Tag: Leadership

Leadership That Builds Better Systems, Better Results, and Better Work

Leadership isn’t about titles, charisma, or quick decisions—it’s about creating systems where people can do their best work and continuously improve. This archive brings together blog posts, podcasts, and reflections on leadership through a Lean lens, drawing on ideas from Deming, Toyota, healthcare, and real-world management practice. The common theme: leaders shape culture, influence behavior, and own the systems that produce results—for better or worse.

Stop Forcing Change: Use These Motivational Interviewing Questions Instead

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When we think about how change happens in organizations, especially those practicing Lean, we often focus on tools, plans, and communication strategies. But what...

From Firefighting to Flow — Darren Walsh on Lean Leadership Routines...

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Why do so many Lean efforts stall after early wins? In this episode, Darren Walsh explains why firefighting feels productive but prevents real progress--and...

GE’s Larry Culp: Why Lean Thinking Starts with Safety and Respect...

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TL;DR Larry Culp, CEO of GE Aerospace, shows that Lean leadership isn't about tools or slogans--it's about daily behaviors. By grounding Lean in safety,...

The Lasting Impact of a 2009 Kaizen Study in Emergency Medicine...

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Back in 2009, my friend and KaiNexus co-founder Dr. Greg Jacobson and his colleagues at Vanderbilt University Medical Center published an article that still...

What Lean Leaders Can Learn from Dan Quinn: Accountability Without Blame

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Leadership isn't about avoiding mistakes--it's about responding to them with honesty and humility. This week, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn offered a clear example....

How Great Leaders Prevent Mistakes and Learn from the Ones That...

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I recently gave a virtual keynote for a global manufacturing company that's a customer of KaiNexus. Their leaders wanted to explore how to strengthen...

Leadership, Laughter, and Lean: How a CEO’s Shaved Head Symbolized $7...

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In Lean circles, we talk a lot about leadership commitment. But it's not every day that a CEO puts their hair on the line...

Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: October 17, 2025

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This edition of Ryan McCormack's Operational Excellence Mixtape emphasizes that real improvement depends more on mindset, leadership, and system design than on tools alone....

Why Caring Cultures Matter in Lean: Psychological Safety, Respect for People,...

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Caring cultures are not "soft" extras in Lean--they are foundational. Caroline Greenlee and Chris Butterworth explain how psychological safety, respect for people, and wellbeing...

Leader Standard Work Is About Behavior, Not Just Your Calendar

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TL;DR Leader Standard Work isn't a calendar or a checklist. It's the daily responsibility of leaders to show up with the right behaviors--listening, asking,...

From 5S Frustration to Lean Leadership: A Conversation with a Future...

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Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with a supply chain student (taking undergraduate courses) who reached out with thoughtful questions about Lean principles....

Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: October 3, 2025

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This edition of Ryan McCormack's Operational Excellence Mixtape examines why true operational excellence remains elusive despite decades of tools, frameworks, and good intentions. From...
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