When organizations decide to deploy a Six Sigma initiative, there are several foundation stones required for a successful venture. One of those building blocks is leadership. From executive-level support to assigning champions and choosing the right projects, leadership is critical for Six Sigma success. But if it’s so important, shouldn’t leadership training be a core ingredient in any Six Sigma curriculum? Apparently not, as reviewed syllabi for Six Sigma courses didn’t include leadership. Understanding that some leadership is already established (i.e. upper-level executives, potential champions) and some organizations are choosing the best personnel for Black Belt training, as suggested by many Six Sigma practitioners, there doesn’t seem to be a methodology for choosing the best leadership for these positions nor does it appear to be a prerequisite in any publicized courses. So, how does an organization ensure that the important leadership block is covered when moving forward with their quest to become a Six Sigma organization? Is strong leadership a necessary component for a successful Six Sigma initiative?

To help answer these questions, research was conducted to determine whether Six Sigma Black Belts had enhanced leadership skills, regardless of the lack of training provided. This was done through the industry standard and validated leadership development tool, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Short Form-5X (MLQ), authored by Bernard Bass and Bruce Avolio. More than 330 participants conducted a self assessment of their leadership skills by answering the 45-item questionnaire. The results were then sectioned appropriately and compared to a normative sample of 1,755 previously collected by the survey’s authors in 2004. The key finding was that Six Sigma Black Belts' average scores were better than the normative sample averages in all seven transformational and transactional leadership components, suggesting that the Six Sigma sample had enhanced leadership skills over the control group as the chance of that statistic occurring randomly is less than 0.8 percent.

Transformational leadership is a style where the leader engages and motivates followers while also assisting in their leadership development. Research shows that strong transformational leadership is tied to higher levels of performance in organizations. There are five transformational leadership components in the MLQ: idealized influence—attributed (IIA), idealized influence—behavioral (IIB), inspirational motivation (IM), intellectual stimulation (IS), and individual consideration (IC). Using a z-test at a 99-percent confidence interval, the Black Belt sample scored significantly higher on the IS component than the control group. This could be partially due to the fact that close to 90 percent of the Black Belt sample reported having at least a bachelor’s degree, and 54 percent have advanced degrees. This higher score could also be due to the role that Black Belts play in the Six Sigma project teams, where critical-thinking skills are necessary in challenging the teams to consider alternatives and move to improve or fix the identified problem(s).

Transactional leadership is a leadership style where leaders clarify what their followers need to do for their reward. It has also been found that transactional leadership augments transformational leadership. There are two transactional leadership components in the MLQ, contingent reward (CR) and management-by-exception, active (MBEA). Again, using a z-test at a 99-percent confidence interval, the Black Belt sample scored significantly higher on the MBEA component, where leaders outline standards and effective performance requirements. This is a critical role for Black Belts as they work with project teams to reduce waste through the improvement of strategies, processes, procedures, and/or products. Further, as Six Sigma organizations are moving toward continuous improvement, the MBEA component of transactional leadership seems to be a necessary skill for Black Belts.

The study also reviewed close to 150 Six Sigma professionals from the same organization. Using the same tests as above, the results showed that scores on the MLQ improved as the respondents advanced up the Six Sigma hierarchy (i.e. Black Belt to Master Black Belt to Champion). In fact, the Master Black Belts had better scores for all transformational components, with significantly higher scores for individual consideration (IC), where leaders concentrate on others’ growth as a coach or mentor. Champions scored higher in four of the five transformational leadership components.

So, what does this research tell us? It seems clear that the Six Sigma sample have enhanced leadership skills over the normative sample/control group. It also suggests that leadership skills improve as Six Sigma professionals move up the hierarchy in Six Sigma organizations. The research doesn’t tell us why, however. We can only speculate that it’s not from leadership training, as reviewed Six Sigma training platforms don’t offer specified training. It’s possible that the individuals selected for Black Belt positions are already stronger leaders. Because the questionnaire was self-rating, it could also suggest that Black Belts are simply more confident in their leadership skills than the general population (i.e. control group). It could also mean that leadership skills are enhanced with additional education that fosters improved critical thinking skills such as the rigorous Black Belt study programs. It’s recommended that this research be taken a step further to determine why Six Sigma Black Belts show enhanced leadership skills. In the meantime, this is good news. It appears that those chosen to facilitate the expensive, time-consuming, and critically important project teams are indeed strong leaders.