"Lip Service" Leadership in Six Sigma: Why CI Efforts Fail

"Lip Service" Leadership in Six Sigma: Why CI Efforts Fail 

Have you ever been part of a promising continuous improvement initiative that just... fizzled out? The energy was high, the goals were set, but somewhere along the way, it lost steam and failed to deliver results. The problem often isn't the methodology or the team; it's a destructive pattern known as "lip service" leadership in Six Sigma. This is when executives say they support change, but their actions prove otherwise, effectively killing progress before it can even take root. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on this all-too-common issue and reveal why genuine, engaged leadership is the ultimate key to success. 

What is "Lip Service" Leadership in Six Sigma? 

At its core, "lip service" leadership in Six Sigma is the disconnect between what leaders say and what they do. They might enthusiastically approve a new CI program in the boardroom, but when a project conflicts with their personal agenda or requires real resources, their support vanishes. This creates a culture of confusion and mistrust, where data-driven improvement is constantly undermined by subjective decision-making. Consequently, team members become demoralized, knowing that their hard work can be undone by a leader's whim. This insincere support is the single biggest predictor of failure for any continuous improvement deployment. 

The Symptoms of Ineffective Six Sigma Leadership 

How can you spot this destructive pattern in your organization? It often manifests in several predictable ways. First, leaders will ignore established, data-driven systems in favor of their own intuition. In addition, they place unrealistic expectations on individuals without providing the necessary support structure. 

A few key symptoms include:   ️ Ignoring the Project Hopper: A healthy CI culture collects improvement ideas from everyone in the organization through a project hopper. However, in a "lip service" environment, leaders ignore this valuable resource and instead hand-pick projects based on their personal priorities.    Reacting to the "Pain of the Day": Instead of focusing on projects that impact key performance indicators (KPIs), leaders will chase the latest "shiny object" or react to the most recent problem they've experienced. This leads to sub-optimization, where minor issues are addressed while critical problems are ignored.  

 Asking One Person to "Save the World": A common mistake is training a single Green Belt and expecting them to single-handedly fix systemic organizational problems. This sets the individual up for failure and ensures the CI effort is not integrated into the company culture.  

 Killing Inconvenient Projects: The clearest sign of lip service is when a project is shut down because it exposes an uncomfortable truth or gets in the way of a leader's pet project. When this happens, the message is clear: the agenda is more important than actual improvement. 

The True Role of Leadership in Continuous Improvement 

So, what should a leader's role be? Instead of dictating projects, effective leaders focus on building the foundation for a sustainable CI culture. Their job is not to be the primary problem-solver, but to empower their teams to succeed. Therefore, their focus should be on creating systems and removing barriers. 

A truly s...

Chapters

• (00:00:01) - Why They Fail
• (00:00:59) - Why Continuous Improvement Initiatives Crash and Burn
• (00:02:20) - What If You Can't Lead the Six Sigma Project?
• (00:04:20) - 7 signs of a Lean Six Sigma culture
• (00:07:37) - The CI Turbine War
• (00:09:08) - What Should Leadership Be Doing to Make Six Sigma More Successful?