Tag: Japan Tour
What Visiting Japan Taught Me About Lean Leadership and Healthcare Culture
This October, I'll be returning to Japan for another Lean healthcare study trip--my seventh time overall and my fifth healthcare-focused visit.
With each visit, I...
Kaiteki: The Japanese Philosophy Behind Motivated Employees and Lean Success
During my most recent visit to Japan (as part of a tour hosted by Katie Anderson), we spent time in several remarkable organizations where...
Are Japanese Hospitals More Lean? What Global Healthcare Leaders Can Learn...
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 Isn’t About Cutting Heads–It’s About Growing People and Cultures of...
One of the most important, and most misunderstood, principles in Lean thinking is this:
Lean is not a cost-cutting strategy. Lean is a people-development strategy.
If...
Lean in Japan Works–But Not Because They’re Japanese
Why Lean Thinking Succeeds in Japan--Not Because of Culture, But Because of Intentional Leadership and Systems
One of the most persistent myths I've encountered over...
Inside the Lean Healthcare Accelerator: Lessons from Japan with Dave Fitzpatrick
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #527 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Dave Fitzpatrick, co-founder of...
Join Me in Japan: A Lean Healthcare Accelerator Experience for 2025...
A unique opportunity for healthcare leaders to see Lean thinking in action across hospitals and industry in Japan--with reflection, depth, and cultural context.
Since 2012,...
Inside NUMMI: Isao Yoshino Reflects on Toyota’s Cultural Transformation in America
A former Toyota leader shares firsthand insights on the mindset shifts and leadership systems that turned NUMMI from failure to global case study.
The NUMMI...
I’m Still Dreaming About My Meal at Sukiyabashi Jiro’s Sushi in...
Before Katie Anderson's Japan Study Trip in November, I was able to spend six days in Kyoto and Tokyo with two friends (one of...
Forget the Template: Focus on Scientific Thinking and Action in Lean
What I learned in Japan confirms it: the power of Lean isn't in the templates--it's in the thinking, the actions, and the learning behind...
Leadership Without Blame: Building Psychological Safety in the New Year
Blame-based cultures kill improvement. Leaders must resolve to build trust and safety if they want innovation and engagement.
During Katie Anderson's #JapanStudyTrip this past November,...
Lean Whiskey #49: Japan Study Tour, a Lost iPhone, and Some...
Listen:
It's Episode 49 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban!
Mark shares tales of his holiday / study tour trip to...
