Businesses all over the world suffer from costly inefficiencies. Lean and Six Sigma teachings provide a framework and dozens of tools for identifying and solving those problems at an organisational level. But, whichever tools your process improvement teams want to use, great leadership is the common factor.
Without capable executives, process improvement projects would be likely to stall or fail to meet their objectives, which is why management skills form a major part of Lean Six Sigma training.
Lean Six Sigma is not only a fantastic tool for businesses and teams wanting to take control of process improvement, it’s a system that can help professionals, managers and corporations to develop leadership roadmaps that further careers and encourage organisational leaders to realise their potential.
What is a Leadership Roadmap?
In the same way that you plot out business projects and processes ahead of time, a leadership roadmap is a strategic plan designed to guide the long-term development of organisational managers and leaders. This provides a framework for individuals to structure their careers around, helps them define their goals as leaders and take a more active hand in making the changes they envision.
At an organisational level, a leadership roadmap can be used to plot out the internal development of team members and managers. A roadmap can be used to encourage your best employees to fulfil their potential and meet the needs of the business as it grows and changes.
Leadership Through Lean Six Sigma
Solid leadership is king in the process improvement world. Without it, projects fail, or they quickly lose focus and become ineffective or incapable of changing a business on a meaningful scale. Because process improvement relies so heavily on the executives who take a hand in projects, much of Lean Six Sigma revolves around developing and utilising leadership skills.
One of the simplest ways to apply Lean Six Sigma to your leadership roadmap is to borrow from its central principles: define your goals, demonstrate how they can be achieved and measure your results. The more specific you can be about your metrics and the results you can produce for the business, the more applicable the leadership roadmap will become for your career.
Planning for the Future
A leadership roadmap is a long-term plan. Whether you are professional planning your own development or an organisation looking to promote the employees who show potential, the effects will reach far into the future. Lean Six Sigma training is broken down into convenient levels that can be taken on as people reach certain markers in their leadership roadmap. Green Belt training is typically reserved for professionals who lead process improvement teams, Yellow Belts are for team leaders and managers, and Black Belts are for executive or organisational leaders with the means to make strategic business improvements. With that in mind, a leadership roadmap can bring you back to Lean Six Sigma training at the appropriate points in your career. Not only is training good for process improvement teams, but each Belt also provides further leadership training that can be used to refine management progression and goals. There are few systems that are more effective for teaching leadership skills and how to apply them than Lean Six Sigma, and it should play an important role in your leadership roadmap.
Plotting a Leadership Roadmap? Contact Thornley Group Today!
Lean Six Sigma helps professionals from every industry to develop their skills and become more effective managers. If your leadership roadmap calls for more training, please feel free to get in touch with Thornley Group today. We would be happy to supply more information and help you book your next certification.