Episode 40: The Shingo Leader

The Shingo Model promotes a culture of respect for every individual, with leadership rooted in humility. Gary Peterson of O.C. Tanner exemplifies this through his leadership, which has been the subject of research by Helen Zak, who is the Research Director at the Shingo Institute, Peter Hines, who is a Shingo Faculty Fellow and Shingo Academy Member, and Juliana Salvadorinho, who is working with the Institute as a research assistant. Their study focuses on O.C. Tanner as a Shingo Prize recipient site and investigates Gary's leadership effectiveness over the past 37 years, emphasizing four key leadership systems at the company. While traditional organizations focus on specific leadership tasks—like gemba walks, strategy deployment, and coaching—O.C. Tanner goes deeper by prioritizing the cultivation of effective behaviors. This begins with hiring individuals who exhibit the right behaviors and fostering mindsets that allow these behaviors to thrive. The company emphasizes two key mindsets: the Growth Mindset, which views all experiences as learning opportunities, and the Outward Mindset, which encourages actions that benefit others. Gary models these principles through his micro-behaviors, including his language, tone, body language, and emotions, which consistently convey positivity, trust, and collaboration. His inquisitive communication style and consistent non-verbal cues build a culture of trust and alignment. What distinguishes O.C. Tanner is how Gary’s approach has been adopted by the entire leadership team, ensuring a unified mindset and leadership style throughout the organization.

To learn more, please visit https://shingo.org/articles.