The foundation of true innovation and revolution in any larger corporation -- and probably smaller firms, for that matter, although there is a bit more flexibility in that envronment -- is a demonstration of Lean Principles by senior leaders. Leaders, not managers. In a culture of Lean principles, managers are not nearly as relevant as individuals that believe and demonstrate, day in and day out, that they are there to inspire answers by their teams, not provide solutions. Of course, "never" is in an ideal state that perhaps can't be achieved, yet a dictate or prescribed request on a team should be such the exception that everyone knows that something in the system is off and instigating the behavior.
Hard to do? You betcha. Next time you need something of your team/direct report/mentee, talk with them about the context of the need. What's driving the request? What are your expectations on the guardrails for coming up with a solution? That done, pay close attention to how you react to challenges or personal frustrations. Solutions or options not as deep or intuitive as you would like? Sit in on a working meeting and offer perspective, don't tell the team what you want done.
A lot of "managers" claim to want to provide inspirational leadership but lack the patience, dedication, or competencies to pull it off. Don't be one to talk about how important "people" are to you...live it every day in every opportunity. The people that you are trying to inspire will recognize it and be incredibly motivated.
Man... It's gettin' deep in here.
Posted by: scott | June 20, 2006 at 09:33 PM