Let’s be honest.
When people hear Lean Six Sigma, their minds usually go straight to… Excel dashboards, endless process maps, certifications hanging on the wall, and that one colleague who always says, “Let’s use DMAIC.”
Fair. Because that’s what they’ve seen.
But that’s also the problem.
Lean Six Sigma isn’t just a toolbox for process geeks. It’s not about having the right acronym in a PowerPoint deck or calculating standard deviation like it’s a magic spell. And if that’s all you take from it – congratulations, you’ve missed the point entirely.
Because when applied with intention, Lean Six Sigma doesn’t just transform processes – it transforms mindsets.
It rewires how teams collaborate.
It reveals what excellence actually looks like (spoiler: it’s not perfection).
It forces us to ask better questions, not just find faster answers.
The Truth: Most Problems Are Not in the Numbers
I’ve seen entire teams fixate on performance indicators without asking what’s really behind them.
One team was trying to “improve meeting productivity.” So, naturally, they set a KPI: Reduce meeting duration by 30%.
Logical, right?
Except nobody asked the most human question: Why do these meetings exist in the first place?
We dug in with a simple Lean technique , a voice-of-the-customer map. Guess what surfaced? The problem wasn’t the meetings. It was fear of making decisions. People stayed in endless meetings because nobody wanted to commit.
That’s when I remembered: Lean isn’t about reducing minutes. It’s about increasing meaning.
The Three Lean Pillars That Actually Matter
After years of working with teams, these are the core principles I return to – and none of them require a belt color:
1. Clarity
Not fake clarity — real, aligned. Why are we doing this? What does “better” actually mean? If three people in a room can’t explain the goal in the same sentence, you’re not clear yet.
2. Structure
Structure is not rigidity. It’s rhythm. It’s the 5 Whys when chaos hits. It’s SIPOC when everyone’s talking in circles. It’s a visual map on the wall that says: “We’re here. This is next.”
3. Measurable Progress
Not vanity metrics. Not “we had five workshops.” But: What changed? Who’s doing something differently today? What no longer goes wrong? Can we breathe easier now?
Lean Six Sigma as a Cultural Mindset
A team I once worked with had their Lean training, mapped the process, found the bottlenecks, and then paused.
“I know what’s broken,” one of them said, “but I don’t feel safe enough to speak up about it.”
There’s your real problem.
You can have all the tools in the world, but if the culture doesn’t allow people to challenge, to imagine, to test and fail without punishment, nothing moves.
This is why I always say: Lean isn’t about being efficient. It’s about being courageous. Saying what others don’t. Trying what’s never been done. Tracking what matters — not what’s easy to track.
From Business Tools to Human Tools
Yes, Lean Six Sigma helps reduce waste. Improve performance. Streamline flows.
But what it actually gives you is something deeper:
- The discipline to observe before reacting
- The structure to move forward with intention
- The humility to say, “Maybe our way isn’t the best way anymore.”
That’s the part I wish more people talked about.
Because at its heart, Lean Six Sigma isn’t about better systems. It’s about building better ways of thinking – in business, in teams, and in ourselves.
One Last Thought
We throw the word “excellence” around a lot. It’s in every strategy deck, every corporate vision.
But here’s the question I’ll leave you with:
How do you define excellence in your organization — and how often does your definition change?
Because Lean Six Sigma isn’t about sticking to the plan. It’s about building the kind of culture where plans evolve, where people think critically, and where “better” is always in motion.
Let that be your real KPI.
