Speaker 1: Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
Speaker 1: performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajiving. This
Speaker 1: is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellavaledo.
Speaker 2: Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
Speaker 2: It's episode four eighty seven. Today, I want to talk
Speaker 2: to you about something that has stood the test of
Speaker 2: time in ancient Japanese philosophy that could quietly change the
Speaker 2: way you lead in the way you live. It's called kaizen.
Speaker 2: The word means continuous improvement. But the power of kaizen
Speaker 2: is in its simplicity. Get one percent better every single day.
Speaker 2: So think about that for a second. One percent is
Speaker 2: almost nothing. If I told you to increase your sales
Speaker 2: by fifty percent this week, that would feel impossible. If
Speaker 2: I told you to change your entire leadership style overnight,
Speaker 2: you'd probably laugh and walk away. But one percent better,
Speaker 2: that's doable, and over time that adds up. Here's the math.
Speaker 2: One percent improvement compounded every day for a year equals
Speaker 2: thirty seven times better, not thirty seven percent thirty seven times.
Speaker 2: That's the difference between an average leader and an unforgettable one.
Speaker 2: But here's where Kaysen becomes more than just numbers. It's
Speaker 2: about humility. It's about understanding that no matter how long
Speaker 2: you've been a leader, no matter how many titles or
Speaker 2: trophies you have, there's still a tiny bit of room
Speaker 2: for improvement every single day. And that tiny bit is
Speaker 2: where greatness lives. So let me give you an example.
Speaker 2: Let's say you're a manager who struggle with communication. Maybe
Speaker 2: you talk too much in meetings, or maybe you don't
Speaker 2: talk enough. Kaisen doesn't say become a world class communicator overnight.
Speaker 2: Kaisen says, today, ask one better question than you did yesterday.
Speaker 2: That's it. One better question, and tomorrow ask another, and
Speaker 2: over time, you'll notice people leaning in when you speak,
Speaker 2: they'll trust your voice more. That's Kaisen in action. Or
Speaker 2: let's look at how this plays out in your team.
Speaker 2: What if your culture isn't where you want it to be.
Speaker 2: You don't flip a switch and fix it, but you
Speaker 2: could celebrate one small win today that you might have
Speaker 2: ignored yesterday. You could thank one person a little more specifically,
Speaker 2: you could catch one person doing something right day after day.
Speaker 2: Those small one percent changes build the kind of culture
Speaker 2: that can carry an organization for years. That challenge with Kaisen, though,
Speaker 2: is patience. We live in a world where everything has
Speaker 2: to be fast. Leaders want results now, but Kaisen asks
Speaker 2: you to think long term. If you're in it just
Speaker 2: for the quick win, this philosophy will frustrate you. But
Speaker 2: if you have the courage to stick with it, the
Speaker 2: results will sneak up on you. One day, you'll look
Speaker 2: back and realize you've completely transformed, not by leaps, but
Speaker 2: because of steps. And here's where I want to challenge you.
Speaker 2: For the next thirty days. Take the Kais and challenge
Speaker 2: pick one area of your leadership, just one. Maybe it's listening,
Speaker 2: maybe it's delegating, maybe it's accountability. And every day for
Speaker 2: the next month, get one percent better in that area.
Speaker 2: Track it, write it down. It doesn't matter if you
Speaker 2: use a notebook, your phone, or sticky notes at your desk.
Speaker 2: At the end of thirty days, I promise you you'll see
Speaker 2: the difference. And let me make this clear. It's not
Speaker 2: about perfection. It's about progress. If you mess up one day,
Speaker 2: it doesn't erase the other days. Kaisen isn't about being flawless.
Speaker 2: It's about showing up. Improvement is not a straight line,
Speaker 2: it's a climb. With bumps and plateaus, but if you
Speaker 2: stay consistent, you will climb. So what's your one percent?
Speaker 2: That's the question I want to leave you with today.
Speaker 2: Don't overthink it. Pick one area, commit to the kais
Speaker 2: and challenge and start tomorrow. Because here's the truth. Leaders
Speaker 2: who get one percent better every day will eventually become
Speaker 2: the leaders everyone else wishes they could be. And if
Speaker 2: you haven't done so, please five star review the show,
Speaker 2: share it with a colleague. This has been this seven
Speaker 2: minute leadership podcast and I thank you for listening.
Speaker 1: For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot
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