Robert Simmons, Leadership & Life Coach

10/23/2026

The Greatest Challenge in Transformation Isn’t Process. It’s People.

You would think that someone who has spent 25 years leading business transformation and process improvement using Lean Six Sigma would spend most of their time reading books about Lean tools, methodologies, and statistical formulas.

So why would a transformation leader spend so much time reading books about human behavior, leadership, and relationships?

Because I’ve learned something over the past 25 years that many transformation leaders overlook.

The most important part of the Toyota House isn’t a tool or methodology. It’s PEOPLE.

We can master every Lean Six Sigma tool, understand every statistical formula, and develop the perfect improvement strategy.

But if we don’t understand people, our ability to lead sustainable change will always be limited.

Think about it.

What has been your greatest obstacle when leading organizational change?

I’d be willing to bet your answer involves people.

Consider these familiar scenarios:

• The executive who looks the other way while a toxic leader undermines an improvement initiative because that leader consistently delivers results.
• The manager who doesn’t want anyone playing in his sandbox and quietly works behind the scenes to derail the project.
• The team that intentionally slows production to prove the newly implemented process doesn’t work.
• The supervisor who enthusiastically applauds an improvement initiative, only to return to the old way of doing things the following week.

Sound familiar?

These aren’t failures of Lean Six Sigma tools.

They’re challenges of human behavior, leadership, trust, accountability, and organizational culture.

And no statistical formula will solve them.

Over my 25 years of leading transformation, I’ve become increasingly convinced that our greatest opportunity for professional growth isn’t simply becoming better process improvement practitioners.

It’s becoming better leaders of people.

We need to understand what motivates people, why they resist change, how fear influences behavior, and what it takes to earn trust and build commitment.

Because successful transformation isn’t about getting people to follow a new process.

It’s about inspiring people to embrace a new way of thinking.

That’s why I spend so much time studying leadership, psychology, communication, and human behavior.

The tools matter. The methodologies matter. The data matters.

But people determine whether transformation succeeds, fails, or quietly disappears after the project team leaves.

Here’s my question for fellow transformation leaders:

What books, seminars, or leadership development experiences have helped you become better at understanding and leading people?

I’d love to hear your recommendations.

Because after 25 years, I’m still learning.

If you want to become exceptional at leading transformation, become exceptional at leading people.

10/22/2026

https://www.ted.com/talks/keith_diaz_what_sitting_all_day_does_to_your_brain_and_body?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Can a five-minute walk change how you feel all day? Exercise scientist Keith Diaz shows how your body is built for the kind of movement that modern life has quietly erased — and suggests something refreshingly doable: making time for small doses of movement sprinkled throughout the day, as a way t...

10/18/2026

10/18/2026

LEADERS REFLECT, RECORD, AND RESPOND

Three disciplines of great leadership

Leadership growth never ends.

Neither you nor I will ever reach a point where we can say, “I’ve arrived. I’ve mastered leadership.”

The moment we believe we have nothing left to learn is the moment we stop growing.

Over the years, I’ve discovered three essential disciplines that help leaders continue growing, developing, and positively influencing those they lead.

1. REFLECT — Look Within Before Looking Around

Self-reflection is essential to leadership growth.

Too often, leaders become consumed with what everyone else needs to change.

We focus on their attitudes, their performance, their decisions, and their shortcomings.

And what happens?

We become frustrated.

Why? Because we are investing our energy in trying to change something we cannot control: other people.

But when we turn our attention inward, something powerful happens.

We begin focusing on what we can change.

Our attitude. Our communication. Our reactions. Our ability to listen. Our willingness to understand.

Here is something I have learned:

The culture of an organization often reflects the character and behavior of its leader.

Frustrated leaders tend to create frustrated teams. Calm, patient, and thoughtful leaders are more likely to cultivate those same qualities in others.

If we want to see change around us, we must first be willing to make changes within ourselves.

2. RECORD — Capture the Lessons

Reflection without recording often results in lessons forgotten.

When we take time to write down what we are learning, we give those lessons a place to take root.

For some, that means journaling. For others, like me, it means writing articles, sharing stories, or capturing experiences that have shaped our leadership journey.

