Nov 17, 2008

How does one learn to be a lean leader?

To do:

1. Kick out the crutch. In order to develop as a lean leader you need to leave your comfort zone and it helps if you have something to force you out of that comfort zone.
2. Take on a new role that you are not really prepared for, sign up for a near-impossible challenge or remove whatever security blankets you have around your process.
3. Apply lean to your own work. Between what you learn and what you demonstrate, only by practicing lean on your own work will you become an effective lean leader.
4. You must be a learner first. Lean is about how an organization learns, but organizations are made up of people, so how people learn will drive the success of lean.
5. You must be the first for trial. No matter what was your position before the lean leader, work by yourself and no more order to the other during the kaizen event.
6. Regularly experiment and reflect on your own work. Systematically issue your report to all the peoples and ask for comment.
7. Engage people from where they are and help them move forward to their own idea of progress.

Not to do:

1. Don't stand in a field asking for everyone to join you.
2. Don't ask people to make an impossible leap. Take your knowledge, skill and vision from lean and help the person move forward from where they currently are.
3. Don't ask them to give up their own pursuits to join yours.

No comments: