What I Tell People Who Want to Write a Book About Lean
Twice in the past two weeks, I have talked with people who want to write a book about Lean. Both were early in the process and trying to figure out what they were signing up for. I’ve had a lot…
Tag Books
Books: Learning, Leadership, and Lean Thinking in Practice
Books shape how we think about leadership, improvement, and learning—but only if we reflect on them and apply their lessons thoughtfully. This archive includes blog posts and podcast episodes about Lean, healthcare, leadership, mistakes, psychological safety, and continuous improvement, including reflections on my own books and conversations with authors whose work has influenced how organizations build better systems and cultures.
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What the First Twelve Years of Writing About Sports Taught Me About Leadership
I’ve been pulling together a slightly updated edition of my eBook collecting the sports-related posts from this blog. The earliest post in it is from October 2005. The most recent is from January 2017. Going back through twelve years of…
Chad Diggs on Building Quality Systems, Not Heroes
Why do so many quality programs fall apart the moment the firefighter walks out the door? In this conversation, Chad Diggs talks about his new book, Below the Surface, and what it takes to build quality systems that outlast the people who…
Mistakes and Leadership Lessons: Still Learning, Three Years Later
Three years ago, The Mistakes That Make Us came out. Around the same time, Elisabeth Swan published Picture Yourself a Leader. Both books’ third birthdays felt like a decent reason to get together and talk together and bring in some…
Why Most People Don’t Think — and What to Do About It, with Scott Burgmeyer
Scott Burgmeyer, founder and CEO of Become More Group, has spent more than 30 years watching smart people make avoidable decisions — not because they lack intelligence, but because they stopped thinking. In this episode of Lean Blog Interviews, we…
New Book Announcement: Psychological Safety for Lean Leaders — Vote on the Title
I haven’t said much about this here yet, so consider this the announcement. I’m writing a new book. It’s a practical guide for Lean leaders, continuous improvement professionals, and anyone who’s ever wondered why their problem-solving training didn’t produce more…
New Book: “The Silence Tax” — Now Available (In Progress) on Leanpub
I’m happy to announce that the first seven chapters of my new book are now available through Leanpub.com. The book is called The Silence Tax: How Lean Leaders Drive Out Fear and Futility. It was originally called “Psychological Safety for…
17 Years Later: Reflections on Lean Hospitals and the Journey of Improvement
tl;dr: Seventeen years after Lean Hospitals, the core lessons still hold: Lean healthcare isn’t about tools–it’s about systems thinking, respect for people, psychological safety, and daily improvement. It’s hard to believe, but it’s been almost 17 years since the first…
Culture Is the Key — Reflections on Leadership, Mistakes, and Building Magnetic Teams
I’ve always believed that culture isn’t just one component of success–it’s the foundation everything else is built upon. That belief is central to my own book, The Mistakes That Make Us, and it’s something I speak about frequently with clients,…
Yes! Another Lean Book Emphasizes Psychological Safety’s Importance
TL;DR: A newly released Lean book from the Lean Enterprise Institute reinforces what Toyota, Deming, and Lean leaders have long known: psychological safety is essential for learning, problem-solving, and sustainable continuous improvement. Without it, Lean tools and training fall short.…
Book Giveaway: Two Books About Learning From Mistakes & Failure
Here’s a great opportunity for you to win TWO fantastic books–one for you and one for a young reader in your life! For the adults: You could win a signed copy of my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us:…
Art Byrne on Lean from the CEO’s Perspective and The Lean Turnaround Answer Book
Art Byrne returns to the podcast to share CEO-level lessons from decades of Lean transformations and his new book, The Lean Turnaround Answer Book. The conversation covers Lean strategy, cost accounting pitfalls, private equity turnarounds, and why Lean must be…
