I have been thinking of Norman since his passing. He would often tell me, "Listen to me, I am not going to be around forever." I didn't realize how true that would be. Norman taught me many things, but there was one lesson in particular that was very profound.
I first met Norman a few years back when we asked him to keynote a CI conference. We brought him in to speak on the people side of lean. We wanted to draw people's focus from lean tools to lean culture. He gave a great presentation, but that was just the beginning of my learning journey with Norman. Who knew that this lean celebrity was so kind, humble, and giving. For the next few years he generously taught me through Zoom, phone calls, introductions to other great lean thinkers, and even hosted us in Japan to show us the best of everything, ranging from sushi to leadership coaches.
Through all these interactions there was a constant theme from Norman that impacted me for good. He helped me more clearly understand the people side of lean, or what Toyota calls respect.
Norman had a great appreciation for fine craftsmanship. I do not think he loved the object of creation itself, but rather he loved that some individual could have such tremendous skill and talent to create something beautiful. He loved the idea that people can create great value and be a master at doing it. He would often say, "What do you want to be the best in the world at?" I would answer, and he'd follow by saying, "Think bigger." He wanted us all to be great, and always encouraged us because he knew we could.
Norman was a spiritual person. As he would challenge me to "step up and be great," he would remind me that the capacity of our souls is bigger than we can comprehend. He would quote scriptural text teaching that we are all connected to the divine and possess all its inherent potential. He taught us that we are so much more capable than our minds and society define us to be. The master potter in Japan and his beautiful creations were a reflection of the mastery that each individual could elevate to. He constantly taught that we can and should aim to be the best in the world. And as leaders, we should help others do the same.
Norman would tell me, "Eric, you can do it — just do it." He believed in me and others more than we believed in ourselves. I watched him demonstrate these patterns of deep respect over and over again as he reminded me that lean, life, business, art — it's all about rising up to your divine potential and becoming a master at what you do. And in doing so you create great and beautiful value for society.
Toyota, and the godfather of lean, declared it begins with respect for every individual. It is about growing, learning, developing people toward the mastery of value creation, and eliminating all the hurdles, waste, variation, and burdens that stand in the way.
Norman, who brought so much of the lean knowledge to the Western world, ultimately spent the latter part of his career teaching us what he believed to be the most important part of TPS: respect. The acknowledgment of human potential, the action of constant development, the journey of becoming a master, the creation of beautiful value for others, and ultimately finding joy in these pursuits in life. This is how Norman taught me to view others and demonstrate respect for every individual. Norman, thank you for this lesson. We will miss you.