We once believed the sun revolves around our world, but turns out it's the other way around. If geniuses could miss something that fundamental, how can I expect perfection from myself, or anyone else? We are only human.

That is exactly why we need systems. Not because systems are perfect, in fact, a system is only as good as the people using it. They give us a fighting chance to:

• Prevent mistakes before they happen
• Catch mistakes quickly when they slip through
• Guarantees consistent level of quality

The magic is not in the rules, it's in having the discipline to actually follow them.

It's amazing to see how far humanity has advanced within just a century, and this progress can't stop with us. While I could never claim to match such achievements alone, the least I can do is keep improving myself in every aspect possible - and help those around me do the same.

It doesn't have to be something significant, even small improvements count. This is the golden rule behind the Toyota Way ², Kaizen ³, and Lean ⁴ — along with every other system that is built to last.

Imagine how a thousand "That's slightly easier now" moments can eventually rewrite what's possible.

¹ “People make mistakes”— a phrase repeated often by one of the most influential figures of my early career, Paola Buendia, founder of knitwear brand Wooden Ships.
https://wooden-ships.com/

² Toyota Way: Toyota’s famous company philosophy.
https://global.toyota/en/company/vision-and-philosophy/production-system/

³ Kaizen: The Japanese art of small daily upgrades.
https://www.lean.org/lexicon-terms/kaizen/

⁴ Lean: A way of thinking introduced to me by Mark Donovan, a Lean practitioner whom I have had the opportunity to work with, albeit very shortly.
https://www.lean.org/explore-lean/what-is-lean/