The
Newsletter of Lean Manufacturing & Factory Science
25
October 2004
Lean Manufacturing, Leadership & Shakespeare
"This
day is called the Feast of Crispian..."
On
this day, St. Crispin's Day, October 25, in the year 1415, Henry
V defeated the French
armies, against overwhelming odds, at Agincourt.
This would be a minor footnote in history had Shakespeare
not immortalized it. Leadership
was a favorite theme for Shakespeare and, indeed, much of world
literature.
The
Toyota Production System required leadership of a particular type.
Without the Charismatic-
Transformational leadership of Taiichi
Ohno and Eiji Toyoda, Toyota Motor Company would be a minor firm
in a backwater market.
Lean
Manufacturing implementation requires this same leadership, albeit in a lesser
degree.
Manufacturers
seem to have special difficulty developing leadership for
Lean Manufacturing. (Recall the John DeLorean experience at GM). When they do recognize the need, they may
not distinguish effective leaders from charlatans There are several reasons for this,
among them:
-
Manufacturing
attracts personality types that rarely appreciate its Socio-Technical-Systems nature. It is,
usually, a business of detailed, technical problems rather than grand
vision.
-
Organizations
with a successful history promote those who preserve the successful
status quo, rather than disturb it. This works well until a
discontinuity in the organizational paradigm (Lean Manufacturing) or
the environment (Global Economy) comes along.
-
Many
people confuse toughness (or
just nastiness)
with leadership.
This confusion seems especially pronounced in manufacturing.
Hollywood does not usually help with the misconception. Yet, looking beyond the superficial belligerence
of film characters such as Sargent
Stryker, we often see the essentials of effective leadership. We
can learn a lot from films.
Our
eleven web pages and three
downloads explore leadership issues in
Lean Manufacturing. They include a self-assessment
that can help you to understand your own style and potential. These pages
also include audio links that
illustrate leadership style and an extensive analysis of Henry
V. We also offer leadership training at the work team and
top
management levels.
I
hope you find these pages enjoyable and useful. We wish you all the best
on this St. Crispin's day, 2004.
Quarterman
Lee
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
Shakespeare,
King Henry V, Act 4, Scene 3
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©2004 Strategos, Inc.
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