Courageous Leadership

The Missing Link to Creating a Lean Culture of Excellence

Published by Productivity Press  |  ISBN: 978-1138104389

About the Book

Courageous Leadership: The Missing Link to Creating a Lean Culture of Excellence is one of the first of its kind to wade through the confusion among leaders on selecting the type of change approach that will get the best results in their organization.

This groundbreaking book educates senior executive leaders and organizational excellence practitioners on the different characteristics of change and answers why the approach to incremental and transitional change cannot deliver the results expected from a transformational change.

Drawing from his experiences leading several small and large-scale organization transformations in multiple industries across different countries, Sumeet Kumar shares how to establish a robust foundation for an excellence journey and integrate strategy into daily operations.

This book elaborates on the types of courage and what it means to be a courageous leader while leading change in difficult situations, and what leaders do differently for putting the organization on a path to excellence and culture transformation.

Courageous Leadership

The Missing Link to Creating a Lean Culture of Excellence

Sumeet Kumar

A Comprehensive Framework for Excellence

This book serves as a practical guide for leaders who wish to embark on or are in various stages of their organizational excellence and culture transformation journey.

26

Foundation Elements

Readers are guided through 26 elements necessary for establishing a robust foundation for organizational excellence and sustainable transformation.

22

Management System Elements

An additional set of 22 Management System elements required to create and sustain a culture of quality across the organization.

Integrated Best Practices

An innovative design combining principles from Malcolm Baldrige, Shingo, Lean, Six Sigma, Balanced Scorecard, Accreditation, Change Management, and the Competing Values Framework.

📋

Visual Learning Tools

Several examples with creative visuals, ready-to-use templates and standard works, models, guiding principles, and strategies based on best practices.

💡

Sensei Gyaan Insights

Brief sections on 'Sensei Gyaan (Teacher Knowledge)' interspersed throughout the book provide valuable tips based on the author's experience.

🏥

Healthcare-Focused Framework

For leaders in healthcare, the book provides a framework supporting patient and family centred care, dignity and respect, information sharing, participation, and collaboration.

What You'll Learn

Understanding Change Types

The critical differences between incremental, transitional, and transformational change, and why each requires different approaches.

Courageous Leadership

The types of courage required and what it truly means to be a courageous leader while leading change in difficult situations.

Strategy Integration

How to integrate strategy into daily operations and deploy it throughout the organization from the boardroom to the frontline.

Culture Transformation

Systematic approaches to organizational culture assessment, desired culture definition, and sustainable culture change.

Performance Management

Implementation of Balanced Scorecard, Hoshin Kanri, performance metrics, and visual management systems.

Problem-Solving Capabilities

Building creative problem-solving muscle and continuous improvement capabilities throughout the organization.

Inside the Book

A comprehensive guide with key chapters covering every aspect of leading transformational change and building a culture of excellence.

Key Topics Include:

  • Create a Shared Need for Change
  • Define the Guiding Principles and Management System Elements
  • Develop Communication Plans with Visual Management
  • Celebrate Experiments and Recognize Teams
  • Build Problem-Solving Muscle
  • Leadership and Courage in Practice
  • Strategy Planning and Execution
  • Employee Engagement Strategies

Practical Tools:

  • Ready-to-use Templates
  • Standard Work Examples
  • Assessment Models
  • Implementation Frameworks
  • Visual Management Tools
  • Performance Scorecards
  • PDSA Cycles
  • Gemba Walk Guidelines

Who Should Read This Book

👔

Senior Executive Leaders

CEOs, COOs, and executive teams leading organizational transformation initiatives.

Excellence Practitioners

Quality professionals, Lean leaders, and Six Sigma Black Belts driving improvement programs.

📊

Change Management Leaders

Directors and managers responsible for leading change initiatives and cultural transformation.

🏥

Healthcare Leaders

Hospital administrators, patient care executives, and healthcare quality professionals.

About Sumeet Kumar

With broad experience spanning two decades, Sumeet Kumar has been leading individuals and organizations through business and culture transformation. He has a proven track record for stimulating organic business growth, increasing revenues and profits, and decreasing overhead.

Organizational excellence through strategy planning and execution, innovation, continuous quality improvement, and project management has been the focus of his partnerships with Boards, leadership and executive teams in automotive, food, chemical, paper, textile, education, and healthcare.

A Mechanical Engineer and MBA by qualification, Sumeet has held numerous titles that speak to his expertise in strategic systemic change, including Vice President and Business Head, Chief Strategy Officer, and Director of Transformation.

Sumeet's professional reputation and passion for driving positive culture change by integrating best practices and principles of Malcolm Baldrige, Shingo, Accreditation, ISO, GMP, Six Sigma, TQM, TPM, WCM, and Lean quality management into daily operations has made him a sought-after speaker at national and international forums.

🏢 Founded KFI Management Consulting

In 2015, providing advisory services in Lean management systems, strategy execution, and capacity building.

🌐 International Experience

Led transformations across multiple industries and countries with proven results.

What Leaders Are Saying

"A thought-provoking book that provides leaders a structure to subjective nuances of creating an organizational culture. Sumeet will walk you through a journey of self-realization and courage; the courage it takes to transform your leadership and the organization."
Stephane Giguère

CEO, Ottawa Community Housing Corporation

"A management-excellence playbook for business leaders to be successful in this world of constant change. This book provides the tools necessary to guide the change journey from the beginning when defining your Change Vision, through the middle when ensuring Employee Engagement, to the end, when confirming the change sticks."
Corina Moore

President and CEO, Ontario Northland

"A brilliant interplay of Lean Management and Leadership Courage. Sumeet takes the reader on an exciting journey of excellence filled with teachable moments. A required reading for all leaders."
Paul Heinrich

President

"An excellent resource for leaders embarking on a culture transformation journey. Sumeet provides the reader with a systematic approach supported with real case examples of leading behavior change in an organization. The pictorial representation of technical concepts, models and tools makes the book more interesting, provides clarity to visual folks, and enhances reader's learning experience."
Nancy H. Jacko

Former Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive, NBRHC

"This book is a valuable resource explaining the various types of change along with key strategies to ensure success. The emphasis on change behaviors at the leadership and staff levels for organization transformation is paramount. What a terrific synthesis of management excellence. A must-have manual for leaders!"
Joanne Bezzubetz

Vice President Patient Care Services, The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre

"Sumeet takes a principles based approach to leading sustainable change. Blending theories and actual experience, the book provides the reader with practical tools for organizational quality transformation."
Dr. Susan J. Adams

Former Chief of Psychiatry, NBRHC

"A practical and insightful guide to quality transformation. Sumeet explains the theoretical and practical considerations of leading large scale change, involving stakeholders and linking strategy from the front line to the board table."
Paul Heinrich

President

Transform Your Organization Today

Join the ranks of leaders who have successfully navigated transformational change. Get your copy of Courageous Leadership and begin your journey to creating a culture of excellence.

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