Competition should not be for a share of the market-but to expand the market.
W. Edwards DemingRead
The aim of leadership should be to improve the performance of man and machine, to improve quality, to increase output, and simultaneously to bring pride of workmanship to people. Put in a negative way, the aim of leadership is not merely to find and record failures of men, but to remove the causes of failure: to help people to do a better job with less effort.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Effective leadership focuses on enhancing both human and machine performance while fostering a sense of pride in work.
In this quote, W. Edwards Deming emphasizes that true leadership is about uplifting the capabilities of individuals and systems rather than merely identifying and documenting failures. By removing obstacles and enhancing quality and output, leaders can inspire pride in their teams, ultimately creating a more productive and motivated workforce.
Themes
LeadershipPerformanceImprovementQualityEffort
In practice
Example use cases
In a team meeting focused on enhancing productivity, the manager quotes Deming to emphasize the importance of a supportive leadership approach.
More from W. Edwards Deming
All quotes →The job can't be finished only improved to please the customer.
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Don't expect smart people to listen to you without proof.
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Quality begins with the intent, which is fixed by management.
W. Edwards DemingRead
Learn the basics of analytics and people will love you. If you don't have time to learn, hire someone.
W. Edwards DemingRead
Just because you can measure everything doesn't mean that you should.
W. Edwards DemingRead
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