Lean Quote: America (and Lean) is Land of Opportunity

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"America is another name for opportunity."   —  Ralph Waldo Emerson

America is known as the land of opportunity, where one could achieve anything they put their mind to, no matter who they are. Thousands of people immigrate to the United States every year from different parts of the world to have access to these kinds of opportunities. This is what is known as "the American dream". One of the many reasons America is such a great country is the diversity you see all around.

Change brings new opportunities, new people, and a new perspective. It can be a difficult thing and people commonly resist change. It can be stressful especially when it is unknown and uncertain. However, change is necessary for growth.

Change takes courage and commitment. Courage means trusting yourself to overcome your fears and doing what you are afraid to do. Courage increases conviction and inspires others to confront their fears.

Lean is about building a culture, one that respects all employees and enables them to pursue opportunities to improve their work and share ideas for continuous improvement. Changing your mindset to inspire a culture of continuous improvement and the act of making something better provides a new way to think and uncover all kinds of opportunities.

Change can be very healthy and liberating. It leads to opportunities. Those opportunities represent progress. Keep moving forward.