger signal than wireless. Live captioning will be available for this event. Make sure you download the Zoom Client for Meetings desktop application for the best experience. Do not use the version available through your web browser, as it has limited features. zoom.us/download.
Cancelation Policy: This event may be canceled by AME for any reason. AME is not responsible for incidental costs incurred by registrants. For paid events, registration fee less a $20 administration fee will be refunded up to one week before the event. Substitutions may be made up to three days prior to the start of the event.
