Plus: Leadership Development in Industry, Unlocking Hidden Talents, Walmart’s Supplier Lessons, Asteroid Mining Plans and Fun 3-D Printing Projects.

Sometimes the Internet seems like it’s gotten too big. To help navigate this sea of information, IMT’s weekly Wednesday feature spotlights some of the more interesting, informative and amusing resources that might have slipped under your radar — all in bite-sized chunks.

• Leadership Development Can Boost Industrial Operations | Organizational change is inevitable and necessary for a business’s success, but management too often overlooks the “softer” skills that leaders need to implement lasting innovation. Focusing on leadership development in industrial companies can have a wide range of benefits, such as making sourcing more efficient, boosting factory output and improving employee relations. McKinsey Quarterly highlights strategic steps to enhance the approach to leadership in industry. Plus: Fast Company’s 6 Leadership Styles, and When You Should Use Them.
• How to Unlock Employees’ Hidden Talents | Recognizing and cultivating employees’ hidden or untapped talents can prove extremely useful. Inc.com offers several suggestions for uncovering the secret superstars in your organization, including: inviting workers to volunteer for projects suited to their interests and skills; reinstating the suggestion box; and recognizing less obvious advantages that may have subtle positive effects.
• Lessons from Walmart’s Scorecard | Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability practices, applying a robust evaluation system for its more than 100,000 suppliers. In an interview with GreenBiz.com, the retail behemoth’s director of sustainability outlines five key lessons learned from maintaining a comprehensive supplier scorecard.
• The Scale and Scope of Asteroid Mining | Backed by a group of tech billionaires and entrepreneurs, the asteroid mining project has seized the public’s attention, but how exactly will it work? Wired.com outlines the ambitious scope of the Planetary Resources space mining project: Within two years, the group plans to launch two to five space-based telescopes to identify potentially valuable asteroids, and then within five to seven years send out a small swarm of similar spacecraft for a detailed prospecting mission. The next step: robotic mining of these targeted asteroids.
• 10 Things to Make with a 3-D Printer | 3-D printing is having a big impact on the do-it-yourself community, and it’s now possible to purchase a consumer-grade 3-D printer for around $1,500. So, what are some of the things a hobbyist or enterprising DIYer can create? Science and sci-fi blog io9 offers a list of 10 cool items that can be manufactured on a 3-D printer, from birdhouses and miniature engines to tank treads and DNA models.
• The Global Well-Being Index | Now in its second year, the OECD’s Better Life Index uses 24 variables (based on hard data and survey results) across 11 sectors to provide a ranked list of economic and social well-being for its 34 member countries, as well as Russia and Brazil. The Economist’s Graphic Detail blog takes an in-depth look at the findings, explaining that Australia provides the best quality of life, followed by the United States, which tops the list for money and jobs but scores relatively poorly in equality.

Image: OECD, The Economist