Popular Posts
A Lean Management System That Doesn’t Depend on the Lean Team — Emily Swaney, OhioHealth Creating a Continuous Improvement System in Accounting: Nick Katko on PDCA, Culture, and Psychological Safety Signals & Levers: Elisabeth Hendrickson and Joel Tosi on Change Theater, Open Loops, and Systems Thinking for Software Teams
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Mark Graban

Lean Leadership, Psychological Safety, and Continuous Improvement

Since 2005, LeanBlog.org has shared practical insights from real-world work in healthcare, manufacturing, and beyond.

Books Keynote Speaking Coaching / Advisory Podcasts
Books by Mark Graban on Lean, Leadership, and Learning (4)

Lean Blog Interviews Podcast

Interview with “Kata Girl Geek” Gemma Jones on Lean, Improvement, and Mental Health

Interview with “Kata Girl Geek” Gemma Jones on Lean, Improvement, and Mental Health

ByMark Graban August 9, 2023 2456
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #482 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gemma Jones. Gemma is an Improvement Coach, Trainer, and Visual Facilitator...
George Saiz on “We Started With Respect” and His Career Focused on Improvement

George Saiz on “We Started With Respect” and His Career Focused on Improvement

ByMark Graban July 26, 2023 2494
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #481 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is George Saiz. As a coach, writer, and speaker, George Saiz actively promotes...
Paul Critchley Interviews Mark Graban About “The Mistakes That Make Us”

Paul Critchley Interviews Mark Graban About “The Mistakes That Make Us”

ByMark Graban July 12, 2023 1883
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more For Episode #480 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast turns the tables, as regular host Mark Graban is interviewed today by a guest host, his...
Interview with Arnout Orelio on Lean Thinking in Healthcare: The Netherlands and Beyond

Interview with Arnout Orelio on Lean Thinking in Healthcare: The Netherlands and Beyond

ByMark Graban July 4, 2023 2051
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #479 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Arnout Orelio, a returning guest (from Episode 403 in 2021). He has been...

More Blog Posts

mark graban and norman bodek

Remembering Norm Bodek, 20 Years After Episode #1

Mark GrabanByMark Graban May 4, 2026 689
In July 2006, I pressed record on a conversation with Norm Bodek. The audio quality was poor. I had no idea what I was doing. Norman, who had spent decades going to Japan and had published Ohno and...
Lean Blog Post Cover Image - 2026-05-01T083005.021

Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: May 1, 2026

Ryan McCormackByRyan McCormack May 1, 2026 4205
scott burgmeyer lean think

Why Most People Don’t Think — and What to Do About It, with Scott Burgmeyer

Mark GrabanByMark Graban April 29, 2026 1837
A close-up of a metal name badge or nameplate on a dark blue work shirt. The badge reads "PROCESS COACH" in crisp embossed letters. The shirt and badge look new. Behind the figure, slightly out of focus, is an industrial factory environment with fluorescent overhead lighting and assembly line equipment. The composition emphasizes the contrast between the pristine, almost promotional quality of the title on the badge and the harsh, utilitarian reality of the environment. Photorealistic, documentary style, muted industrial color palette with deep blues and steel grays. The mood is quietly ironic - the title and the setting don't match.

Calling a Supervisor a “Process Coach” Doesn’t Mean the Job Really Changes

Mark GrabanByMark Graban April 28, 2026 1469
deming red bead game simulator

A Free Red Bead Game Simulator: Try Dr. Deming’s Experiment Online

Mark GrabanByMark Graban April 26, 2026 850

Webinars

karen martin ask the expert webinar kainexus

Ask Karen Martin Anything on Operational Excellence: A KaiNexus Webinar

March 5, 2026
Karen Martin is one of those people I've been lucky to know and learn from for a long time. She's...
1. Professor with glasses in front of EMS 20th anniversary logo and KaiNexus logo on blue background.

