Let's Grow Leaders

JUNE 18, 2014

Your strategy is only as strong as the ability to execute at the frontline. You can have all the great plans, six sigma workouts, and brilliant competitive positioning in the universe, but if the human beings doing the real work lack the competence, confidence, and creativity to pull it off, you’re back to muddling through.

Six Sigma 503

Six Sigma Team Execution Energy 503

Leading Blog

MARCH 21, 2011

In example after example, what is holding companies back is consistent, courageous leadership. This is accomplished by putting three things in place: “a clear vision with impact, aggressive strategies to achieve that vision, and a defined way of measuring success.” In What’s Holding You Back? It’s also a very fragile process.

Six Sigma 279

Six Sigma COO Leadership Constraint 279

Let's Grow Leaders

APRIL 4, 2016

Your strategy is only as strong as your ability of your people to execute at the front line, and if they’re too scared or tired to think, they won’t. I’m super excited to put those things into practice and to continue to grow my leadership skills as a result. How can I help spread the word?

Six Sigma 180

Six Sigma Management How To Short-term 180

The Practical Leader

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Recently I worked with the senior leadership team of a large warehouse and logistics company. As I listened to their leaders focus on hard processes, metrics, and systems it became crystal clear that the “soft skills” of leadership and culture weren’t even on their radar. A major part of that problem is turnover.

Efficiency 40

Efficiency Six Sigma System Metrics 40

Strategy Driven

NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Traditional leadership wisdom treats mood as the dreaded ‘touchy feely’ soft stuff. And a lack of competence around designing and managing moods will seriously limit one’s career prospects – now and in the years to come. Most current management practices tend to devalue anything that can’t be measured.

Productivity 50

Productivity Products Six Sigma Competitive Advantage 50

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 5, 2012

Well, after a traditional education, business school, and five years working in strategy consulting and venture capital, I went to a cocktail reception at Stanford's d.school, the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, where I met George Kembel, cofounder and executive director of the school. But now, I hear it all the time. So what happened?

Creativity 13

Creativity Six Sigma Entrepreneur Learning-by-Doing 13

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 26, 2012

If I had to single out the leadership job that's hardest to do, I'd say head of sales. Manufacturing leaders can look to Six Sigma and other well-defined processes. I have rarely seen a competitive strategy that did not look terrific in a PowerPoint presentation in a boardroom or conference center.

Six Sigma 12

Six Sigma Leadership Metrics Learning-by-Doing 12