Leadership Lessons Learned from Lean Six Sigma Certification: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has long been recognized as a tool to help organizations become more efficient, but rarely has it been considered as a way to foster leadership skills. There is a lack of understanding of how LSS certification affects leadership skills, which impacts organizational success by not taking full advantage of LSS training. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive phenomenological study was to explore a deeper understanding of LSS certification and how it influences an individual’s leadership skills, through the participant’s perceptions. The guiding theoretical framework for this study was the full range leadership theory (FRLT). This theory categorizes leadership into three general concepts; laissez-faire, transactional, or transformational leadership. Potential participants were given the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, which consists of 45 questions and is used to indicate their leadership style. Those identified as transformational were selected for the study, since transformational leadership is more effective than transactional or laissez-faire styles. Personal interviews were conducted on 12 participants and the data was analyzed manually using NVivo software. Results showed all 12 participants agreed LSS certification greatly improved their leadership skills. The potential impact within organizations who certify LSS practitioners as well as companies who are interested in leadership development could be substantially positive. The message of the entire study is LSS certification has a significant impact on one’s leadership skills, including developing new skills or enhancing existing skills. With limited previous research on this subject, the results have the potential to add to the field of leadership studies. Future research should consider the development of critical thinking and systems thinking skills during LSS certification. Another study to be considered is to measure the participant’s leadership skills before and after the LSS certification process.