Taichi Ohno, considered the godfather of the Toyota Production System, identified 10 precepts to Think, Act and Win.
Precept #10
"Wisdom is given equally to everybody. The point is whether one can exercise it."
You can have many great ideas and unending wisdom, but they will never make the world better unless you act on them.
This comes down to the daily discipline of continuously improving. Identifying waste and then DOING something about it. Wisdom provides the insight and knowledge needed to make sound decisions, discipline is the key that unlocks the potential of that wisdom.
Failing Creates the Most Wisdom
And of course, not every single one of our great ideas actually is great. But you literally will never know until you try. It is often when we try and fail that we learn the most. If you reframe it as repetitive experimentation, it may even become fun.
- Fail Fast– a phrase that originated in Silicon Valley startup culture, emphasizing the importance of rapidly testing ideas and learning from quick failures to drive innovation. Its roots can be traced back to lean manufacturing practices pioneered by Toyota.
- Fail With Learning – Mark Graban, author of The Mistakes That Make Us, suggests that we shift from "fail fast, fail often" to "make small mistakes early, learn, adjust and succeed."
Conclusion
The long-term nature of discipline contrasts with the often fleeting nature of wisdom. Wisdom can come in moments of insight, but discipline is what ensures that those insights are applied continuously. It is the habit of persistence, the ability to keep going even when success is not immediate, that enables individuals to realize their long-term goals.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on Wisdom versus Discipline. Please share your thoughts with us at lean@trippnt.com.