tl;dr I am a CCO: Coach, Catalyst, Optimist.I believe in servant leadership. I agree with Simon Sinek that “leaders eat last.” I believe the role of a leader is to first tell the team where it is going, then make sure the team has what it needs to succeed, and finally to look ahead for potential obstacles and either remove or avoid them.My growth as a coach has run in parallel in the workplace and on the soccer field. A coach organizes and trains a team to complete tasks to accomplish a goal. The coach cannot execute the tasks for the team; the team’s success depends on how well the coach has prepared it.A good coach does not tell the players on the field each and every action to take; a good coach in the workplace does not micro-manage. A good coach observes a team’s performance on the field and plans training to improve individual skills and coordinated actions; a good coach in the workplace observes repeated processes, removes wasteful activities with no value, and facilitates skill development by team members. A good coach observes players and inquires to ensure they’re receiving proper nutrition and rest; a good coach in the workplace recognizes and supports when employees need time off.Argentinian soccer coach César Luis Menotti once said “The point of training is to increase the speed at which one can be precise.” My role as a catalyst is to increase the speed at which processes occur while also improving their value and quality.Applying design principles and eliminating wastes in manufacturing has occurred for decades. A relentless focus on how the customer perceives value identifies non-value-added activities. Yet the needs of internal customers within and between departments in office environments often do not undergo the same examination. No matter where the gemba is - the field, the manufacturing floor, or the office - as a catalyst I identify the activities that slow down processes and make them run faster.I am an optimist; I believe progress is possible. Change is inevitable, but progress is not. Not all change is progress; entropy is also change. Change is only progress when something gets better, and this requires deliberate action.I want to be a part of, and contribute to, organizations and causes that seek progress through better growth. I believe there is no profit to gain the world and lose one’s soul. Sustainable growth in market share and net income can and should correspond with better product quality, better working conditions, and better physical and mental health of employees. No one wins a race to the bottom.