That time a kaizen team member said, "I want to cut your throat!"

Make it happen!

Managers make a plan; high impact leaders make it happen.

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

I had been leading Lean/kaizen events for three years before I started studying and reading leadership. In the beginning, I didn’t realize how important it was to learn and apply leadership principles to get better results. All I had heard about were the Lean tools.

Nothing I read discussed having respect for the people in a way that really taught me how to respect the people. That’s because most Lean experts are not leadership experts. They may be naturally good leaders, but most haven’t actually studied, applied, and taught leadership development formally for many years.

I’ve read hundreds of leadership development books and written 12 of my own, including four in my Blue-Collar Leadership? Series. I learned to effectively apply leadership principles while leading Lean transformations and kaizen events. As a result, I’m uniquely qualified to provide you with insight that few Lean experts can.

As a high impact Lean leader, you’re responsible for making things happen. I’ve packed Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean & Lean Teams full of stories and principles in an effort to motivate and inspire you to intentionally embrace personal growth and leadership development on an entirely new level.

Several research studies have revealed that 87% of your influence (results) comes from character, and 13% from competency. In Lean language, that means 87% of your influence is based on Respect for the People, and 13% is based on Continuous Improvement. Character multiplies competency.

You can leverage the Lean tools and multiply their effectiveness by Respecting the People.

In the last chapter, I shared an example of how my relationships with kaizen team members helped me make things happen. Now, I’m going to share a story of how developing my character allowed me to make things happen. The key for me was developing self-control.

Self-control is always the right thing. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “The best thing you can do is the right thing…”

In 2009, I toured a facility with a new client to identify a pilot area for their first kaizen event. Walking through the plant, the plant manager and I discussed the possibilities of the pilot area. I reminded him these were only possibilities and asked him not to discuss them, as we couldn’t be sure what the team would decide to do.

I returned a few weeks later for the event. We had only five days to make things happen. On Monday, the team members met me for the first time. I was glad one of the team members was the operator from the area we were going to focus on. Having him involved would be critical to the success of the event.

I asked the operator, as I always do, “Last week, what were you thinking about this week?”

He angrily replied, “I couldn’t wait until you got here, so I could cut your damn throat!” (Note: You can also listen to an episode on my Blue-Collar Leadership podcast on this same topic where I share a few more details.)

I was shocked. I didn’t know this man. This man didn’t know me.

However, I knew nothing was going to happen until we got past his intense anger toward me. The right response was critical. I tried to ease the tension in the room with, “Why don’t you tell us how you really feel sir?”

My reply didn’t soften his anger, but it did let him know I didn’t take it personally, and we could talk about it. He was angry. I knew losing my self-control wasn’t going to increase my influence with him or anyone else, and it wouldn’t solve the issue. You won’t be a high impact Lean leader if you can’t control yourself when others don’t.

After a few questions, I discovered the root cause of his anger was hearing a rumor that his work platform, among other things, would be removed as part of the changes the team would be making.

Avoiding rumors like this was the reason I had asked the plant manager not to share the possibilities we discussed. He hadn’t listened.

I assured the operator he was the most important part of our team, and while the team would recommend changes, he had the final say. I also told him if he wanted the platform to stay and it was removed anyway, I would leave and not return. I won’t work with leaders who don’t respect their people. I built trust with him. By Wednesday, the operator was on a fork lift tossing his platform in the scrap bin out back.

I didn’t always have that level of self-control. I gained it by learning how to lead myself well through studying and applying leadership principles. High impact Lean leaders make it happen because of their character.

  “Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can.” ~ Willis R. Whitney

What our clients are saying...

"My first words are, GET SIGNED UP! This training is not, and I stress, not your everyday leadership seminar! I have never been apart of anything like it. After 30 years in technology and two years in Concrete Construction, I have attended dozens and sent hundreds to the so-called 'Leadership-Training.' I can tell you that while all of the courses, classes, webinars, and seminars, had good intentions, nothing can touch what Mack and Ria Story provide. I just wish I had it 20 years ago...I could go on-and-on. We had 98% in attendance and 100% of the team that attended said that they were 'blown-away, they did not see their conviction and passion coming.' Many thanks, Mack and Ria!" ~ Sam McLamb, COO/VP CMP Pumping, Inc.

Sam provided the words above in a formal LinkedIn recommendation a few days after taking advantage of the special blue-collar industry offer below.

SPECIAL BLUE-COLLAR LEADERSHIP OFFER

What I will do for you…

If you or your leaders will invest in your team, I will too because I value growing and developing the great people in the blue-collar workforce regardless of their title or position. I’ll pay all of my expenses to travel anywhere in the USA to conduct up to 4 hours of complimentary, on site leadership development training for any size group, large or small, at any level. This is my money and my time, not corporate money on company time. Why do I make this offer? Because, I have a passion for growing and developing the often overworked, overlooked, and underdeveloped blue-collar workforce and those who lead them.

Click here to watch a short testimonial from a blue-collar leader who went through many of my 1/2 day on site, leadership development workshops.

What you must do for your team…

Purchase 200 copies (direct from me for $3,600) of any combination of my six Blue-Collar Leadership Series books and distribute them to your blue-collar workforce. (We're paid up to $20,000 to speak. However, we waive our speaking fees for blue-collar leaders who are willing to invest in their team and take advantage of this special offer.)

Note: 52 weeks X 40 hours = 2,080 hours per year. $18.00 per book per person / 2,080 hours = $.009 (less than a penny per hour per person annualized investment). Don't have 200 people, purchase multiple copies of the different books and lead your team through several book studies. These books all have 30 three page chapters. Each chapters takes only 6-7 minutes to read which makes them perfect for daily or weekly book studies. Your team can read them on the spot. No preparation. No homework.

Learn more about the 6 books (available as paperback, eBook, and AudioBook) below that are included in this special offer:

• Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players
• Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines
• Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team’s Potential
• Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean & Lean Teams
• Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change
• Defining Influence: Increasing Your Influence Increases Your Options

I'm happy to get on a complimentary call at 334-728-4143. Let’s make it happen! 

Note: I encourage you to be a river, not a reservoir. Please share my blogs with others if you find value in them. I believe in abundance and write them to help others become more effective, successful, and significant.

Make an impact!

Mack Story

I help leaders engage the front line to improve the bottom line.