Unlock the Power of Leadership: A Preview of the Electrolux Manufacturing System (EMS) Webinar

December 4, 2025
KaiNexus recently hosted a webinar I was especially looking forward to: “Unlock the Power of...
Breaking Through Cultural Friction: Respect for People and Sustainable Performance

Breaking Through Cultural Friction: Respect for People and Sustainable Performance

June 9, 2025
When organizations struggle to sustain Lean transformation, people often look first at tools...
Driving a Culture of Patient Safety: Lessons for Healthcare and Beyond

Driving a Culture of Patient Safety: Lessons for Healthcare and Beyond

April 28, 2025
Recently, I had the pleasure of moderating a webinar titled “Driving a Culture of Transforming...
Why Lean Fails Without Psychological Safety

Why Lean Fails Without Psychological Safety

April 16, 2025
TL;DR: Lean tools don't fail because people resist change–they fail because people don't feel...
Preview: Driving a Culture of Accountability – Transforming Patient Safety with KaiNexus (Webinar, April 15)

Preview: Driving a Culture of Accountability – Transforming Patient Safety with KaiNexus (Webinar, April 15)

April 8, 2025
One of the most powerful elements of continuous improvement is the ability to learn from each other...
My Upcoming Webinar on Mistake-Proofing Across Industries

My Upcoming Webinar on Mistake-Proofing Across Industries

February 3, 2025
I'm excited to be presenting this webinar on February 12th at 1 pm ET as part of the KaiNexus...
Top 5 Takeaways from my KaiNexus Webinar: Psychological Safety as a Precondition for Continuous Improvement

Top 5 Takeaways from my KaiNexus Webinar: Psychological Safety as a Precondition for Continuous Improvement

January 8, 2025
TL;DR: Psychological safety isn't optional for continuous improvement. This KaiNexus webinar...
Creating Leader Standard Work (LSW) Across a Distributed Business Model — Webinar Preview

Creating Leader Standard Work (LSW) Across a Distributed Business Model — Webinar Preview

November 7, 2024
I'm happy to be hosting and moderating this webinar that will be presented by Brent Loescher, a...
Embedding Change Management into your Continuous Improvement Initiatives – Webinar Preview

Embedding Change Management into your Continuous Improvement Initiatives – Webinar Preview

September 25, 2024
I'm happy to be hosting and moderating this webinar that will be presented by Melissa Sherman, a...
View Our “Ask Us Anything” Event on Psychological Safety and Lean

View Our “Ask Us Anything” Event on Psychological Safety and Lean

August 20, 2024
Psychological safety is often described as “feeling safe to speak up.” In Lean...
From Strategy to Execution: Webinar with Karen Friedenberg

From Strategy to Execution: Webinar with Karen Friedenberg

July 17, 2024
Are you looking to transform your business strategy into actionable results? Join us for our...

Videos

It’s Patient Safety Awareness Week and I Was Surprised That This Video Made Me Cry

It’s Patient Safety Awareness Week and I Was Surprised That This Video Made Me Cry

ByMark Graban March 11, 2015 Comments (5) 989
This week is the annual Patient Safety Awareness Week, presented by the National Patient Safety...
Kaizen: Giving Seven Days’ Grace on a New Idea [Video]

Kaizen: Giving Seven Days’ Grace on a New Idea [Video]

ByMark Graban March 4, 2015 Comment (1) 1375
Here's another video in the series that Joe Swartz and I shot at Franciscan St. Francis...
A Kaizen Example from St. Francis: From “Flavored Snot” to Applesauce [Videos]

A Kaizen Example from St. Francis: From “Flavored Snot” to Applesauce [Videos]

ByMark Graban February 9, 2015 Comment (0) 1450
Here's the latest video in the series that Joe Swartz and I shot at Franciscan St. Francis Health...

