What are the top leadership qualities needed for a Six Sigma Black Belt to drive change?

All answers to this question.

Empathy and active listening are more important than ANOVA in the real world. A Black Belt must be a "Change Agent." You need to understand that when you change a process, you are changing how someone has done their job for 10 years. In 2024, I managed a resistant department head by involving him in the "Define" phase as a key stakeholder. I asked for his "pain points" rather than telling him what was wrong. By making him the "hero" who helped identify the solution, his sabotage turned into advocacy. You have to sell the "What's in it for me" (WIIFM) to every level of the organization, or your project will die on the shelf.

   Answered 2024-10-25 by Barbara Scott

Do you think it's better to use a "Soft" approach or a "Hard" approach when dealing with middle management resistance? Sometimes being the empathetic listener isn't enough when there are competing departmental goals. Have you ever had to escalate a project roadblock to your Champion or Master Black Belt to get the necessary executive "clout" to move forward?

   Answered 2024-10-27 by Kevin Adams

• Kevin, I try the "Soft" approach first, but I always keep the "Hard" data ready. If empathy fails, I show the financial impact of the resistance to the Project Champion. It’s not about "tattling," it's about presenting the business case for why the bottleneck needs to be removed. Having a strong Champion is your ultimate safety net when a department head refuses to play ball.

     Commented 2024-10-28 by Brian White

Resilience is the number one trait. You will hear "that's not how we do things here" a thousand times. A great Black Belt stays focused on the data and the vision until the results speak for themselves.

   Answered 2024-10-29 by Linda Young

• I couldn't agree more, Linda. Resilience is what keeps a project alive when the initial "excitement" wears off and the hard work of implementation begins.

     Commented 2024-10-30 by Barbara Scott