David Schwinn

Professor of Management

Lansing Community College

David Schwinn is a full-time professor of management and leadership at Lansing Community College, and a part-time consultant in the college’s Small Business and Technology Development Center. After graduating from General Motors Institute, completing an MBA, and serving in a number of leadership positions at both GM and Ford Motor Co., Schwinn was granted a leave in 1984 to support a national community colleges project based on the work of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Schwinn worked personally with Dr. Deming for many years. As a part of the community college project, David, his wife, Carole, and his colleagues developed two comprehensive training programs and trained trainers in the U.S. and abroad. They have helped to develop community quality initiatives around the world, and have been consultants in the quality industry.

Mon, 11/24/2025 - 12:03
Tired, Scared, or Shopping? How Nelson Mandela’s life might inform our views of management and leadership
Wed, 01/15/2014 - 11:27

After Nelson Mandela’s death, I asked my students how Mandela’s life might inform our views of management and leadership. They were not very forthcoming with responses, and I asked them why this would be. As you can imagine, many of them are…
Five Lessons for System Design Improving the collaboration process
Wed, 11/13/2013 - 14:11
I just finished participating in a delightful design charrette. I’m sharing this with you because design can be a very powerful tool in the Six Sigma arsenal, and this little charrette both reminded me of and taught me a few important lessons about…
Try Telling the Truth It’s simple but not easy
Wed, 11/06/2013 - 16:57
Story update 12/06/2013: Wow did we mess up. When this story originally published we, the editors, introduced an error into the story regarding the Alaskan oil spill (which the author hadn't mentioned in his original) and didn't realize it. When…
Results, Processes, and Systems Insights from quality gurus
Tue, 07/09/2013 - 11:39
I recently ran across a great quote in Quality Progress by Govind Ramu of SunPower Corp. He wrote, “Processes without results are useless, and results without processes are unsustainable.” (“Experts and Answers,” Quality Progress, December, 2012).…
Strength Through Compassion and Connection We need to begin to see other human beings as part of “us” not “them”
Thu, 06/13/2013 - 13:18
At the invitation of our friend and colleague, Margaret (Meg) Wheatley, my wife, Carole, and I just returned from a conference called “Resilience: Strength Through Compassion and Connection.” I want to share some thoughts about the conference theme…
We Are the Ones… Leadership is more than a position
Wed, 05/15/2013 - 08:52
Well, she’s done it again. Our generous friend and colleague, Margaret (Meg) Wheatley kicked off this year’s Chair Academy Conference in Phoenix. The beginning of her message remains dark, but the light at the end is a little clearer and brighter…
Transformation Through Conversation There is no power greater than a community that discovers what it cares about
Tue, 04/09/2013 - 16:28

When I realized that this year’s Chair Academy International Leadership Conference would focus on sustainability through leadership, I immodestly thought I had something to offer. The folks at the Chair Academy apparently agreed. I argued…
The Useful Dimension of Beauty Appreciating perfection inspires us to be creative and reach for the unattainable
Wed, 03/13/2013 - 10:01
As I was waiting to talk to my wife, Carole, about some inconsequential topic a few days ago, I noticed an attractive coffee-table book, titled China: People, Places, and Paradox. It was written and produced by our daughter, Lisa, as a photo…
Find the Good… Embrace and appreciate a diverse workforce
Tue, 02/12/2013 - 16:54
The day I wrote this column, Jan. 21, 2013, the second presidential inauguration of Barack Obama took place. A presidential inauguration is a celebration of America and what it stands for. In the news coverage, someone quoted American author Alex…
Unions, Management, and Other People If all managers were good at their jobs, there would be no need for unions
Wed, 01/16/2013 - 10:13
Editor’s note: In the current, sometimes heated, discussion about the relevance of unions, David Schwinn takes a look at their role and the responsibilities of both union members and managers. A few weeks ago, I found myself in a gridlock on a four-…