A leader’s primary function is to help employees develop a strong belief in the company’s mission and the importance of their individual jobs. His secondary function is to ensure optimal results from delegated assignments and tasks.

To effectively provide high-quality products, quality management must become part of each employee’s everyday thought processes. Market-leading companies can attest to the operational, branding, and bottom-line benefits of this approach.

I noticed the training wheels on my son’s bike were no longer touching the ground. He was riding without them. “Let’s take those off,” I said.

(Cars.com: Chicago) -- The Detroit Three build plenty of high-quality cars.

(University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI) -- The beta version of Improvement Kata Handbook by Mike Rother, author of Toyota Kata (McGraw-Hill, 2009), is available online

(Productivity Press: Boca Raton, FL) -- Based on a true story, the book, Unleashing the Power of 3P: The Key to Breakthrough Improvement, by Dan McDonnell and Drew A.

(QMC: Auburn Hills, MI) -- QMC Inc., a market leader in product quality validation (PQV), has signed with Ford Motor Co. a global license agreement for its award-winning CM4D software.

Northern Digital Inc.