Leadership is usually defined with such statements as
* Creating and communicating a vision and strategic direction
* Aligning the organisational stakeholders
* Motivating and inspiring people to deliver
The principles of Lean thinking are
* Define value from the customer’s perspective
* Define the value stream activities for the waste free delivery of each product/service
* Align the value stream for continuous flow
* Manage demand at the pull of the customer
* Seek to continually perfect what you have created
However, Leanership™ goes further. It is about
* Creating and communicating a vision and strategic direction that highlights customer value, fosters profitable, enterprise wide growth and innovation
* Aligning the organisational stakeholders (internal and external to the enterprise) to deliver customer value
* Engaging with and inspiring all stakeholders (internal and external to the enterprise) to be accountable for delivering customer value
* Being sufficiently agile to thrive in and through times of uncertainty and change
The purpose of any business is the
1. Continuous delivery of customer centric value
2. Continuous delivery of innovative and profitable products and services appropriate to a chosen customer base
3. Continuous engagement of capable and accountable people in worthwhile work to deliver and improve the flow of value to the customer
If this is true then the purpose of the people within a business is to imagine, design, deploy and leverage structures, systems, processes, skills, knowledge and talent for the benefit of their customers and themselves.
To enable people to sustainably engage in this purpose is the rationale for Leanership™
The foundations of Leanership™ are outlined above and are applied through the following principles
* Always Start with the Customer
* Always Be True to Your Guiding Values and Principles
* Always Integrate Structure, Process, Systems
* Always Attract the Right People at the Right Time with the Right Skills, Knowledge, Talents and Behaviours
* Always Strive to Deliver Better Value for Your Customers
In part 3, I will discuss in more detail each of the princples of Leanership™
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