Mark Graban on YouTube

When a CEO tells accountability coach Linda Galindo he wants his team to be more accountable, her answer is “Then you’re the problem.” Linda’s favorite mistake is not finishing college. She left as a junior for a radio career, and the missing degree later caught up with her when healthcare clients asked for her CV. In this episode of My Favorite Mistake, she explains how that mistake shaped her view of accountability as ownership for results, good or bad, without fault, blame, or guilt. What you’ll learn: 🔵 Why “holding people accountable” so often turns into blame, and what real accountability looks like 🔵 The “as long as” blind spot that keeps people from full ownership 🔵 How rescuing, fixing, and saving underperformers punishes your best people 🔵 Why leaders who want to be liked struggle to be effective 🔵 Where Mark and Linda disagree: can a nurse be held accountable for not speaking up to a surgeon who might retaliate? 🔵 A four-minute reflection exercise any team can use after a setback About Linda Galindo: Linda Galindo is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and president of Galindo Consulting. She is the author of The 85% Solution, Way to Grow!, and her newest book, Accountability Thieves: How the Unaccountable Run Our Lives and What to Do About It. Linda’s website: https://www.lindagalindo.com/ Linda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thevoiceofaccountability/ Full show notes and transcript: https://markgraban.com/mistake372 Subscribe to My Favorite Mistake for weekly conversations with leaders about the mistakes that shaped them and what they learned. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:12 Her favorite mistake: not finishing college 02:57 When the missing degree became a problem 06:47 From radio reporter to news anchor 08:23 The ethics shift that ended her radio career 10:55 Why accountability changes with the outcome 12:07 Defining personal accountability 14:28 “Then you’re the problem” 17:59 Rescue, fix, and save 19:55 Where her view of accountability came from 23:13 The 85% Solution and the “as long as” blind spot 27:56 Checklists, systems, and healthcare 30:56 Can you hold a nurse accountable for speaking up? 33:06 Leaders must invite people to speak up 35:41 Accountability Thieves 38:08 “It’s easier to do it myself” 41:04 “It all begins and ends with me, but...” 42:46 A four-minute reflection exercise for teams 44:38 Wrap-up #Accountability #Leadership #PsychologicalSafety
You Want Accountability? You’re the Problem | Linda Galindo
Leaders who want improvement but don’t understand their system are “like kids in the lever store,” says Joel Tosi. They start pulling things. Highlights from my conversation with Joel and Elisabeth Hendrickson, co-authors of Signals & Levers. In two and a half minutes: why “I don’t want to be okay, I want us to be great” set Joel on this path, why implementing all the things can feel like progress without being progress, why chasing predictability can increase variability, the Whac-A-Mole problem, getting rid of the fake math games, and the line Joel and Elisabeth would most like you to take away: act where the pain is caused, not where it’s observed. Also: there’s always a duck. Full episode (Lean Blog Interviews, Episode 550): https://www.leanblog.org/550 Signals & Levers: Systems Thinking Tools to Unblock Software Delivery: https://link.amazon/B0cmgBGmU Curious Duck Digital Laboratory: https://curiousduck.io Dojo & Co.: https://www.dojoandco.com Mark Graban is an author, consultant, and speaker on Lean management, continuous improvement, and psychological safety. His books include Lean Hospitals, Healthcare Kaizen, Measures of Success, and The Mistakes That Make Us. His next book is The Silence Tax: How Lean Leaders Drive Out Fear and Futility. He hosts the Lean Blog Interviews and My Favorite Mistake podcasts and writes at https://www.leanblog.org Subscribe for more conversations on Lean, leadership, psychological safety, and continuous improvement. #LeanBlogInterviews #SystemsThinking #SignalsAndLevers #ChangeTheater #PsychologicalSafety #ProcessBehaviorCharts #SoftwareDelivery #ContinuousImprovement
Kids in the Lever Store: Highlights with Elisabeth Hendrickson & Joel Tosi
Psychological safety means everybody can have their say. It doesn’t mean they get their way. The goal is candor, not agreement. Psychological safety also isn’t all or nothing. It varies by team, by who’s in the room, and by topic. Someone might feel safe pointing out a machine that’s been down all week, but not safe saying the project is $50,000 over budget. That’s why it’s a problem when a leader says, “We already have psychological safety.” The people who say that are often the ones who feel safest. This clip is from my new course, Leading with Psychological Safety, from TKMG Academy. The course covers: 🔵 What psychological safety is, and common misconceptions 🔵 The four stages of psychological safety (from Timothy R. Clark) 🔵 Two reasons people stay silent: fear and futility 🔵 Four leadership behaviors that build it: Model, Encourage, Enable, and Reward 🔵 How to assess progress 13 lessons, about an hour total. Also available in Spanish. Learn more and purchase here: https://tkmgacademy.com/courses/leading-with-psychological-safety/
Psychological Safety Means Everyone Gets Their Say, Not Their Way
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