{"id":42288,"date":"2020-11-05T07:48:57","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T15:48:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=42288"},"modified":"2020-11-05T08:21:55","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T16:21:55","slug":"toshiba-difference-maker-jason-lacomb-pushes-limits-in-quest-to-achieve-excellence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2020\/11\/toshiba-difference-maker-jason-lacomb-pushes-limits-in-quest-to-achieve-excellence\/","title":{"rendered":"Toshiba Difference Maker Jason LaComb Pushes Limits in Quest to Achieve Excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/LaComb-Jason-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40090\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/LaComb-Jason-200x300.jpg 200w, http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/LaComb-Jason-768x1152.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/LaComb-Jason-683x1024.jpg 683w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><figcaption>Jason LaComb, Toshiba<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting the job done. It\u2019s an oversimplification of a task that oftentimes carries with it a high degree of difficulty. In the eyes of Jason LaComb, vice president of supply chain management and planning for Toshiba America Business Solutions (TABS), it is the mastery of both vision and execution that closes the gap and leads to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGreat ideas aren\u2019t worth much in a competitive business environment if they cannot be quickly and successfully executed,\u201d said LaComb, a 2020 <em>ENX Magazine<\/em> Difference Maker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And how does LaComb fit that bill? The answer lies in his\nLinkedIn summary statement: \u201cUniquely able to move from strategic to tactical\nin articulating a vision, establishing operational goals with visible metrics,\nand building high-performing project, planning and execution teams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The truth is, LaComb\u2019s value proposition has been put to the\ntest repeatedly in his 24-year career with Toshiba. During that time, he has\nanswered the call to serve in often disparate roles within the organization,\nranging from PC to storage, telecom and office solutions. LaComb has relished\neach opportunity for career growth, even when the assignments called for\nstepping outside his comfort zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Equipped with a Six Sigma Master Black Belt and that\nreputation for taking care of business, LaComb has settled nicely into his\nsupply chain operations role during the past five years, having elevated\ncustomer service to new levels while leveraging repeatable business processes.\nHe relishes having the opportunity to unlock the potential of the 40 team\nmembers under his direction. And much like his own journey, LaComb encourages\nhis charges to meet the fear of the unknown head on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe\nbright spot in my day is that moment when my support and mentorship helps a\nmember of our supply chain family take a risk and succeed despite the\ndistracting lure of fear and anxiety,\u201d he said. \u201cThey truly and noticeably\nshine brighter than the day before, because on this amazing day, they\u2019ve\naccomplished something they weren\u2019t sure they could accomplish. To me, that\nmoment is priceless, and it\u2019s what motivates me to jump out of bed each morning\nand arrive to work each day with an energetic spring in my step.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Leadership\nFundamentals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Embracing the role of a servant leader, LaComb focuses his\nenergies on the four fundamentals of leadership actions\u2014direction, support,\nspace and praise. Clear direction is the key to creating employee engagement\nand support enables the optimization of workforce productivity through\nmaximizing the performance of each individual. Adequate space fosters\nconfidence and empowerment, while praise yields positive reinforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBelieving that EQ is equally important if not more so than IQ, I strive to truly know each team member and tailor my support according to individual needs,\u201d he said. \u201cMy No. 1 job as a leader is to enable the success of every team member because in my experience I have found that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. A strongly built team with a capable and fully-engaged servant leader can overcome just about any challenge and consistently produce great results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LaComb credits TABS President Scott Maccabe with being a driving\ninfluence in successfully navigating those high-risk, high-reward opportunities\nwithin the organization\u2014first from PC to storage, and then again from storage\nto office solutions. With an educational background in social studies, which\nhelped hone his creativity and critical-thinking skills, coupled with a career focus\non supply chain management, LaComb was able to overcome boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"283\" height=\"283\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DM-2020-LOGO.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42289\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DM-2020-LOGO.jpg 283w, http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DM-2020-LOGO-200x200.jpg 200w, http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DM-2020-LOGO-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 283px) 100vw, 283px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Maccabe\u2019s motto of \u201cplan your work and work your plan\u201d resonated\nwith LaComb, and observing the president executing the concept proved an\nilluminating experience. \u201cWhat I learned by\nwatching Scott in his leadership role was quite profound and yet simple at the\nsame time,\u201d LaComb noted. \u201cIn short, the \u2018plan your work and work your plan\u2019\nmantra reinforces that equal attention, weight and effort must be put toward\nall things strategic, and at the same time, all things tactical. And for me,\nthis brilliant oversimplification of leadership rang true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>New Challenges<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The past year has been one of great challenges and tales of\nresilience for LaComb and his team. They withstood a challenging ERP implementation\nwith Go Live in 2019, then were met with the obstacles produced by the\npandemic. But throughout the trials, particularly COVID-19, the overarching\ngoal was to continue delivering a superior, industry-recognized customer\nexperience. LaComb seeks to continue down the road of continuous improvement as\nhe looks to the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLife is too short\nto ever get comfortable, and the day I find myself thinking my work here is\ndone is the day that I should retire,\u201d he noted. \u201cStay hungry, my friends!