ARE YOU A LEAN SIX SIGMA LEADER?

Are you a lean six sigma leader is often the question ask the executive leadership driving a six sigma initiative.Lean Six Sigma has shown to be a powerful and successful process improvement technique that identifies and eliminates unproductive activities. However, it begs whether a particular style is a desirable type of leader required to guide a company toward lean management or if the programme can be self-led.

Manufacturing is where the Six Sigma methodology has the most immediate application. A systematic method to recognise and record errors and defects is more accessible to deploy than what one may see inside a more human team everywhere; there is a repeatable process, such as manufacturing thousands or millions of identical goods. On the other hand, lean management thrives in soft-skills environments, where people, not machines, are the focus. The reasons behind this are the same as before. Even if people’s activities appear to fluctuate from hour to hour, there are still patterns to monitor and apply, such as the length and efficiency of meetings, email usage, the efficacy and correctness of reports and papers, and other time management and productivity-related markers.

There is a chance to measure and improve where there are metrics, which makes the lean methodology fertile ground.

Is there, then, a certain kind of leadership capacity that helps everything operate better?

Leadership is one of the most studied and practised subjects in all the business. As a result, some different styles have been established and practised, some of which are compatible with lean management and others that are not.

Two approaches to work effectively with the Lean Six Sigma method:

Transformational leadership: is characterised by a leader’s ability to engage with groups while also assisting individuals in developing their leadership abilities (hence the transformation).

Leaders who practise transactional leadership: understand what team members must do to be rewarded or reimbursed for their efforts.

According to some studies, transformational leadership link to higher individual and team performance in the workplace.

Leaders and Lean Six Sigma, in my opinion, have a lot to do with personality. Natural leaders have the skills – motivational, organisational, strategic, and interpersonal – that contribute to higher performance without studying leadership formally.

Supported by the fact that most Six Sigma training firms will completely ignore leadership as a study topic. However, there is a correlation between good Six Sigma and leadership, notes management expert Lori Loethen, PhD. in Quality Digest, but:

“It’s possible that those chosen for [Six Sigma] Black Belt positions are already stronger leaders [and] just have greater confidence in their leadership abilities than the broader public.” It could also suggest that extra education, such as the rigorous Black Belt study programmes, enhances leadership skills by fostering improved critical thinking skills.”

It shows that, rather than formal training, the Six Sigma program’s actual content helps refine existing leadership talents.

Quality Requires Leadership: 6 Characteristics of a Lean Six Sigma Leader

A corporation implementing a Lean Six Sigma programme requires leadership, whether a leader joins a Six Sigma crew thoroughly and professionally trained or develops abilities that complement their style. But, as I noted in a recent essay, transitioning to a lean manufacturing process rarely happens without some resistance and friction. In that post, I explain Netland and Ferdows’ S-Curve, first published in the MIT Sloan Management Review.

The authors discuss the four stages of Lean that a manufacturing plant must go through. In a nutshell, they are:

Lean Six Sigma Leader-Plants for Beginners is the first stage. These exhibit a tremendous degree of scepticism and resistance. Must form new habits, and there is little evidence of success right away.

Lean Six Sigma Leader-Plants in Transition (Stage 2) Many people begin by launching small test ventures. The pressure to show development and improvement is high.

Lean Six Sigma Leader-Plants at Stage 3 are more advanced. Again, performing well, but the rate of change begins to stall, especially as prospects for further progress become fewer.

Lean Six Sigma Leader-Cutting-Edge Plants (Stage 4) These organisations must push themselves to explore innovation and progress beyond their current comfort zones. [2]

Similarly, John Hamalian, a leadership expert, has identified six attributes of a Lean Leader that closely match the four stages of lean development. These characteristics are: Accepting change and improvement as a lifelong aim rather than a one-time solution.

You may pursue perfection with tenacity by embracing constant improvement and voracious curiosity.

Problem-solving and quality control can only exist if the client becomes the “starting point and finish point of everything.”

Champion of Simplicity: concentrating on action, simplicity and humble life.

To be authentic, upstanding, and respectful, use tactics such as leading by example and demonstrating respect for others.

JK Michaels institute also offers other products and courses, including COST ENGINEERING, 6 SIGMA TEAMS: LEADERSHIP SKILLS, PRINCE2 PROJECT MANAGEMENT, ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE (JK MICHAELS), and WHAT ARE PMP AND PRINCE2 CERTIFICATION?. BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT TRAINING., and ACTION LEAN SIX SIGMA GREEN BELT.(Opens in a new browser tab)