With each passing day, recruiting and retaining the right executive talent to lead Lean & Six Sigma efforts and Green & Sustainability initiatives poses a greater challenge.

Today’s most experienced Lean leaders hail from those industrial sectors which were pioneers in continuous improvement. As still greater numbers of companies venture into lean and Six Sigma, the demand for this expertise is beginning to outweigh overall supply. So where and how do we seek out the best of these individuals?

On the other hand, the challenge in recruiting the right Green and Sustainability leaders is different, but no less daunting. Can we even agree about what makes an executive Green? How do we deal with imprecise definitions and varying skill sets? How can we focus on targets which are moving due to the evolving nature of executive backgrounds?

In both situations you’re hiring change agents, quite often the executives who will outline a new vision for your company, and then inspire your team to make that vision a reality. So what does it take to recruit the right Lean & Green executives for your organization?

I believe that the following are critical factors:

•Understanding the key principles and goals underlying lean, Six Sigma and green and why these are important to business success.
•Knowing how to identify and differentiate among the various stages through which companies ascend on both their lean and green journeys.
•Figuring out where your own organization currently stands on these two ladders.
•Identifying the critical characteristics among the lean and green leaders who really stand out from the crowd-the qualities they bring to the table to deliver impact for their companies, and
•Following key strategies so you can attract and retain the best-in-class Lean and Green Leaders.

Adam Zak