MLK, 2 Worlds, & Deming's Vision

"In a real sense all life is inter-related. All persons are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny: Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, & you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the inter-related structure of reality."
[Martin Luther King, Jr.]

I've learned a lot about business from the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. The quote above has taken me many years to fully realize. I think MLK was trying to get us to see two distinct worlds: the visible and the invisible. I think quality control is a dramatic example of how these two worlds intertwine. Quality control is all about balancing the visible world with the invisible.

W.M. Deming, who many call the father of quality control, appeared to fully understood MLK’s discourse on the two communities. "Create constancy of purpose towards improvement" (a.k.a. have a vision), “break down barriers,” “improve constantly and forever," “drive out fear" and a strong focus on “transformation." He warned about the lust of immediate gratification, lack of authenticity, and prejudging based on the visible.

I think as we examine our businesses we can learn a lot from great leaders outside of our community. Great men and women from the past who taught valuable lessons on worlds we sometimes forget to see.