Executive Summary for Leaders Continuous Improvement–often called Kaizen–is not a program, a department, or a suggestion box. It is the daily practice that makes Lean real. At its core, Kaizen means improving systems by engaging the people who do the…
TL;DR Twenty years later, Jeffrey Liker’s message still applies: Lean fails when it’s treated as a set of tools instead of a leadership system. Toyota’s results come from developing people, creating stability, and fostering psychological safety–not from dashboards or templates.…
One of the most overlooked–and most powerful–principles in Lean management is also the very first principle of the Toyota Way: “Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals.” This principle is foundational.…
TL;DR: Psychological safety in Lean organizations means people can surface problems, admit mistakes, and challenge assumptions without fear. It is not about comfort or lowering standards–it is the foundation that makes Respect for People, learning, and continuous improvement possible. In…
Why do so many Lean efforts fail in offices, engineering, and executive work? In this episode, Don Kieffer explains why copying Toyota’s rituals misses the point–and how Dynamic Work Design applies Toyota thinking to intellectual work, leadership systems, and real…
Last year, my friend (and long-time fellow blogger) Tim McMahon from the A Lean Journey blog sent me a set of questions he’s asked various Lean practitioners over the years. His goal is simple but valuable: create reflection, encourage dialogue,…
Why do capable leaders spend their days firefighting instead of improving the system? In this episode, MIT professor Nelson Repenning explains how poorly designed work systems trap organizations in chaos–and how Lean thinking and Dynamic Work Design help leaders restore…
TL;DR: Lockout/tagout failures kill workers every year–and they’re not “operator errors.” This post explains why ignoring LOTO is a leadership and culture failure, why productivity pressure drives deadly shortcuts, and what Lean leaders must do to put safety truly first.…
When I launched the My Favorite Mistake podcast in September 2020, I hoped to create space for leaders and innovators to share the moments they wished they could take back — and more importantly, what they learned from them. Five…
This article is based on my recent Catalysis webinar, “Lean Lessons from Japan: Mindsets, Culture, and the Challenge of Speaking Up.” The session was part of their ongoing learning series, and the recording will be available soon through Catalysis and…
Former Toyota leader Mark Reich explains why Hoshin Kanri is not a top-down planning exercise, but a leadership system for aligning strategy, developing people, and managing on purpose through dialogue, PDCA, and shared ownership. Scroll down for how to subscribe,…
TL;DR: While some Japanese hospitals excel at Lean, many face the same cultural and systemic barriers seen elsewhere. Visiting Japan isn’t about finding a Lean utopia–it’s about sharpening your thinking by seeing what’s possible and how leadership, not geography, drives…
