Flevy Management Insights Q&A
How does the Shingo Prize model facilitate leadership development and succession planning?
     Joseph Robinson    |    Shingo Prize


This article provides a detailed response to: How does the Shingo Prize model facilitate leadership development and succession planning? For a comprehensive understanding of Shingo Prize, we also include relevant case studies for further reading and links to Shingo Prize best practice resources.

TLDR The Shingo Prize model promotes Leadership Development and Succession Planning through principles of respect, humility, continuous improvement, and operational excellence, ensuring leaders drive superior results and foster a sustainable culture.

Reading time: 5 minutes

Before we begin, let's review some important management concepts, as they related to this question.

What does Leadership Development mean?
What does Continuous Improvement mean?
What does Organizational Culture mean?


The Shingo Prize model, named after the Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo who is known for his work in developing practices that led to the Toyota Production System, is a framework that emphasizes operational excellence and a culture of continuous improvement. It is a holistic approach that not only focuses on processes and results but also heavily emphasizes the importance of leadership behaviors and the organizational culture in achieving operational excellence. This model is particularly effective in facilitating leadership development and succession planning within organizations. Through its principles and guidelines, it provides a clear pathway for developing leaders who can sustain and advance organizational excellence.

Embedding Leadership Principles

The Shingo Prize model is built around core principles that are essential for effective leadership development. These principles include respect for every individual, leading with humility, seeking perfection, embracing scientific thinking, focusing on process, assuring quality at the source, flowing and pulling value, and thinking systemically. By embedding these principles into the leadership development programs, organizations can cultivate leaders who are not only skilled in technical aspects but are also adept at fostering a culture of continuous improvement and respect. This approach to leadership is crucial for succession planning as it ensures that the future leaders of the organization are well-versed in practices that promote operational excellence and are capable of leading by example.

Organizations that have adopted the Shingo model for leadership development report a more cohesive and aligned leadership team that is better equipped to drive the organization towards its strategic goals. For instance, in a study conducted by McKinsey, companies that focused on developing leaders who embody operational excellence principles, similar to those advocated by the Shingo model, saw a 25% improvement in organizational performance. This underscores the effectiveness of the Shingo model in not only developing leaders but also in achieving superior business outcomes.

Moreover, the Shingo model's emphasis on leading with humility and respecting every individual plays a crucial role in succession planning. It ensures that the leadership pipeline is filled with individuals who value teamwork and collaboration, which are critical for the long-term success of any organization. This focus on cultivating a specific set of leadership behaviors ensures a seamless transition during leadership changes, thereby minimizing disruptions to the organization's operations.

Are you familiar with Flevy? We are you shortcut to immediate value.
Flevy provides business best practices—the same as those produced by top-tier consulting firms and used by Fortune 100 companies. Our best practice business frameworks, financial models, and templates are of the same caliber as those produced by top-tier management consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, and Accenture. Most were developed by seasoned executives and consultants with 20+ years of experience.

Trusted by over 10,000+ Client Organizations
Since 2012, we have provided best practices to over 10,000 businesses and organizations of all sizes, from startups and small businesses to the Fortune 100, in over 130 countries.
AT&T GE Cisco Intel IBM Coke Dell Toyota HP Nike Samsung Microsoft Astrazeneca JP Morgan KPMG Walgreens Walmart 3M Kaiser Oracle SAP Google E&Y Volvo Bosch Merck Fedex Shell Amgen Eli Lilly Roche AIG Abbott Amazon PwC T-Mobile Broadcom Bayer Pearson Titleist ConEd Pfizer NTT Data Schwab

Continuous Improvement and Leadership Development

At the heart of the Shingo Prize model is the principle of continuous improvement, which is also a critical component of effective leadership development and succession planning. The model advocates for leaders to be continuous learners who are committed to improving themselves, their teams, and their processes. This mindset is essential for the development of leaders who can adapt to changing business environments and lead their organizations through complex challenges. By fostering a culture that values learning and improvement, organizations can ensure that their leaders are always equipped with the latest knowledge and skills to drive organizational success.

Real-world examples of organizations that have successfully integrated continuous improvement into their leadership development programs include Toyota and Intel. These companies have established comprehensive training and development programs that encourage leaders at all levels to engage in problem-solving and process improvement initiatives. This not only enhances their leadership capabilities but also contributes to the overall operational excellence of the organization.

Furthermore, the focus on continuous improvement within the Shingo model encourages leaders to develop a deep understanding of their processes and to seek innovative solutions to challenges. This is particularly beneficial for succession planning as it ensures that future leaders are capable of thinking critically and creatively to overcome obstacles and drive the organization forward.

Creating a Culture of Operational Excellence

The Shingo Prize model places a significant emphasis on culture as a foundational element of operational excellence and leadership development. By fostering a culture that aligns with the principles of the Shingo model, organizations can create an environment where leadership development and succession planning are naturally integrated into daily operations. This cultural alignment ensures that leadership behaviors are not only taught but are also demonstrated and reinforced through everyday practices.

For example, organizations like General Electric have long been recognized for their commitment to cultivating a leadership culture that emphasizes operational excellence. Through its renowned leadership development programs, GE has consistently produced leaders who are adept at driving performance and innovation. This is a testament to the effectiveness of integrating leadership development with a culture of operational excellence, as advocated by the Shingo model.

