Toyota UK published a two-minute Toyota Production System video that does something most TPS explainers fail at. It leads with people, not tools. As the video explains, “every team member has the right to stop the line if he sees…
In my experience, you have to be cautious when somebody says either, “Lean says you should….” or “Toyota would tell you to…” because those statements, even if stated authoritatively, can be wrong. At a recent speaking engagement (I won’t disclose…
Here’s a fascinating article: “How Toyota brought its famed manufacturing method to India.” The piece starts with a story about a classic Toyota management practice — “Genchi Genbutsu, or on-site inspection, which is at the core of the Toyota Production…
TL;DR: Toyota’s real advantage isn’t automation–it’s how leaders design systems that support people, make problems visible, and create time for Kaizen. These same principles translate directly to healthcare and other complex organizations. I had the chance to tour the San…
Toyota’s respect for people principle means valuing people’s ability to think, learn, and improve their work. It includes listening, developing capability, and designing work that people can perform safely. Respect and high expectations belong together when leaders provide the support…
In this interview, Stephen Covey shares his perspective on Toyota’s “Respect for People” principle and why trust, empowerment, and leadership beyond command-and-control are essential to Lean success. Recorded at the Shingo Prize Conference, the conversation connects Covey’s ideas about the…
Episode #85 is a conversation with David Meier, a former Toyota Georgetown Group Leader and the co-author of the books The Toyota Way Fieldbook and Toyota Talent: Developing Your People the Toyota Way. With Toyota facing widespread attention during the 2010…
Article: How Toyota Defies Gravity While researching an upcoming presentation, I found this FORTUNE article from 1997. I was looking for a reference to Toyota letting its competitors (yes, Ford, GM, and Chrysler) tour its factories. Why Would Toyota Let…
No. Toyota’s factories do not run a formal Six Sigma program, and they do not hand out belts. What Toyota does teach, broadly and without much ceremony, is basic quality control and statistical thinking, the kind of tools that predate…
Op-Ed Contributor – G.M.’s Secret Success – NYTimes.com I agree with the basic premise of this piece that not all is rotten in GM. For example, I rather like some of their recent products — design and execution (Chevy Malibu/Saturn…
Norman Bodek is once again back for episode #47 of the LeanBlog Podcast. Today, he shares insights from his 68th study trip to Japan. Norman reflects on decades of visiting Toyota and contrasts what he saw there with Canon’s groundbreaking…
TL;DR: Toyota’s leadership philosophy isn’t about control — it’s about confirming processes, supporting people, and solving problems without blame. This quote from The Toyota Way 2001 shows how “thoughtful leaders” build quality and psychological safety into the system. A Powerful…
