Lean Blog Interviews Podcast

Leadership Conversations on Lean, Culture, and Continuous Improvement Across Industries

Lean Blog Interviews brings you honest, real-world conversations about Lean leadership, culture, and continuous improvement. Since 2006, host Mark Graban has interviewed leaders and practitioners who are doing the hard work of improving systems–not just talking about tools.

These conversations focus on practical experience: what helped, what got in the way, and what leaders learned along the path. Whether the setting is a hospital, factory, startup, or office, each episode highlights how respect for people, psychological safety, and better systems drive sustainable improvement.

If you believe improvement starts with respect for people–and that better systems beat blaming individuals–you’ll feel at home here.

What This Podcast Focuses On

  • Lean as a management system–not just a toolbox
  • Leadership behaviors that enable trust, learning, and improvement
  • Continuous improvement, Kaizen, and problem-solving at every level
  • Psychological safety and learning from mistakes
  • Lessons from Toyota, healthcare, startups, and beyond
  • Honest discussions about challenges, setbacks, and real progress

This is not a podcast about “Lean theater,” certifications, or chasing the latest jargon.

Who This Podcast Is For

  • Lean practitioners and continuous improvement professionals
  • Healthcare leaders and clinicians
  • Executives and senior leaders
  • Coaches, consultants, and facilitators
  • Anyone interested in building better systems–not blaming people

If you believe improvement starts with respect for people, this podcast is for you.

How This Podcast Fits with Mark’s Other Shows

Lean Blog Interviews
In-depth conversations with leaders and practitioners about Lean, culture, and real-world improvement across industries.

Lean Blog Audio
Short-form audio essays based on LeanBlog.org posts, read and expanded by Mark Graban.
leanblog.org/audio

My Favorite Mistake
Personal stories from leaders about mistakes, learning, and psychological safety–across all industries.
myfavoritemistakepodcast.com

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Recent Episodes

See all Lean Blog Interviews episodes

Podcast #173 – Alan Gleghorn, CEO of Christie Clinic on

Listen My guest for podcast #173 is Alan Gleghorn, CEO of Christie Clinic in central Illinois. Alan is one of…

Podcast #172 – Jerry Bussell, Anatomy of a Lean Leader

Joining me for episode #172 is Jerry Bussell, previously a guest on episode #137. Today, we’re talking about…

Chad Walters on Applying Lean Principles to Sports, Stadiums, and

Listen: My guest for episode #171 is Chad Walters, a friend and a Lean consultant. He is owner of Lean Blitz…

Stephen Parry, on His Book ‘Sense and Respond,’ How Lean

My guest for episode #170 is Stephen Parry, joining us from England. He is a keynote speaker at the upcoming…

Len Berry on The Promise of Lean in Healthcare and

Joining me for Episode #169 is Leonard L. Berry, PhD,  Distinguished Professor of Marketing in the…

Breaking the Wall of Silence: Carolyn McCulley on Patient Safety,

My guest for episode #168 is Carolyn McCulley, from CityGate Films, and  she is a co-director and producer of…

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Lean Blog Interviews has been published continuously since 2006 and is part of the Lean Communicators network.

Learn more about Mark Graban and his work at MarkGraban.com.