The obsession with "guru-itis" has killed improvement.

[Sort of a Part 2 to my 12 September article]

A cautionary tale of suddenly finding oneself a "guru"

A few years ago, a former struggling colleague who now makes $40K for one speech said to me in a patronizing tone, "Oh, Davis, with you the glass is always half-empty," to which I replied, "I'd be delighted if it was half full. At least I don't call it half-full when it's 98 percent empty," and then added, "I’m glad I’m not famous. People at least tell me the truth. You could read the telephone book and get a standing ovation" (He sheepishly agreed!).

“Do you want fame? Fame will complicate your life and compromise simplicity in your comings and goings.” -- The Tao of Leadership (John Heider)

He should re-read his own words from 1997 (back when he was an Everyman just like the rest of us) from one of his last truly heartfelt speeches and ask himself what's happened in the ensuing 20+ years:

"I want to see health care become world class. I want us to promise our patients and their families things that we have never before been able to promise them...I am not satisfied with what we give them today...And as much respect as I have for the stresses and demoralizing erosion of trust in our industry, I am getting tired of excuses..."

Shortly after the speech above, an unexpected perfect storm of events thrust him into the spotlight. "Fame" set in. I watched a brilliant, passionate, innovative mind with a gift for inspiration become perched comfortably (and, unfortunately, all too profitably) at the summit of Mt. Stupid. Using the classic diffusion of innovation curve, this "innovator" and "early adopter" got usurped by a simultaneous Tsunami of the "early majority" and "late majority," who saw him as having all the answers and placed him on a pedestal.

Two of Emiliani's Laws of (Lean) Disillusionment began to take hold and continue their toxic influence to this day:

• Dilution widens acceptance. Acceptance widens dilution.
• Overproduced affection bears underproduced results.

Dr. Deming said it best in his Second Theorem: We are being ruined by best efforts.

Improvement culture has evolved over the past 20 years to become a quagmire of vague solutions to vague problems yielding vague results: speeding up evolution, but not even close to the r-evolution/transformation envisioned in his 1997 speech (and two other maybe even more inspiring ones from 1993 and 1995!).

A valued colleague's delicate, formative adolescent phase of Deming study got stopped in its tracks by fame. His teaching has become static, glass-is-half-full passionate rhetoric preaching a naively hopeful alchemy of cherry-picked "best of Deming."

Did Dr. Deming ever even imply that the "glass is half full"? Quite the opposite! He often said that most of the ensuing hard work has just gotten processes to where they should have been in the first place, with his further emphasis: "That is not improvement!"

My former colleague never learned to take the next step, stated beautifully in this quote from Dr. Deming's The New Economics (thank you, Allen Scott):

"The first step is transformation of the individual. This transformation is discontinuous...The individual, transformed, will perceive new meaning to [their] life, to events, to numbers, to interactions between people...[They] will apply its principles in every kind of relationship with other people. [They] will have a basis for judgment of [their] own decisions and for transformation of the organizations that [they] belong to."

(That is why I was so saddened at the tragedy of the missed opportunity with this former colleague described in my 12 September article).

For me, these past 20+ years have consisted of intense study and practice that has slowly imbibed the wisdom of Deming's quote and truly integrated it into my consulting – while in the process developing the very necessary humility realizing it is a never-ending journey. Unfortunately:

"When leaders become superstars, the teacher outshines the teaching"

Here are two of my favorite verses from the outstanding book The Tao of Leadership by John Heider (81 verses of intense leadership wisdom) with lessons any competent improvement practitioner must learn:

# 9 A Good Group

A good group is better than a spectacular group.

When leaders become superstars, the teacher outshines the teaching.

Very few superstars are down-to-earth. Fame breeds fame, and before long they get carried away with themselves.

Then they fly off center and crash.

The wise leader settles for good work and then lets others have the floor. The leader does not take all the credit for what happens and has no need for fame.

A moderate ego demonstrates wisdom.

 #13 Success

If you measure success in terms of praise and criticism, your anxiety will be endless.

Having a good reputation or becoming well-known for your work can be a hindrance to your further development.

Fame is as burdensome as caring for yourself properly.

What is the problem with praise and criticism?

If the group applauds one thing you do, and then you feel good, you will worry if they do not applaud as loudly the next time. If they are critical, if they argue or complain, you will feel hurt.

Either way, you are anxious and dependent.

How can a good reputation be a hindrance?

A good reputation naturally arises from doing good work. But if you try to cherish your reputation, if you try to preserve it, you lose the freedom and honesty necessary for further development.

How is fame like caring for yourself?

In order to do good work, you must take good care of yourself.

You must value yourself and allow others to value you also. But if you make too much of yourself, you will become egocentric.

Egocentricity injures both self and work.

If you can live with the fruits of success and care for yourself properly, you will be able to foster success in other people.

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“During the last 20 years, I have noticed increasing levels of groupthink and satisfaction among people who promote a management practice that abhors groupthink and satisfaction. This reflects professional dishonesty and a lack of self-awareness. Yet, such leaders still have many followers.” – Bob Emiliani

I'm getting tired of high profile people "getting tired of excuses" using inspiring public "scoldings" followed by a hollow "Go on, just DO it!" exhortation

Work it out for yourself – easier than you might give yourself credit for and your job will become far more interesting!

"Study guide"

QBQ! The question behind the question (John Miller) + The Deming Dimension (Henry Neave) + Fourth Generation Management (Brian Joiner) + Data Sanity (Balestracci) will cost you between $150 and $200 – a lot cheaper than a "belt" or expensive conference... and you'll be far more competent.

(I might even recommend throwing in a copy of The Tao Leadership...)

As far as I'm concerned, you and I are colleagues: I'm the statistician, I know nothing. You are the expert in your job, you know too much. That makes us a good team!