While 2021 was a challenging year for many, others found ways to excel in spite of everything. Even amidst a pandemic, these companies continued to shine. Our annual Quality Leadership ranking provides much-deserved recognition for companies that prioritize quality.

We’ve all seen movies where a leader inspires his or her team with a moving speech and a call to action. But one characteristic is usually absent.

Jeopardy! has been in the news lately. The iconic game show has spent some time choosing a new host since the passing of the legendary Alex Trebek.

Continuous improvement activities might be more commonplace today, but how did it evolve? Though not prevalent in all industries, the concepts are widespread throughout many organizations. 

Our natural human tendency is: If it ain’t broke, why fix it!

What do you call a leader with no followers? A guy taking a walk. It is a line from The West Wing that I often think about. Within the context of the scene and the character, it is a response to a potential loss of leadership. 

Even in a normal year, achieving high levels of quality is no small feat; it's a daily challenge that requires buy-in from everyone. This year, as COVID-19 wreaked havoc on supply chains, worker safety and consumer demand, maintaining high levels of quality became a nearly superhuman feat.

Business leaders have long realized that creativity leads to innovation, which is a key ingredient to achieving success. They recognize that innovation is the most important single skill that an organization can possess if it is to remain competitive. 

My introduction to quality commenced at a manufacturing plant where I started at an entry-level product packaging position.