Go to the Gemba!

Welcome to the Leader’s Lens: The Perspective Shift issue!

This issue offers a fresh perspective and actionable tips to enhance your leadership this week.

Send me an email and let me know how you plan on implementing this perspective shift in your leadership!

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I just got back from Birmingham, Alabama.

For four days with the Empower Initiative, 20 participants and I walked through the history of the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, visiting sites that shaped our nation.

This trip was framed as a it was a pilgrimage, not a tour. It was a journey that immersed me in stories I had heard before, stories I had never known, and stories that added the missing pieces to our collective United States history.

It left me with a sense of responsibility.

One of the biggest takeaways from this trip came from lean management concept called “go to the gemba”, which means going to the source of a problem to understand the situation better instead of making assumptions from a distance.

Learning from stories about our historic leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, and Dr. Richard Arrington, Jr. within Civil Rights Movement brought to light that leaders didn’t just discuss injustice from afar.

They stepped into the spaces where injustice lived, engaged with the people most impacted, and built solutions that came from the ground up.

What Does This Mean for Leadership Today?

I know I often get caught up analyzing problems from the boardroom or my office chair instead of walking way from my desk and seeing the root cause first hand It is easy to rely on reports, secondhand narratives, or our own assumptions rather than engaging with the people closest to the challenge. 

But what if we led differently?

What if we...

Got closer to the issue?

• Instead of assuming, we seek firsthand understanding.

• We ask questions before offering opinions.

• We listen with curiosity instead of judgment.

Recognized that every movement needs different roles?

• Not every leader is on the megaphone. Some build, some strategize, some support behind the scenes. But every role is important.

• Change can also happen in offices, homes, and communities. We can see culture change through our relationships.

• Leadership isn’t about doing everything. It’s about knowing your role and leveraging your gifts to advance the initiative.

Built short bridges to long-term impact?

• Change starts closest to us through the conversations we have with our teams, our families, and our communities.

• We don’t have to wait for big systems to move before we take action where we are.

How will we lead forward?

While standing in the Legacy Museum, I saw jars of soil collected from sites where people were lynched.

While walking through the large metal “caskets”, I saw the names and years people were lynched by county across America.

Some had names. Many were marked “Unknown.”

I also read about individuals who’s only role in the movement was handing out sandwiches for those marching.

Or giving rides or places to stay for leaders across the state.

Or encouraging the next generation to leverage their energy to be visible and present with their actions.

It was a reminder: Not every story gets told. Not every contribution is seen.

But that doesn’t mean it didn’t matter.

The Civil Rights Movement was built by everyday people doing everyday work that added up to extraordinary change.

This trip was inspiring and eye opening!

It also get me excited to learn more of the stories in our history that has shaped the places, spaces, practices and policies associated with our society.

So, as a leader, here are the questions I would like for us to ponder:

1. Where in your leadership are you making assumptions instead of seeking firsthand understanding?

2. What role do you play in creating more inclusive and just spaces in your workplace or community?

3. How can you take a small but meaningful action this week to bridge the gap between awareness and impact?

Our leadership can shape the world around us. Let’s lead with proximity, purpose, and courage.

This week, challenge yourself to "go to the gemba"—step into the spaces where real challenges exist, engage with those closest to the issue, and lead with curiosity before judgment.

What’s one action you’ll take?

Let me know your thoughts!

Ray

Whenever you are ready, here are ways you can work with me:

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P.S. - Thank you to those who have filled out the survey letting me know more about your leadership journey! I am excited to dive into the results over the next couple of weeks to provide you with resources and content that will support your leadership! If you haven’t filled it out yet, do so by clicking the link here!