Introducing The 2026 Konik Leadership Series
Brad Konik
President & CEO of Konik
Leadership Series Topics
1. Recognition That Retains Talent
Wednesday January 14th, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM CST
- Recognition is contagious and translates into results.
- It creates energy and enthusiasm that you can’t get in any other way.
- Great leaders prioritize recognizing the contributions of their team over their own.
Recognition that Retains Talent” presented by Kirby Sneen, the President & CEO of Manufacturers Alliance. Learn how employee recognition creates a culture that keeps employees engaged and willing to stay with an organization.
• What: A strategy for retaining talent through effective employee recognition.
• Key principle: The importance of appreciation in building a culture where employees want to stay and grow with the company.
• Presenter: Kirby Sneen, President & CEO of Manufacturers Alliance.
• Purpose: Provide actionable insights into how leaders can use recognition to increase employee motivation, satisfaction, and retention.
2. Top 3 Mistakes New Team Leaders Make
Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM CST
We’ll cover:
- Respect matters more than popularity. When confidence comes from self-awareness, not approval, your team will respect you even when it’s tough.
- When you are fair, consistent, and focused on others, your team’s performance will soar.
- Even strong leaders will stumble when not aligned with their boss. Stay in sync, lead with clarity, and watch performance improve.
- What: Recognize key areas of focus for new leaders.
- Key principle: Leadership is much more than reviewing work and performance evaluations. Learn key areas to develop your leadership abilities.
- Presenter: Kirby Sneen, President & CEO of Manufacturers Alliance.
- Purpose: Give new leadership insights to learn how to lead and build a high performing team.
3. Creating a Continuous Improvement Culture that Lasts
Wednesday, March 11th 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM CST
We’ll cover:
- Applying lean tools is good, developing lean thinkers is better.
- Don’t do lean to people, do lean with people.
- The next time someone brings you a problem ask them to tell you what is causing it.
- What: A primer on making Lean culture ingrained throughout your organization
- Key principle: Lean cultures work daily to instill best practices through a variety of proven methods.
- Presenter: Kirby Sneen, President & CEO of Manufacturers Alliance.
- Purpose: Gain insights into what works well for leading companies.
ABOUT KIRBY SNEEN
The grandson of a maintenance mechanic and son of an industrial engineer, Kirby Sneen is honored to serve as President & CEO of the Manufacturers Alliance.
With 30 years of dedicated service to manufacturers, the Alliance has become the Midwest’s leader in peer-to-peer training and education for the manufacturing sector.
Each year, the Alliance helps thousands of professionals develop critical leadership and problem-solving skills through Digital Courses, Community Groups, and Certifications.
Kirby believes that internal transformations drive external success, a principle that guides his mission to help manufacturers improve and thrive.
ABOUT BRAD KONIK
A Harvard University graduate and athlete, Brad Konik joined Konik in 1997 after serving as the 100th captain of Harvard’s hockey team and playing professional hockey with the Providence Bruins.
Rising quickly from Operations Manager to CEO, Brad acquired the company from his father in 2000 and now leads Konik with a clear purpose: positively impacting people’s lives.
Under his leadership, Konik continues a legacy of trusted, long-term partnerships with clients, employees, and the broader community.
Committed to service beyond the workplace, Brad supports the community through board leadership with Hope4Youth and industry involvement with the Minnesota Recruiting and Staffing Association.