Transformational Quality [Business] Leadership

In his November post to A View from the Q, ASQ CEO Bill Troy explores the linkage between Quality and leadership. Bill suggests that the quality professional, wherever he or she may be and at whatever level of management, must be a leader to be effective.

I subscribe to the theory that the primary role of the Quality leader in any organization is to manage the organizational white spaces at the hand-offs between siloed functions within horizontal work processes and systems.

The most effective leaders possess and expertly demonstrate "soft skills" necessary for promoting and advancing teamwork, collaboration, cultural diversity and a high-performing, engaged workforce, while exhibiting strong project management skills, decisiveness and acute global business acumen.

The successful quality professional / leader is also a teacher, coach, mentor and influencer.

 

During the first 15 years of my career I focused on the effective application of traditional tools and methods to improve processes and products. Today, as a Quality leader, I strive to be a mentor and coach, helping others to grow and succeed. Today’s increasing rate of change and complexity requires transformational leadership - a performer who achieves results and also a community builder who helps others in the organization to succeed. The rate of change is accelerating exponentially, complexity is growing, "wicked" problems are increasing.

"Transformational leaders establish enhanced, more effective mindsets within their community. They are inspired by a deep understanding of individual and collective purpose; and they successfully bring into creation that which previously did not exist."                                         – EOQ Transformation Summit 2005

Current ASQ Chair Stephen Hacker has authored nine books on the topic of transformational change including most recently, How to Coach Individuals, Teams and Organizations to Master Transformational Change: Surfing Tsunamis. Stephen Hacker defines a transformational leader as one who balances creativity and administrative responsibilities; is analytical yet visionary; energetic and empowering; a performer and also a coach. The transformational leader is equally skilled leading compliance/standardization type activities and breakthrough continuous improvement projects. The transformational leader effectively balances workforce focus to improve internal efficiencies for operational excellence while strengthening the organization's customer focus for sustainable growth.   See illustration below.

*Used with permission. Stephen Hacker, CEO and Founding Partner, Transformation Systems International, LLC (www.http://tsi4results.com).For more information about Transformational Leadership, please read the paper "Transformational Leadership: Creating Step-Functional Change" by Stephen Hacker.