Walk beside them
Magazine Article, Source : The Manufacturer US Published : 12 Aug 2005 14:07
Leading by example is a powerful motivating force for lean, says Anand Sharma
By now, many companies have experienced numerous good business reasons to go lean. But lean doesn’t happen by magic or wishful thinking. Embracing lean means making a total commitment to the whole process and not just dabbling with the tools. Successful lean companies don’t just decide to “do lean,” they transform themselves—and it’s that transformation that ultimately brings success and sustainment. Successful transformation of an enterprise is brought about by leadership, not management. A commitment at the highest level in an organization is the most important ingredient in the adoption of a lean culture. That commitment and the change it brings with it will lead to a real competitive advantage.
Successful lean companies share some common traits. Their leaders develop a clear, concise, compelling, and shared vision. They have an unwavering commitment to achieving the corporate vision. They communicate openly and frequently with all employees. They have focus and provide resources to ensure success. They have a policy deployment process in place for successful execution. They have visible, proactive, and engaged leaders who lead by example.
A good lean leader will shift the company’s focus toward the future. No longer will the company look at what has happened; instead it will focus on what can be, anticipating and even shaping the future. This means truly, and regularly, interacting with customers and uncovering their unmet needs. It means teaching all the employees how to think outside the box and recognize and create opportunities that will benefit the customers and the company. Most of all, it means really putting your hearts and minds into lean, making it a way of life.
At Vermeer Manufacturing you are just as likely to see President and CEO Mary Andringa visiting a customer work site exploring the needs of that customer as you are to meet her in a board room. As a result of her leadership, between 1998 and 2005 Vermeer improved productivity by 26 percent without adding employees and decreased total inventory by 20 percent and WIP by 55 percent, while increasing cash generation by 133 percent.
Hubbell’s Tim Powers is another leader who walks the lean walk. His enthusiasm for lean spreads from the top down; he understands that what he does has a direct effect even on the actions of every shop floor employee. If he lives lean, then they will live it too. Like many successful lean leaders, Powers learns from the experiences of others and shares his own lean experiences, both hallmarks of a good lean leader.
Lean leadership can be summed up by a quote from Lao-Tzu, a sixth-century B.C. philosopher and the founder of Taoism: “To lead people, walk beside them.” When lean leaders walk beside their employees, they will transform the company, leading the employees to truly become agents of cultural change. When lean leaders walk beside their customers, they will find the solutions for creating and sustaining unique competitive advantages.
As a lean leader you must provide both the vision and the leadership for your company and your customers. The great leaders of history are remembered because of their ability to motivate—lead—people. Dictating how things should be done is never as effective as showing how things should be done. In lean manufacturing, as in history, success follows great leaders. To paraphrase Henry Kissinger, leaders must take their people to where they have not been—from business as usual to lean and, ultimately, to profitable growth.
Source: The Manufacturer
