In-depth conversations with leaders, authors, executives, and practitioners shaping the future of Lean, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. Hosted by Mark Graban, these interviews explore real-world leadership, systems thinking, psychological safety, and learning cultures across industries.
Browse episodes featuring CEOs, Toyota veterans, healthcare leaders, MIT researchers, and improvement thinkers sharing practical insights you can apply beyond tools and buzzwords.
Lean Blog Interviews features in-depth conversations on Lean leadership, continuous improvement, and operational excellence across healthcare, manufacturing, and knowledge work. Explore hundreds of podcast episodes with CEOs, authors, and practitioners focused on learning, systems thinking, and real-world results.
Our guest today for Episode #75 is Peter T. Ward, a professor at Ohio State University’s Fisher College Business and Chair of the Department of Management Sciences. Professor Ward is a leading expert in lean management and is president of…
Episode #74 is a discussion with Roy Vasher, President of RPV Consulting, LLC and is co-author the book Toyota’s Supply Chain Management: A Strategic Approach to Toyota’s Renowned System. Roy works closely with a network of consultants to provide lean…
Episode #73 is a conversation with Doug Burgess, Senior VP of Corporate Lean Six Sigma for Xerox. We talk about the Lean Six Sigma approach at Xerox, how they’ve used it internally and how they have used it to help…
Our returning guest is John S. Toussaint, MD, the CEO emeritus of ThedaCare, and CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. In the interest of disclosure, he is a partner in our Lean Enterprise Institute efforts to promote Lean…
LeanBlog Podcast Episode #71 is part two of a conversation with Patrick Anderson, the Executive Director of Chugachmiut, the Tribal consortium created to promote self-determination to the seven Native communities of the Chugach Region. I met Patrick at a Lean…
Episode #70 is an interview with Tamra Kaplan, the COO of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. We talk about the lean transformation work being done in the hospital and Ms. Kaplan’s experience in leading this effort. For an earlier blog…
In Episode #69 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast, my guest is Dr. Sami Bahri, D.D.S., widely recognized as the first Lean Dentist. From his practice in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Bahri pioneered the application of Lean management principles in dentistry…
Podcast #68 is a discussion with Benjamin G. Harrison, President & CEO of Kaysun, a privately-held manufacturer that, for over 60 years, has designed and manufactured complex, high-tolerance plastic injection molded products and assemblies. In his role as CEO, Ben…
In Episode #67 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast, Mark Graban talks with Matthew E. May, former Toyota advisor and author of the Shingo Prize-winning The Elegant Solution: Toyota’s Formula for Mastering Innovation. Matt’s follow-up book, In Pursuit of Elegance:…
SPONSOR: MIT Professional Education – Short Programs: MIT will be holding three short courses on campus this July focused on various lean concepts geared towards busy professionals (Lean Academy ® Course, Lean Engineering Seminar, Lean Healthcare Academy). To learn more…
LeanBlog Podcast #65 is a discussion with Kevin Frieswick, a Lean Process Manager, with MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, MA. I found Kevin earlier this year when I discovered their YouTube video about innovations at MWMC, which included a unique…
Here is LeanBlog Podcast #64, again with Jamie Flinchbaugh, co-author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road. Jamie explains the difference between coaching people toward a solution versus coaching them in the method, and why both approaches have…
