Benefits of Cross-Industry Mentorship

After spending three decades in the aerospace industry, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is for different sectors to learn from each other. We no longer can afford to stay stuck in our own bubbles. Take the aerospace industry, for example. They’ve been looking at how car manufacturers automate their factories to improve their own processes. And those racing teams? Their ability to prototype quickly and develop at a breakneck pace is something we can all learn from to speed up our product development. It’s all about breaking down those silos and embracing new ideas from wherever we can find them. When I was leading the Scorpion Jet program, our rapid development – less than two years to develop a new aircraft – caught the attention of a company known for razors and electric shavers. They reached out to us, intrigued by our ability to iterate so quickly, telling me "you developed a new jet faster than we can develop new razors..." They wanted to learn how we managed to streamline our processes. It was quite an unexpected and fascinating experience that underscored the value of looking beyond one’s own industry can lead to significant improvements and efficiencies, even in fields as seemingly unrelated as aerospace and consumer electronics. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s more important than ever for industries to break out of their silos and look to other sectors for fresh ideas and processes. This kind of cross-industry learning not only fosters innovation but also helps stay competitive in a rapidly changing market. For instance, the aerospace industry has been taking cues from car manufacturers to improve factory automation. And the automotive companies are adopting aerospace processes for systems engineering. Meanwhile, both sectors are picking up tips from tech giants like Apple and Google to boost their electronics and software development. And at Siemens, we partner with racing teams. Why? Because their knack for rapid prototyping and fast-paced development is something we can all learn from to speed up our product development cycles. This cross-pollination of ideas is crucial as industries evolve and integrate more advanced technologies. By exploring best practices from other industries, companies can find innovative new ways to improve their processes and products. After all, how can someone think outside the box, if they are only looking in the box? If you are interested in learning more, I suggest checking out this article by my colleagues Todd Tuthill and Nand Kochhar where they take a closer look at how cross-industry learning are key to developing advanced air mobility solutions. https://lnkd.in/dK3U6pJf

If Apple did all its hiring only from BlackBerry or Nokia, would the iPhone even exist in its current form? Unlikely. Innovation rarely thrives in echo chambers. So why do so many leaders insist on hiring only from within their own industry, especially in supply chain, where adaptability is everything? After 20+ years leading supply chains across FMCG, Foods, Automotive, and Medical Devices, I’ve seen a puzzling paradox: companies seek transformation but screen out the very people who could deliver those with cross-industry experience. Yes, every industry has its nuances. But supply chain fundamentals—demand planning, inventory optimization, risk management, supplier relationships—are highly transferable. More importantly, cross-pollination brings powerful perspectives. Here’s what they’re missing: ·       Pharma’s production efficiency is powered by automotive’s lean manufacturing. ·       Tech’s rapid launch cycles are inspired by fashion’s fast-cycle forecasting. ·       Food safety protocols strengthened through healthcare’s traceability standards. Still, most leaders default to familiarity over foresight. In a world defined by volatility and complexity, fresh thinking is a requirement. Leaders who’ve navigated multiple sectors bring the agility, curiosity, and strategic breadth needed to build future-ready supply chains. If you're hiring for growth, stop looking in the rear-view mirror. The future is being built by those who think across borders—and industries. Are you still hiring your supply chain team from your own industry or you build diverse teams mindfully? #SupplyChainLeadership #TalentStrategy #CrossIndustryThinking #FutureOfWork #SupplyChainTransformation

Most leaders look for answers in their own industry. The best ones look beyond it. Aviation engineers solved turbulence issues by studying bird flight. Automakers improved safety by learning from football helmet designs. Doctors are collaborating with AI experts to detect diseases earlier. These breakthroughs didn’t happen by thinking inside the box. They happened when leaders connected the dots across disciplines. This is transdisciplinary thinking: The ability to pull insights from unexpected places to solve complex problems. Transdisciplinary thinking is no longer optional. AI isn’t just for tech ➡ It’s transforming finance, healthcare, and leadership. Supply chain strategies from aerospace are revolutionizing retail logistics. Marketing isn’t just about creativity ➡ It’s about behavioral science. Leaders who embrace cross-industry thinking don’t just adapt. They innovate where others struggle. The question is: Are you learning beyond your field? Where have you borrowed ideas from unexpected places? P.S. I coach leaders to sharpen their ability to think beyond the obvious.