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LaComb has been married 28 years to his high school sweetheart,\nand they have two children. An avid runner, LaComb has stuck to a disciplined\ntraining regimen for the past 10 years in preparation for the next\nhalf-marathon that comes his way. Running also bolsters his mental strength,\nand his \u201cone mile at a time\u201d philosophy carries into all aspects of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlways remember\nto \u2018run the mile you are in\u2019 instead of wasting valuable mental and physical\nenergy thinking about the end goal every difficult, and at times painful, step\nof the way,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getting the job done. It\u2019s an oversimplification of a task that oftentimes carries with it a high degree of difficulty. In the eyes of Jason LaComb, vice president of supply chain management and planning for Toshiba America Business Solutions (TABS), it is the mastery of both vision and execution that closes the gap and leads to fruition. \u201cGreat ideas aren\u2019t worth much in a competitive business environment if they cannot be quickly and successfully executed,\u201d said LaComb, a 2020 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. And how does LaComb fit that bill? The answer lies in his LinkedIn summary statement: \u201cUniquely able to move from strategic to tactical in articulating a vision, establishing operational goals with visible metrics, and building high-performing project, planning and execution teams.\u201d The truth is, LaComb\u2019s value proposition has been put to the test repeatedly in his 24-year career with Toshiba. During that time, he has answered the call to serve in often disparate roles within the organization, ranging from PC to storage, telecom and office solutions. LaComb has relished each opportunity for career growth, even when the assignments called for stepping outside his comfort zone. Equipped with a Six Sigma Master Black Belt and that reputation for taking care of business, LaComb has settled nicely into his supply chain operations role during the past five years, having elevated customer service to new levels while leveraging repeatable business processes. He relishes having the opportunity to unlock the potential of the 40 team members under his direction. And much like his own journey, LaComb encourages his charges to meet the fear of the unknown head on. \u201cThe bright spot in my day is that moment when my support and mentorship helps a member of our supply chain family take a risk and succeed despite the distracting lure of fear and anxiety,\u201d he said. \u201cThey truly and noticeably shine brighter than the day before, because on this amazing day, they\u2019ve accomplished something they weren\u2019t sure they could accomplish. To me, that moment is priceless, and it\u2019s what motivates me to jump out of bed each morning and arrive to work each day with an energetic spring in my step.\u201d Leadership Fundamentals Embracing the role of a servant leader, LaComb focuses his energies on the four fundamentals of leadership actions\u2014direction, support, space and praise. Clear direction is the key to creating employee engagement and support enables the optimization of workforce productivity through maximizing the performance of each individual. Adequate space fosters confidence and empowerment, while praise yields positive reinforcement. \u201cBelieving that EQ is equally important if not more so than IQ, I strive to truly know each team member and tailor my support according to individual needs,\u201d he said. \u201cMy No. 1 job as a leader is to enable the success of every team member because in my experience I have found that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. A strongly built team with a capable and fully-engaged servant leader can overcome just about any challenge and consistently produce great results.\u201d LaComb credits TABS President Scott Maccabe with being a driving influence in successfully navigating those high-risk, high-reward opportunities within the organization\u2014first from PC to storage, and then again from storage to office solutions. With an educational background in social studies, which helped hone his creativity and critical-thinking skills, coupled with a career focus on supply chain management, LaComb was able to overcome boundaries. Maccabe\u2019s motto of \u201cplan your work and work your plan\u201d resonated with LaComb, and observing the president executing the concept proved an illuminating experience. \u201cWhat I learned by watching Scott in his leadership role was quite profound and yet simple at the same time,\u201d LaComb noted. \u201cIn short, the \u2018plan your work and work your plan\u2019 mantra reinforces that equal attention, weight and effort must be put toward all things strategic, and at the same time, all things tactical. And for me, this brilliant oversimplification of leadership rang true.\u201d New Challenges The past year has been one of great challenges and tales of resilience for LaComb and his team. They withstood a challenging ERP implementation with Go Live in 2019, then were met with the obstacles produced by the pandemic. But throughout the trials, particularly COVID-19, the overarching goal was to continue delivering a superior, industry-recognized customer experience. LaComb seeks to continue down the road of continuous improvement as he looks to the future. \u201cLife is too short to ever get comfortable, and the day I find myself thinking my work here is done is the day that I should retire,\u201d he noted. \u201cStay hungry, my friends!\u201d LaComb has been married 28 years to his high school sweetheart, and they have two children. An avid runner, LaComb has stuck to a disciplined training regimen for the past 10 years in preparation for the next half-marathon that comes his way. Running also bolsters his mental strength, and his \u201cone mile at a time\u201d philosophy carries into all aspects of life. \u201cAlways remember to \u2018run the mile you are in\u2019 instead of wasting valuable mental and physical energy thinking about the end goal every difficult, and at times painful, step of the way,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":42296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3626,80,1650,82,84,1638],"tags":[3907,349],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42288"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42288"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42290,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42288\/revisions\/42290"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}