Leadership for Lean Manufacturing

The Case for Leadership

Lean Manufacturing Leadership is often the most important factor in success. The paradigm shift of Lean Manufacturing demands visionary leadership.

Managers Versus Leaders

Leadership is quite different from management. The necessary qualities for it may lie deep inside the human psyche. But even leadership can be learned.

Leaders establish new and radical visions. They bring vision to reality with shared values that gain commitment.

Managers work within a system to maintain existing goals and direction. They generally use reward and punishment to gain compliance.

Successful organizations need both managers and leaders. It is a paradox that firms with long periods of past success, such as the American automobile industry, have serious leadership difficulties when times change.

During periods of success, management is highly valued and true leadership is often discouraged. When the external environment (markets, technology, social structure) changes the organization cannot adapt new visions to cope. This is why large firms with successful histories have the most difficulty with Lean Manufacturing.

Leadership Style

Much is often made of leadership style. Note the wide range of styles in these successful military leaders. Click on these photos to learn more about these leaders.

One would find an equally wide range of styles in failed leaders. The conclusion is that style does not determine success or failure for leaders with formal authority.

Peer leadership is another matter. Peer leaders have no official authority. They lead through casual mechanisms such as respect, knowledge, charisma and rapport. Peer leadership is increasingly important in today's informal, fluid organizations.

For peer leadership, the quiet style of a Robert E. Lee is far more effective than the bombastic style of a Patton. Try walking into a process improvement meeting with a pearl-handled revolver and riding crop. Your next stop will be the psycho ward.

Charismatic Leadership

If style does not matter, what does? The Charismatic Leadership model provides some answers. Charismatic leaders in all fields and situations exhibit a common behavior pattern. They:

• Challenge The Status Quo

• Create A Compelling Vision

• Establish Shared Values

• Enable Others To Act

• Model The Way

• Encourage The Heart

Charismatic leaders do these things constantly in large and small ways. Cumulatively, these actions change attitudes, responses and methodologies within the organization.

More Information

This page is the first in a series. See the links below for other pages. At "Lessons From Twelve O'clock High" you can download a wonderful article on this paradigm by Major Attila Bognar of the U.S. Army.

Shakespeare used leadership as the theme for many of his best plays. "Shakespeare on Leadership" shows how King Henry V fits the Charismatic Model.

Learning From The Movies

Movies are a great way to learn about leadership. Just watching, however, will add little insight. This learning requires structure and active reflection. An upcoming web page will summarize the lessons from several great films.

Our seminar "Team Leadership" uses clips from several movies as a learning tool.

Other Pages In The Series

Leadership Levels and Issues
Charismatic Leadership for Lean Manufacturing
What Charismatic Leaders Do
Shakespeare On Leadership
Twelve O'clock High
Leadership Self Assessment
Download Leadership Articles

Series References

Argyris, C. and Schon, D., Organizational Learning. Reading, Massechussetts, Addison-Wesley, 1978.

Avolio, B.J. and Bass, B.M., "Charisma and Beyond", J.G. Hunt (ed), Emerging Leadership Vistas. Elmsford, N.Y.., Pergamon Press, 1987.

Bass, B.M., Stogsdill's Handbook of Leadership., New York, Free Press, 1981.

Bass, B.M.,Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations. New York, Free Press, 1985.

Burns, J.M., Leadership. New York, Harper & Row, 1978.

House, J.A., "A 1976 Theory of Leadership", J.G. Hunt (ed),Leadership: The Cutting Edge. Carbondale, Illinois, Southern Illinois University Press, 1977.

Maslow, A.H., Motivation and Personality, New York, Harper & Row, 1970.

Weick, K., The Social Psychology of Organizations. Reading, Massechussetts, Addison-Wesley, 1979.

Zaleznik, A. "Managers and Leaders: Are They Different?", Harvard Business Review. 1977,15,67-68.

Zaleznik, A. "Charismatic and Consensus Leaders: A Psychological Comparison", M.F.R. Kets De Vries (ed), The Irrational Executive: Psychoanalytic Explorations In Management. New York, International Universities Press, 1984.