It was Deming’s TQM, but to make it sound more, um, military, the Navy wanted “Leadership”, thus TQL. It really is a wonderful system for manufacturing, but for shipboard maintenance and administration, it was worse than useless, like trying to fit the proverbial square peg in a round hole. Whenever the brass gave us less-than-sensible expectations, we’d say “No problem! We’ll TQL it!” In a tone dripping with sarcasm.