The Hidden Enemy of Continuous Improvement

If you’ve been practicing continuous improvement long enough, you’ve almost certainly heard one, possibly all, of these statements:

• We tried that before.
• That won’t work here. We’re different.
• Management won’t approve it.
• That’s just the way it is around here.

Sadly, for many, these phrases are painfully familiar. And worse yet, since words have power, they can stop a good idea in its tracks before the first experiment even begins.

And while it’s easy to become discouraged when you hear things like this, the mindset behind these statements is nothing new.

In fact, centuries ago, philosophers used a word to describe this very tendency: pusillanimity.

Obviously, this isn’t a word we hear used much today, but its meaning is extremely relevant to continuous improvement. Pusillanimity literally means “smallness of soul.”

The Problem with Smallness of Soul

Now, to be clear, pusillanimity doesn’t mean laziness. In fact, a pusillanimous person might work very hard and be super dedicated to the cause.

The problem is actually much more subtle. The pusillanimous person aims too low. They settle for less than they’re capable of doing.

And when that happens within an organization, improvement stalls, not because people lack skill, talent, or resources, but because they’ve quietly convinced themselves lasting change isn’t possible.

In Lean, we talk a lot about eliminating waste. And, as most reading this likely know, one of the greatest wastes in any organization is the unused creativity and potential of the people doing the work.

When people believe they can’t improve a system, that potential stays locked away. The old saying, “whether you think you can, or can’t, you’re right,” is especially relevant here.

The Opposite: Greatness of Soul

The opposite of pusillanimity is the virtue of magnanimity.

Magnanimity literally means “greatness of soul.” It describes a person who believes they’re capable of doing meaningful things and accepts full responsibility to see them through. Not out of ego. But out of a sense of duty.

Aristotle described magnanimity as the virtue of someone who seeks great things because they’re worthy of them.

Some confuse magnanimity with arrogance. This is wrong. Arrogance claims greatness without the effort. Magnanimity accepts greatness with humility and responsibility.

And when you think about it, Lean thinking is deeply connected to this idea.

Continuous improvement assumes something very important about people…namely that we’re capable of better. Better processes. Better systems. Better ways of customer care.

Small Thinking Inside Organizations

Smallness of soul shows up in organizations more frequently than we might realize. It often sounds like this:

• That’s just how the industry works.
• We can’t change that part of the process.
• Leadership will never go for it.

Again, these statements are rarely malicious. And many times, they may even come from experience. People have seen initiatives fail. They’ve seen ideas dismissed. And to protect themselves, they eventually lower their expectations. Instead of asking, “How can we improve this?” they start asking, “How do we live with it?”

But Lean thinking challenges that mindset. Shigeo Shingo famously said, “Improvement usually means doing something that we have never done before.” Implicit in that statement is a powerful belief: every process can be improved.

The Courage to Improve

With all this said, improvement does require courage. It requires people to ask questions that may feel uncomfortable:

• Why do we do it this way?
• Is there a better method?
• What waste are we accepting without noticing?

These questions challenge habits. They challenge assumptions. Sometimes they even challenge authority (respectfully, of course).

And that’s why smallness of soul can creep into organizations. It’s safer to remain quiet. It’s easier to maintain the status quo.

But Lean cultures encourage something very different. They encourage people to believe that their observations matter. That they can identify and solve problems.

The Leader’s Responsibility

One of the most important responsibilities of a Lean leader is helping people overcome this smallness of soul. Not by demanding improvement. But by developing confidence.

Think about what happens when a leader consistently asks questions like:

• What do you think?
• What obstacles are in the way?
• What experiment could we try, and what do you think will happen?

When leaders listen carefully and support experimentation, something powerful begins to happen.

People start to realize that maybe, just maybe, we can improve this process. Over time, this realization spreads, and continuous improvement becomes the new normal, something everyone participates in.

Lean Is Ultimately About People

Lean tools are important. Things like 5S, value stream maps, A3 thinking, visual management, and standardized work all help us improve systems.

But tools alone don’t create improvement cultures. What really drives improvement is a belief about people. A belief that people are capable. Capable of seeing and solving problems. Capable of contributing meaningfully to the success of the organization.

When leaders help people rediscover that belief, something remarkable happens. The organization stops thinking small.

And that, my dear friends, is when continuous improvement really begins.

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