Champions are the internal leaders needed to make a lean, world-class production system a reality. Champions are vital to an evolving system because they know how to make new paths for others to follow and they have enough credibility in the organization to ensure that others do, in fact, follow. Champions help to build the infrastructure for change, and they vigorously promote the improvement process. They lead by doing, by building other leaders, and by practicing and modeling kaizen (continuous improvement).

If the CEO is not the top champion, forget it. The effort won't succeed. As the most important champion, the CEO also must ensure that additional champions are in place throughout all key positions up, down, and across the chain of command. Everyone on the organization's top team must be fully on board.

At Boeing we were fortunate to have many champions for productivity improvement and our evolving Boeing Production System. These champions often voiced their conviction that people are the building blocks of a lean, world-class production system. They led by walking the talk, helping to pave the way.

The champion's role is best summed up by Art Bryne, former CEO of Wiremold, who is one of North America's strongest champions for kaizen. He says the best champions:

1. Get out front, with hands on, rather than delegating.

2. Take lots of leaps of faith.

3. Set stretch goals.

4. Establish an environment in which it is okay to fail.

5. Provide air cover for those embattled in...