In conclusion, the Shingo Prize model offers a comprehensive framework for leadership development and succession planning that is rooted in principles of respect, humility, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. By adopting this model, organizations can develop leaders who are not only capable of achieving superior results but are also committed to fostering a culture that supports long-term success and sustainability. This approach to leadership development is essential for organizations looking to thrive in today's complex and dynamic business environment.

Best Practices in Shingo Prize

Here are best practices relevant to Shingo Prize from the Flevy Marketplace. View all our Shingo Prize materials here.

Did you know?
The average daily rate of a McKinsey consultant is $6,625 (not including expenses). The average price of a Flevy document is $65.

Explore all of our best practices in: Shingo Prize

Shingo Prize Case Studies

For a practical understanding of Shingo Prize, take a look at these case studies.

Operational Excellence Initiative in Semiconductor Industry

Scenario: The organization is a semiconductor manufacturer aiming to enhance operational efficiency and achieve the Shingo Prize.

Read Full Case Study

Operational Excellence Initiative for Metals Manufacturer Targeting Shingo Recognition

Scenario: A metals manufacturing firm in North America is struggling to align its operational processes with the principles of the Shingo Model.

Read Full Case Study

Operational Excellence Initiative for Environmental Services in Healthcare Sector

Scenario: An environmental services firm specializing in the healthcare industry is struggling to meet the operational excellence standards required for the Shingo Prize.

Read Full Case Study

Operational Excellence Initiative in Building Materials Sector

Scenario: A firm specializing in building materials is facing operational challenges that are hindering its pursuit of the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence.

Read Full Case Study

Operational Excellence in Maritime Logistics

Scenario: A firm specializing in maritime logistics is seeking to enhance its operational efficiency to position itself for the Shingo Prize, a symbol of world-class business performance that signifies an organization's commitment to creating a culture of continuous improvement.

Read Full Case Study

Operational Excellence Initiative for Sports Franchise in Competitive Market

Scenario: The organization, a prominent sports franchise, is striving to achieve the Shingo Prize to recognize its excellence in operational efficiency and company culture.

Read Full Case Study




Flevy is the world's largest knowledge base of best practices.


Leverage the Experience of Experts.

Find documents of the same caliber as those used by top-tier consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, Accenture.

Download Immediately and Use.

Our PowerPoint presentations, Excel workbooks, and Word documents are completely customizable, including rebrandable.

Save Time, Effort, and Money.

Save yourself and your employees countless hours. Use that time to work on more value-added and fulfilling activities.




Read Customer Testimonials

  •  
    "I like your product. I'm frequently designing PowerPoint presentations for my company and your product has given me so many great ideas on the use of charts, layouts, tools, and frameworks. I really think the templates are a valuable asset to the job."

    – Roberto Fuentes Martinez, Senior Executive Director at Technology Transformation Advisory
  •  
    "[Flevy] produces some great work that has been/continues to be of immense help not only to myself, but as I seek to provide professional services to my clients, it give me a large "tool box" of resources that are critical to provide them with the quality of service and outcomes they are expecting."

    – Royston Knowles, Executive with 50+ Years of Board Level Experience
  •  
    "If you are looking for great resources to save time with your business presentations, Flevy is truly a value-added resource. Flevy has done all the work for you and we will continue to utilize Flevy as a source to extract up-to-date information and data for our virtual and onsite presentations!"

    – Debbi Saffo, President at The NiKhar Group
  •  
    "I have used Flevy services for a number of years and have never, ever been disappointed. As a matter of fact, David and his team continue, time after time, to impress me with their willingness to assist and in the real sense of the word. I have concluded in fact "

    – Roberto Pelliccia, Senior Executive in International Hospitality
  •  
    "As a young consulting firm, requests for input from clients vary and it's sometimes impossible to provide expert solutions across a broad spectrum of requirements. That was before I discovered Flevy.com.

    Through subscription to this invaluable site of a plethora of topics that are key and crucial to consulting, I "

    – Nishi Singh, Strategist and MD at NSP Consultants
  •  
    "I am extremely grateful for the proactiveness and eagerness to help and I would gladly recommend the Flevy team if you are looking for data and toolkits to help you work through business solutions."

    – Trevor Booth, Partner, Fast Forward Consulting
  •  
    "As an Independent Management Consultant, I find Flevy to add great value as a source of best practices, templates and information on new trends. Flevy has matured and the quality and quantity of the library is excellent. Lastly the price charged is reasonable, creating a win-win value for "

    – Jim Schoen, Principal at FRC Group
  •  
    "Flevy is our 'go to' resource for management material, at an affordable cost. The Flevy library is comprehensive and the content deep, and typically provides a great foundation for us to further develop and tailor our own service offer."

    – Chris McCann, Founder at Resilient.World



Download our FREE Strategy & Transformation Framework Templates

Download our free compilation of 50+ Strategy & Transformation slides and templates. Frameworks include McKinsey 7-S Strategy Model, Balanced Scorecard, Disruptive Innovation, BCG Experience Curve, and many more.