Episode 56: Billy Ray Taylor Has The Winning Link
Known worldwide as an expert in strategy and operational excellence, Billy Ray Taylor is the CEO and president of LinkedXL, chairman of the board of AME, and the author of The Winning Link. Before founding LinkedXL, Billy served as a global operations leader at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, where he led major manufacturing turnarounds and helped drive significant performance improvements and profits. On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, you will learn why Billy Ray Taylor is also one of the most engaging and entertaining speakers in the world of continuous improvement.
Billy and host Dan Swartwout talk about what it actually takes to lead a transformation. Most leaders earn the technical right to change. They have the title, the tools, and the training. But according to Billy, the cultural right is what actually moves people. And you don't get the cultural right to change from a PowerPoint presentation. You have to earn it.
Billy also makes a distinction that resonated with Dan (and will resonate with you, too). Everyone talks about KPIs. Billy Ray's company trademarked something different: KPAs, which stands for Key Performance Actions. The difference between KPIs and KPAs is the difference between knowing that you failed and knowing why you failed.
And then there is the Fayetteville story. People told Dan he had to ask Billy about it. Listen and you will understand why.
Billy's mother is also referenced several times throughout this episode. That is not an accident. Some of the best leadership advice in this episode did not come from a boardroom. It came from Billy’s mom.
In this episode, you will hear about:
0:51 - Introducing Billy Ray Taylor
1:39 - The value of people
3:17 - The technical right to change and the cultural right to change
5:09 - You can’t manage a secret
6:46 - Celebrating the red
10:29 - Be hard on the process
13:17 - Dealing with a top performer
17:25 - Nick Saban and leadership
19:59 - Ownership, leadership, and psychological safety
25:24 - Key Performance Indicators and Key Performance Actions
29:56 - LinkedXL
34:27 - The Fayetteville Story
38:53 - Success and humble leadership
46:04 - How Billy Ray Taylor builds a team
48:04 - Making people feel like participants in change
51:24 - Making people feel valued
53:12 - Make people visible and they’ll make you valuable
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Host • MoreSteam
Dan Swartwout is the host of Quality Time with MoreSteam. A lifelong Central Ohio resident, Dan is a double Buckeye. He earned both a BA and a law degree from The Ohio State University. Before joining MoreSteam, Dan had a long career as a host, comedian, and master of ceremonies. For 17 years, Dan was the studio audience host for the Ohio Lottery game show Cash Explosion. Dan was also the host of CBuzz, which was a collaboration between the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, WWCD 92.9, and the Columbus Dispatch. On CBuzz, Dan interviewed some of the most prominent entrepreneurs in Central Ohio. From 2002-2020, Dan toured the country as a standup comedian. Tracks from his comedy CD have been played over 5,000 times on Sirius/XM satellite radio. Now, Dan brings his experience and enthusiasm to Quality Time with MoreSteam -- it's business and fun, together.
CEO & President • LinkedXL
Billy Ray Taylor is the CEO and President of LinkedXL, a global consulting firm focused on helping organizations design and implement high-performance operating and management systems. Through the Connected Business Model (CBM) and the LinkedXL-OS platform, LinkedXL connects strategy, ownership, performance, and governance—giving leaders clear visibility into how the enterprise executes and delivers results. Billy’s work centers on building systems that align people, processes, and assets to drive accountability, clarity, and disciplined execution. Before founding LinkedXL, Billy served as a global operations leader at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, where he led major manufacturing turnarounds and helped drive significant performance improvements and profits. He is the author of The Winning Link and a recognized thought leader on strategy execution, leadership alignment, and operational excellence.
(Bio and photo courtesy of Billy Ray Taylor’s LinkedIn Profile)