Writing forces us to slow down, organize our thoughts, and confront what we have discovered about ourselves.

It also gives us something valuable to revisit.

What we fail to capture today, we may find ourselves having to learn again tomorrow.

3. RESPOND — Turn Awareness Into Action

This is where leadership growth becomes real.

Recognizing a weakness does not make us a better leader.

Doing something about it does.

We can reflect on our shortcomings, write pages about what we have learned, and acknowledge where we need to improve.

But until we take action, nothing changes.

Awareness without action is simply knowledge. Awareness followed by action produces growth.

Great leaders don’t just recognize what needs to change. They make a conscious decision to change it.

They adjust their behavior, strengthen their habits, and hold themselves accountable.

That is where transformation begins.

REFLECT. RECORD. RESPOND.

Three simple disciplines. A lifetime of leadership growth.

I believe one of the greatest responsibilities we have as leaders is learning to lead ourselves before attempting to lead others.

That requires a continual process:

* Input: Continually learning and expanding our knowledge.
* Reflection: Examining ourselves and identifying habits that need to change.
* Action: Applying what we learn and positively influencing those around us.

The greatest investment we make as leaders may not be in developing our teams, improving our processes, or achieving our organizational goals.

It may be the time we invest in becoming the kind of leader others deserve to follow.

Let me leave you with three questions:

What have you learned about yourself as a leader recently?

Have you taken the time to write it down?

Most importantly, what are you going to do differently because of it?

10/17/2026

Prayer is the not-so-secret weapon behind everything I do

10/17/2026

The older I get the easier it is to separate from unhealthy relationships guilt free

10/14/2026

PAUSE. REFLECT. RESPOND.

During my days as a Marine, my leadership style was often reactive. Someone said or did something, and I reacted. Too often, emotion drove my response rather than thoughtful leadership.

Fortunately, leadership has a way of teaching us lessons if we are willing to learn.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the power of the pause.

Reacting is instinctive. Responding is intentional.

The difference often comes down to whether we give ourselves time to think before we act.

For me, that begins with self-reflection. When I pause, I have an opportunity to examine my emotional triggers, question my assumptions, and consider whether my response will actually move things in the right direction.

I’ll be honest: self-reflection isn’t always comfortable.

Why? Because it shifts our attention away from what others are doing wrong and toward what we may need to change ourselves.

That takes courage.

But here’s a truth I’ve discovered through leadership and coaching:

When I focus on improving myself, the people around me often begin to change, too.

Not because I forced them to change, but because my own growth changes how I lead, communicate, and respond to them.

There is power in the pause.

It creates space between emotion and action. It helps us make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and develop the people we lead.

The next time someone pushes your buttons, challenges your authority, or frustrates you, resist the urge to react.

Pause. Reflect. Respond.

Your leadership—and the people you lead—will be better for it.

10/05/2026

When life gets stressful we find where our weak spots are.

One of the first to show when I am stressed is whether I have been taking care of my body.

Working out, eating right and getting rest.

Too often this is where I fall short.

Falling short is nothing to be ashamed of.

Everyone does.

What is a shame is if we stay where we are.

Make the change.

Get your priorities back in line.

Dont just sit and feel sorry for yourself.

Take action.

You are in control of you.

10/05/2026

Amazing how your perspective changes when you have the full picture.

Think about a young Marine recruit.

Every day, they’re pushed harder.
Nothing seems good enough.
Their weaknesses are exposed.
They’re corrected, challenged, and held accountable.

At times, they may wonder, “What was I thinking?”

Then three months later, they’re standing tall on the parade deck.

They’re a Marine.

And the Drill Instructor they once thought was evil, & hateful, walks up, shakes their hand and says:

“Congratulations, Marine.”

Suddenly, the perspective changes.

What felt like criticism was preparation.
What felt personal was purposeful.
What felt like tearing them down was actually building them up.

Leadership can be the same way.

Sometimes the boss who challenges you, the mentor who holds you accountable, or the coach who refuses to let you settle isn’t trying to tear you down.

They may see something in you that you don’t yet see in yourself.

Before you judge the person demanding more from you, pause.

Ask yourself:

“What do they see in me that I don’t see yet?”

Maybe—just maybe—
they see a leader in you.