Lean Six Sigma For Leaders

9Winning Hearts and Minds

IN THIS CHAPTER, we've taken our experience from observing many organisations, their leadership of Lean Six Sigma and their successes or failures in creating a continuous improvement culture, together with thinking from other writers under the wider leadership heading. Our aim here has been to distil for you a guide to the core subject of leadership as applied to Lean Six Sigma. This is not just theory. The case studies in Part IV have a common theme reflecting the need for a deep consideration of leadership and culture. We are indebted to our colleague in Catalyst, Chris Merriman, who is an expert in transformational leadership as well as a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, for his work in researching this subject and providing his insights.

What is a Leader?

Leadership and management are often confused, and many people have both roles, but in fact they are distinctly different. Management tends to focus on efficiency and is characterised by control, measurement, consistency, standards and stability. Leadership, meanwhile, is more interested in effectiveness and characterised by providing direction, aligning, mobilising and even inspiring people. Leaders set the tone. Stephen Covey put it well when he said ‘Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.’ And, as Kathy Austin said, ‘Managers light a fire under people, leaders light a fire in people.’ We need, ...