Role of a Leader

Leonard Pitts: We know what works; let’s do it. Also published in the Indianapolis Star, July 19, 2008.

This will be the last What Works column.

I reserve the right to report occasionally on any program I run across that shows results in saving the lives and futures of African American kids. But this is the last in the series I started 19 months ago to spotlight such programs.

Indeed, the most important thing I’ve learned is that none of this is rocket science. We already know what works. What we lack is the will to do it.

Instead, we have a hit-and-miss patchwork of programs achieving stellar results out on the fringes of the larger, failing, system. Why are they the exception and not the rule? If we know what works, why don’t we simply do it?

Leaders “job description” is to help “provide the will” to bring about needed improvements.  At the same time, Quality experts such as the late Edwards Deming estimated that the majority of changes result in no improvement.

Quality Leadership provides a better paradigm for helping to ensure that the majority of changes do result in improvement and builds the capability for continually doing what works.