Each article in this series presents new tools for increasing return on investment (ROI), enhancing customer satisfaction, creating process excellence, and driving risk from an ISO 9001:2015-based quality management system (QMS). They will help implementers evolve quality management to overall business management. In this article we look at demonstrating and establishing various subclauses of Clause 5—Leadership, to build organizational excellence and assess risk.

Clause 5—Leadership

Words have meaning. Throughout the history of ISO 9001, the terms “top management” or “senior management” have been used to describe an organization’s decision and policy makers. These individuals are ostensibly those who are accountable to themselves or to a board of directors for the company’s success. They have the power to hire and fire, and to establish the organization’s operational infrastructure.

In work with more than 700 companies, the term “management” was most often appropriate because those in charge were directors and benevolent dictators. Very few were true leaders of people who created an environment where everyone could achieve their highest level of success and excellence.

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