“Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.“
– Lou Holtz
Too many Leaders pretend or lack the real hands-on knowledge of LEAN and most leaders have never done or completed a project. A good to great leader invests time in getting to know the issues, expand their skills, and making participation a daily ritual.
The old model was that leaders could not get too close to their team. False, Ohno with Shingo at Toyota would walk the floor daily to ask operators the “5 W’s” to eliminate waste and support customer requirements. Ohno would go and see processes through the eyes of employees. Ohno’s gift was cultivating the employees’ ability to go to Gemba and see waste in the process.
People implicitly ask, “If you don’t care about me, then why should I care about the company? If you do care about me, then what can I do to help the company?”
In today’s instant, tech-communications world, is this at all realistic? People want to know if leaders value them or whether they are regarded as just another cog in the corporate wheel to squeeze more out of them until there is nothing left. Great leaders aren’t merely Good at what they do, they let employees know they are valued by listening, appreciating their capabilities and recognizing their contributions.
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Hello John from London the UK,
I agree with your 5c’s please may I add my own experiences:
The mindsets and behaviour’s of leaders is fundemental or to understand what influences them, before You can influence them. Typically this can be their bonus, raise, promotion rarely the pursuit of waste reduction or even perfection.
LEAN, 6 Sigma, Agile, PDCA, PRINCE, & common sense are all methods to success or succeed in a goal, objective albeit to attain perfection. However, human beings require “normally” 6 needs of:
1.Certainty – my place in the world
2.Uncertainty – unexpected or stretch themselves
3.Significance – Feel important
4.Love – self or others but connection
5.Growth – learn
6.Contribute beyond yourself – give back
Uncover what drive’s anyone of these and you can help them to achieve regardless of the method or approach (the vehicle ) to achieve that goal.
Final thought: Measure manages behaviours – this is true regardless of leaders or non leaders.
Thanks for the post on Linkedin.
Regards
Simon