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

Factory Physics Explained: Mark Spearman on Flow, Buffers, and System

Factory Physics is one of the most influential operations management frameworks ever written–and in this…

Jim Womack on GM, Ford, Toyota, and the Meaning of

In this Lean Blog Podcast episode, Jim Womack reflects on GM, Ford, and Toyota through the lens of Lean…

Group Health Cooperative Lean Leaders and Executive Panel Discussion –

Episode #23 of the LeanBlog Podcast features a panel of Lean leaders from the Group Health Cooperative, a…

LeanBlog Podcast #22 – Allan Wilson, CEO of “Factory Logic”

Episode #22 of the Podcast is a discussion with Allan Wilson, CEO of Factory Logic, a software company that…

Mark on the “Better Process” Podcast

PodcasterNews – Industry Report Mark and Dwight for a Lean Roundtable I am appearing again on Ken…

Lean Blog Podcast #21 – Norman Bodek on Building People

Listen: LeanBlog Podcast Episode #21 features our friend and frequent guest, Norman Bodek, noted lean author…

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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.

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