Self-Help Awarded the Shingo Publication Award
March 2, 2026 – the Shingo Institute
LOGAN, Utah—March 2, 2026—The Shingo Institute, part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, is pleased to announce that Self-Help by Samuel Smiles has been selected to receive the Shingo Publication Award. This distinction recognizes seminal works that have stood the test of time and continue to shape the global body of knowledge on organizational excellence.
Originally published in 1859, Self‑Help has been praised for its enduring message that character, perseverance, and self‑directed improvement create the foundation for personal and societal progress. The book champions the potential of the working and lower‑middle classes, highlighting their capacity for growth and their right to social advancement.
Blending practical guidance with inspirational biography, Smiles created a work that motivates readers to pursue improvement through deliberate, values‑based effort—an approach closely aligned with the Shingo Institute’s emphasis on principle‑driven behavior. Recognized as a precursor to modern self‑improvement literature, Self‑Help continues to influence global audiences with a perspective more expansive than many contemporary works.
“Samuel Smiles’ Self‑Help captures the essence of principle‑based improvement: that meaningful transformation begins with individuals,” said Ken Snyder, Executive Director of the Shingo Institute. “More than a century later, its insights still echo in modern organizational excellence practices.”
Author Samuel Smiles (1812–1904) was a Scottish author, reformer, and advocate of individual initiative whose writings deeply influenced the emerging middle class and the broader cultural understanding of disciplined personal development. Through vivid biographies and practical lessons, Smiles articulated principles that aligned closely with what the Shingo Institute now identifies as key contributors to organizational excellence: mindset, behaviors, and systems grounded in principle-driven improvement.
The Shingo Publication Award, one of the most respected honors in organizational excellence, recognizes works that have made a lasting and meaningful contribution to the global understanding of principle‑based improvement. By illuminating how character, disciplined effort, and personal responsibility shape long‑term success, Self-Help advanced ideas that continue to influence modern thinking about leadership, mindset, and cultural transformation. To purchase a copy of Self-Help or other Shingo publications, visithttps://shingo.org/books.
About the Shingo Institute
The Shingo Institute is home to the Shingo Prize, an award recognizing organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture fostering continuous improvement. Part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, the Shingo Institute is named after Japanese industrial engineer and Toyota adviser Shigeo Shingo, one of the world’s thought leaders in the Toyota Production System.
Drawing from Dr. Shingo’s teachings and years of experience working with organizations worldwide, the Shingo Institute developed the Shingo Model, the basis for its various educational offerings, including workshops, study tours, and conferences. Workshops are available in multiple languages through the Institute’s Licensed Affiliates. For more information on workshops and affiliates or to register to attend an event, please visithttps://shingo.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Mary Price, Events and Marketing Director
Shingo Institute
Phone: +1.435.760.0711
Email: [email protected]
About the Shingo Institute
The Shingo Institute is home to the Shingo Prize, an award recognizing organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture fostering continuous improvement. Part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, the Shingo Institute is named after Japanese industrial engineer and Toyota adviser Shigeo Shingo, one of the world's thought leaders in the Toyota Production System.
Drawing from Dr. Shingo’s teachings and years of experience working with organizations worldwide, the Shingo Institute developed the Shingo Model, the basis for its various educational offerings, including workshops, study tours, and conferences. Workshops are available in multiple languages through the Institute's Licensed Affiliates. For more information on workshops and affiliates or to register to attend an event, please visit https://shingo.org.
Shingo Media Contact
Mary Price, Events and Marketing Director
Shingo Institute
Phone: +1.435.760.0711
Email: [email protected]