Book excerpt: In Leading Six Sigma, two of the world's most experienced Six Sigma leaders offer a detailed, step-by-step strategy for leading Six Sigma initiatives in your company. Top Six Sigma consultant Dr. Ronald D. Snee and GE quality leader Dr. Roger W. Hoerl show how to deploy a Six Sigma plan that reflects your organization's unique needs and culture, while also leveraging key lessons learned by the world's most successful implementers. Snee and Hoerl share leadership techniques proven in companies both large and small, and in business functions ranging from R & D and manufacturing to finance. They also present a start-to-finish sample deployment plan encompassing strategy, goals, metrics, training, roles and responsibilities, reporting, rewards, and management review. Whether you're a CEO, line-of-business leader, or a project leader, Leading Six Sigma gives you the one thing other books on Six Sigma lack: a clear view from the top. * The right projects, the right people Identifying your company's most promising Six Sigma opportunities and leaders * How to hit the ground running Providing leadership, talent, and infrastructure for a successful launch * From launch to long-term success Implementing systems, processes, and budgets for ongoing Six Sigma projects * Getting the bottom-line results that matter most Measuring and maximizing the financial value of your Six Sigma initiative * Four detailed case studies: What works and what doesn't Avoiding the subtle mistakes that can make Six Sigma fall short. Proven techniques for leading successful quality initiatives. The Six Sigma guide designed specifically for business leaders Co-authored by Dr. Roger W. Hoerl, a leader in implementing Six Sigma at GE Draws on Six Sigma experiences at over 30 leading companies Covers the entire Six Sigma lifecycle, from planning onward Presents new solutions for overcoming the cultural resistance to Six Sigma initiatives Leading Six Sigma offers an insider's view of what it really takes to lead a successful Six Sigma initiative, drawing on the authors' experience at the top levels of the world's largest and most challenging organizations.Dr. Ronald D. Snee shares experiences drawn from executive-level consulting at over 30 major companies. Dr. Roger W. Hoerl teaches powerful lessons from his experience in pioneering Six Sigma throughout GE during the Jack Welch era. Together they offer unprecedented executive guidance on the issues most crucial to senior managers, covering every stage from planning through ongoingmanagement.Snee and Hoerl offer practical solutions for the cultural challenges and human resistance that face any executive seeking to initiate Six Sigma or improve an existing program. They even explain how and when to "wind down" initiatives, transitioning Six Sigma to a "fact of life" that doesn't require the support of a massive centralized infrastructure. " This is a truly insightful and well-researched book on Six Sigma by two of the leading experts in the field. Theirroadmap for successful deployment is supported by the experiences of major corporations, including GE and Honeywell. Itis extremely well presented in a step-by-step manner and backed up by real business-case examples. Bravo to the authors inbringing us a book that should be at the ready reach of leadership of organizations and the practitionersof Six Sigma. It reminded me so much of 'In Search of Excellence' as far as its potential impact on the way businessescan be successful. "&