Curiosity with Structure: My First Lesson in Shingo
Curiosity has always been a natural part of how I think and live.
As a mom, curiosity meant that every bug, every new video game, every random “Mom, look at this!” moment was fair game. My two boys and I explored caterpillars, technology, backyard science experiments, and whatever else captured their imagination that week. Curiosity made life vibrant. It invited laughter, learning, and perspective.
In my personal life, curiosity opened doors to cultures, travel, and conversations with people who thought differently than I did. It allowed me to see multiple perspectives. It made experiences richer. It expanded possibility.
Curiosity was easy.
But when I transitioned from being a strong contributor to leading a large organization, curiosity became something different.
It was still foundational. In fact, it became even more important.
Curiosity allowed me to:
Understand diverse perspectives
Respect every individual and the value they brought
Encourage innovation and creativity
See possibilities beyond the current state
But I learned something critical.
In leadership, curiosity without structure creates chaos.
In parenting, if I didn’t fully acknowledge a caterpillar or a new gaming strategy, my boys would simply move on to the next discovery. But in business, ideas don’t just drift away. They linger. They carry emotion. They represent ownership, pride, and hope.
If leaders invite curiosity but do not create a system to capture, test, prioritize, and execute ideas, we unintentionally communicate that curiosity isn’t truly valued.
That was my first real lesson in what I would later recognize as the Shingo Model.
Before I ever knew the name Shingo, I was learning one of its most powerful truths:
Principles must be supported by systems.
If we believe in:
Respect Every Individual
Lead with Humility
Seek Perfection
Assure Quality at the Source
Then we must build infrastructure that makes those principles real.
As a leader, I realized I needed:
A consistent way to capture ideas
A structured approach to testing and prioritizing them
Clear communication across impacted teams
Defined metrics to understand results
Alignment between strategy and execution
We had to deploy simple things simply.
We had to deploy complex initiatives with clarity and measurable outcomes.
And we had to do it in a way that honored the curiosity of the people closest to the work.
When we put structure around curiosity, something powerful happened.
Ideas were no longer random sparks.
They became fuel.
Innovation no longer depended on who spoke the loudest.
It became a disciplined practice.
Engagement shifted from “That’s interesting” to “Let’s test it.”
That experience was my first insight into Shingo — before I knew Shingo existed.
Shingo teaches us that behaviors drive systems, systems drive results, and principles anchor them all. Curiosity is a behavior. But without systems that support it, curiosity fades.
With structure, curiosity becomes a strategic advantage.
And that, in many ways, is the essence of principle-based leadership.
