The names of Six Sigma certifications were taken from martial arts. Green Belt and Black Belt sound sexy.

But there are other things in the martial arts that could be adopted to drive continuous improvement. In particular, the idea of the “yielding art” of Jiu Jitsu where the opponents’ energy is used to defeat them. This episode discusses applying that idea in several contexts when solving problems.

Paul O’Neill, CEO of Alcoa from 1981 to 1999 is referenced. After listening to this episode, check out these videos on YouTube. This is a leader who demonstrates how to use organizational energy to overcome obstacles and attain excellence.

Paul O’Neill explain why safety was his leadership focus

Paul O’Neill talking to Healthcare CEOs