"Find someone who knows nothing about your industry!" When founders ask me about the secret to scaling, my answer surprises them I met another founder building a B2B tech company recently, and our conversation sparked this thought about mentorship. The most impactful guidance in my journey has come from Ravi Kumar, who isn't from marketing or sales. Here's why this works so powerfully: 📍External perspective cuts through industry biases With Suneil Chawla and me, Ravi asks the questions we're too close to see. Those "obvious" solutions we miss because we're deep in the weeds? He spots them instantly. 📍Fresh eyes bring cross-industry innovations Coming from a different world, he's helped us adapt successful models we'd never have considered. Sometimes the best solutions come from completely unrelated industries. 📍Clarity through simplification When you explain complex problems to someone outside your field, you're forced to break them down to basics. This process itself often reveals the answer. Our mentor-mentee relationship evolved into a friendship that Suneil and I deeply value. Sometimes the right mentor doesn't just shape your business decisions - they shape your thinking. What unconventional sources have given you the best business advice?

In today’s fast-changing world, leaders must empower their teams to navigate uncertainty and rapid change. Workplaces are evolving, requiring new skills in problem-solving, decision-making, and building resilience in diverse, global teams. The varied pace of digitalization across industries makes sharing ideas and best practices essential. Organizations need to rethink their L&D programs. From my experience, well-structured mentoring programs, especially with external mentors, offer immense value. Here are six benefits of our mentoring programs: ⭐ Career progression: Gain insights from experienced mentors to stimulate new ideas and approaches. ⭐ Project support: Rapidly understand contexts, risks, and success factors with a mentor’s guidance. ⭐ Career development: Identify and address behaviors hindering growth through objective feedback. ⭐ Self-awareness and confidence: Regular mentoring fosters discipline and boosts confidence. ⭐ Network expansion: Build valuable connections outside your organization. ⭐ Boost DEI: Firsthand appreciation of DEI’s value, often more effective than training alone. Let’s connect to explore how our mentoring programs can drive positive change in your organization. #LeadershipDevelopment #MentoringPrograms #DiversityAndInclusion #ProfessionalGrowth #LSInternational

Your Next Competitive Advantage Will Come From Another Industry Innovation today is less about invention and more about borrowing the right idea from the right industry. I touched on this briefly earlier, but a 15 hour flight over the last weekend gave me space to shape this thought. What banking teaches retail. What retail teaches healthcare. What telecom teaches banking. The biggest breakthroughs today are happening across industries, not within them. As technology and business transformation partners, we see how solutions solved in one sector quietly solve problems in another. Only the context changes. A few examples: Banking to healthcare : Real time risk thinking can help hospitals prioritize care dynamically, not through static rules. Retail to banking : Retail personalization happens at every interaction. Banking experiences can become just as adaptive. Telecom to banking : Telecom networks built for scale and resilience can redefine how real time payments and trading platforms operate. Insurance to retail : Fraud detection and automated decision engines can simplify returns while building customer trust. Transformation is often not about inventing something new. It is about connecting ideas that already exist in another industry. Our role is not just to build what clients ask for, but to bring perspectives they may not yet see. Curious to hear your take. What idea from another industry should your sector adopt immediately? #DigitalTransformation #CrossIndustryInnovation #Banking #Retail #Healthcare #Telecom #ITServices #ClientImpact #Leadership #GenAI #Strategy

Breaking silos – Why cross-industry learnings matter. When we talk about innovation, the first instinct is often to look within our own industry. Yet some of the most meaningful progress happens when knowledge, methods, and perspectives are transferred across industries. Each field has its own particular strengths – whether that’s precision, safety, sustainability, or customer focus – and when we bring these different “slices” together, we create something more complete than any single discipline could achieve alone. At Freudenberg Performance Materials, we are fortunate to serve very diverse industries – from automotive to apparel, healthcare, energy, and construction. This unique position gives us the opportunity to exchange ideas across sectors and to challenge established ways of thinking. Here I see again how powerful it is when we learn from one another and combine expertise across boundaries. For me, real progress is less about perfecting a single path and more about connecting different worlds. It’s this bridging of perspectives that helps us unlock new value and shape the future more effectively. I’m curious: where have cross-industry learnings had the biggest impact on your own work? #Innovation #CrossIndustry #Collaboration