Frontline Spotlight

November 2024

A Strong Start

Leading with excellence

Hear from Jimmy Glick and his manager, Patrick Long, about the ways Jimmy elevated his team in his first year as a Production Team Lead.

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This year, James (Jimmy) Glick moved into a new role as a Production Team Lead, helping his team in our Albia, Iowa facility accomplish their goals. Here, Jimmy and his manager, Patrick Long, Operations Leader, discuss the progress they’ve made this year and what they’re looking forward to in 2025.

Taking the lead

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Since moving into a leadership role, Patrick thinks Jimmy has empowered the people on his team to succeed. “Jimmy has grown in his Team Lead role over the course of the year by encouraging ownership of outcomes within his team. He provides clear direction and expectations, and removes barriers in the way of his team’s path to success,” Patrick says.

And it’s not just about making the job easier — Jimmy makes sure to find new opportunities for the people on his team to develop their skills. Patrick says, “He develops his team by recognizing cross-training opportunities when they arise and pairing up different craft employees accordingly.”

Thanks to his leadership approach, Jimmy’s gotten to see the people on his team grow with him this year. “The highlight of my year has to be seeing my team members step up and show up ready for a challenge. They want to get the team to the next level while keeping a safety-first mindset,” he says. “I’ve seen them grow this year and seen many of them take on a leadership mentality to overcome obstacles.”

Managing Priorities

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As a team lead, Jimmy has worked to balance good fundamentals with innovation. “He’s taken the initiative on many safety improvement opportunities in his area this year, and drove those safety projects to completion. He coaches his team daily on identifying safety issues and ensures they are empowered to stop work or take action when appropriate,” Patrick says. “At the same time, he’s worked on an air brake runaround project this year that saves time and money when shipping locomotives dead-in-tow with either missing or defective air brake systems. He helped design the units and led his team through the build.”

Finding a rhythm

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In addition to the technical expertise, Patrick’s been impressed with Jimmy’s leadership through change and uncertainty. He says, “One of the main obstacles we’ve faced this year is the move from the Freight Services group to the Freight Equipment group and establishing our role within it, while adjusting to a management restructuring that took place late last year. The whole team has done a great job with understanding the new structure and how to operate within it.”

With a smoother path forward, Patrick is excited for what the team can achieve next year. He says, “In 2025, I look forward to working with Jimmy on new projects coming to RAI that are outside of what we’ve done in the past. I’m confident in his ability to lead his team through the incorporation of the new processes the work will require, all while keeping safety, quality, and craftsmanship front of mind.” 

Similarly, for Jimmy, it’s all about the team. “I’ve been with this team for years now — in 2025, I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them, and taking on new challenges while staying safe.”