“The biggest lesson I learned during this season is that I can’t do it all and must allow others to do their job – autonomous accountability,” said Tammy Barras, president of Westec Plastics.
Since 1969, Westec Plastics, located in Livermore, California, has built a powerhouse in high-precision plastics injection molding, providing custom injection-molded plastics parts and full-service manufacturing. As president of Westec Plastics, Barras has spent more than 33 years with the company, helping guide its growth while building a culture centered on teamwork, accountability and continuous improvement.
Initially joining the company, she intended it to be a “stepping stone” role in customer service, moving into accounting, later landing in human resources/accounts payable/accounts receivable, then returning to customer service and finally diving into project management. In 2013, Barras was promoted to director of Customer Relations and, in 2015, to vice president; shortly after, she became president in January 2016.
For Barras, leadership always has been about more than managing daily operations – it has been about Westec’s workforce – developing the people who can step forward to lead, make decisions and support operations at every level. That philosophy of empowering employees at every level of the organization was put to an unexpected test in October 2023, when a sudden health emergency forced her to step away from the business.
When a leader is suddenly gone from the day-to-day operations, a company’s strengths and weaknesses are quickly revealed. For Westec and Barras, that moment came without warning.
The Back Story
Friday, October 13, 2023, started like any other workday at Westec Plastics. But by the end of the day, everything had changed. Barras experienced a serious medical emergency. Overnight, the team faced a huge challenge: keeping Westec operating without its president.
“The team at Westec didn’t know it yet, but they would soon be responsible for keeping it running and profitable,” Barras said. Fortunately, Westec’s management team and employees were prepared – not because of a special emergency plan, but because of years spent building a culture grounded in trust and collaboration. The company’s reaction and response weren’t driven by a single individual but powered by a team that already knew how to lead together.
Barras said, “Lucky for Westec (and me!), we had a very strong leadership team in place. We had all worked together for a long time, anywhere from 12 to 30 years.” Westec’s vice president of finance, who works remotely from Florida, boarded a plane as soon as she heard the news and was in the office first thing Monday to support local operations. While managers took on additional responsibilities, they consistently communicated with one another and made decisions without hesitation. “They banded together and kept things running smoothly,” Barras said. “They didn’t miss a beat. In fact, I’m not even sure the customers were aware I wasn’t available.”
For Barras, the stability and uninterrupted operations showed what every manufacturing leader strives for: an operation capable of continuing forward and succeeding beyond any one person. Her experience reinforces the importance of building a strong organization with quality leaders who can strengthen culture, build workforce confidence and keep the operation moving forward – even when unexpected challenges arise.
Leadership Alignment and Culture
Looking back, Barras doesn’t believe she intentionally created a management team with the plan to operate without her. Instead, it was built on years of working together, which over time developed their confidence in themselves and one another. Barras said, “I’m not sure I consciously built a team that could take over for me in my absence. But because we were so close and my team knew exactly how I worked – and what my thought process was, they could continue making decisions without me.”
With that knowledge and understanding, it eliminated the need for constant approvals from Barras. Managers understood not only what decisions needed to be made but also why, without sacrificing operational downtime, employees’ needs, customer orders and so forth. An organization becomes stronger and more resilient in the face of crisis when it consistently develops people who understand the business to make sound decisions independently.
Westec’s management communication approach is simple and intentional, created to keep leaders aligned and encourage cross-functional coordination through departments. The team uses the following practices:
- Group emails – to keep management and leadership roles informed
- Regular meetings – to ensure management, leadership and departments are on the same page
- View one another as customers – to align every department, so employees work together vs. alone
Because of the company’s small leadership team, Barras said collaboration happens naturally. “We all work together well and support each other as needed to get the job done,” she said.
Perhaps the best illustration of Westec’s culture can be found in two phrases. “‘It’s not my job’ is not something we fall back on,” Barras said. “Instead, management and our employees focus on, ‘How can I help?’”
That willingness to step beyond traditional responsibilities proved especially valuable during Barras’ absence, allowing the leadership team to shift duties, fill gaps and support the areas where they were needed most. The employees’ mindsets are shaped by a culture built not on individual roles and responsibilities but on a team mentality focused on the company’s success.
Built on Gratitude and Leading By Example
While systems create structure, Barras believes culture is strengthened by leadership behavior and actions. “I try to lead by example and with gratitude,” she said. “See something good, say thank you. Positive acknowledgment is powerful.” Those moments of recognition emphasize expectations throughout the organization. Employees see leadership demonstrating appreciation, teamwork and accountability, making those actions and behaviors part of Westec’s everyday culture rather than occasional tasks.
Westec’s management structure is simple, yet intentional. Barras oversees her direct reports, who are responsible for their respective departments. Rather than adding management layers to the org chart and complicating the chain of command, the company has prioritized cross-training and shared priorities throughout departments.
“We do not have a lot of depth,” Barras said, “but we do a lot of cross-training so even when someone is out on vacation, there are several others who can help keep things moving forward.” Cross-training provides more than scheduling flexibility – it creates flexibility throughout the organization, preventing key knowledge from being confined to a single individual. That philosophy became valuable during Barras’ extended recovery.
The Challenges and Lessons Learned
Although Westec successfully navigated Barras’ medical leave, the experience also presented challenges and areas that needed immediate attention. Her absence ultimately created internal contention, leading to turnover within the leadership team after her return. Barras said, “While the team we had in 2023 did a great job keeping the business moving while I was out on medical leave, my absence did cause a lot of dissension. I did have to rebuild our management team.”
The rebuilding process allowed Barras to rethink what she wanted in future leaders. She said, “I looked for people who were smarter than me, had more experience than me, but also people that wanted to work together and build a strong team.” Today, she believes that effort has brought Westec its strongest and most experienced leadership team.
“I can’t say we have measurable improvements other than the laughter we hear in the office when we work together,” Barras said. “Today, I’m most proud of the team that I’ve had to rebuild.”
If there is one lesson from Barras’ experience, it’s that leadership requires trusting others to lead. That lesson extends beyond Westec. Unexpected events can happen to any organization. A medical emergency, retirement or family crisis can remove even the strongest leader from daily operations without warning.
The companies best equipped to navigate those moments aren’t necessarily the ones with the most detailed contingency plans. They’re the organizations that intentionally develop leaders, create succession plans, encourage cross-functional collaboration and create a culture where people feel empowered to act. Westec’s experience demonstrates that when leadership is shared, business stability and longevity aren’t defined by one person’s presence. It’s created and structured by a team prepared to move the organization forward… together. “The very best part of Westec is the people. I am so proud of the team we have built,” Barras said.
More information: www.westecplastics.com