The leadership path is often paved with mistakes. These mistakes, both minor and major, are the metal that can either forge or destroy leaders and their reputations along the way. The reality is that there is no such thing as a perfect leader, there are leaders who have honed their skill through trial and error. […]
August 31, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
Everyone has an opinion about everything it seems. It can be particularly frustrating when those opinions come in the form of candid, constructive feedback from a third-party. The frustration is rooted in not knowing the intentions of the third-party in providing such feedback – is it based on observation or speculation, is it intended to […]
August 31, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
For the most part, it’s been argued that the point is that you are there (where ever that is) regardless of how you got there. Well, sometimes, how you got there is just as, if not more important. Sometimes the value of the journey is worth sacrificing (albeit a controllable one) the outcome. In the […]
August 15, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
Problem solving strategies provide a great deal of value in an organization’s efforts to implement lean principles. Effective problem solving strategies allow the organization to drill down to the root cause and any contributing factors of safety incidents, quality spills, and variations to standardized processes. These deviations can then be contained, controlled or completely eliminated. […]
August 7, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
Great leaders have the ability to motivate, if not inspire people to action. The ability to conceptualize a vision and then communicate it to others in a manner that elicits excitement, passion and desire to see the vision realized are hallmarks of a great leader. In this excellent TEDTalk, Simon Simek illustrates what he believes […]
July 23, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
The exercise of power is a reflection of the leader’s temperament, character, confidence and competence. Failing to moderate the use of power can have negative consequences on the organization, particularly on the level of employee engagement. As such, power and its use should be informed by two things…moderation and consideration. Moderation Power informed by moderation […]
July 9, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
There has been a great deal of ongoing dialogue regarding women and leadership generated by Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In. Sandberg’s book has thrust feminism, gender in the workplace, and developing women leaders to the forefront of our collective consciousness. Countless women and men are having “aha” moments as they read of Sheryl’s experience and […]
June 25, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
The fastest point from A to B is a straight line, right? Not always. Leaders recognize that in terms of career development, the best path is one that is focused on experiential learning and breadth of experience. This means there may be lateral and forward motion, will little or no steps backward. It can […]
June 23, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
There has been much discussion regarding the topic of work life balance. While some would argue that it is possible to strike a balance between the demands of work and the needs of your personal life, others would contend that there is no such thing. Instead, they counter that there will be sacrifices, opportunity costs […]
June 19, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
From a lean standpoint, stranger theory implies that an organization’s workplace should have visuals that are so clear and easily understood that even a stranger can “go and see” the status of the operations at any given point. The visual controls used should meet the needs of the operations team and the leadership team in […]
September 28, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
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