Podcast #221 – @JacobStoller, “The #Lean CEO”

My guest for episode #221 is Jacob Stoller, author of a book that was just released: The Lean CEO: Leading the Way to World-Class Excellence. It's available now through Amazon or you can learn more through his book's website. As Jacob explains, he's a journalist, not a Lean practitioner, and he interviewed CEOs across different industries to get their thoughts on Lean management.

Streaming Player (run time 38:22):

We discuss topics including how CEOs get exposed to Lean thinking, why humility is so important, what “respect for people” means in the Lean context, and reasons why more CEOs don't embrace Lean. Did Six Sigma and Dr. Deming come up in his interviews? You'll also hear a bit about Bob Brody, the CEO at Franciscan St. Francis Health, which was featured in my Healthcare Kaizen books (learn more about visiting Franciscan this April).

Read Jacob's bio and blog.

You can also read some “CEO Insights” including two of my favorite healthcare CEOs:

“These principles and practices we've established are a way out from the cynicism, from the overworking, from the overburden, from the massive waste that exists in the delivery of healthcare. As we expose managers, leaders, CEOs, senior executives to this by having them come and actually see it in action, they absolutely get it, they absolutely say this is the way we should be working and this is what we should be doing.”

John Toussaint, CEO, Thedacare

And:

“Lean is one of the most advanced people systems in the world for getting people to realize their capabilities in terms of coming to work every day to do their jobs and to improve their jobs.”

Gary Kaplan, CEO, Virginia Mason Medical Center

For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/221.

For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also subscribe and listen via Stitcher.

Other Podcasts with Jacob Stoller:

My good friend Paul Akers also interviewed Jacob:

As did our friends at Gemba Academy:

Feedback & Comments:

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 993-0630 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban”. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.