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.
Here is an interesting article that a few people pointed me toward the other day about the Seattle Mariners team: Mariners Sunday mailbag: Explaining the Japanese origin of the team’s new slogan “Manager Scott Servais does have a mantra each…
Yesterday, I blogged about a CNO who was changing the culture at a hospital away from blaming individual nurses for system problems. The HealthLeaders article I wrote about didn’t talk about “Lean” per se. But, that single idea about moving…
Here’s the latest in an occasional ongoing series I call “A Lean Guy Reads ________”. Today, I’m reading the latest issue of Health Leaders magazine (March/April 2019) whose cover features a number of stories about nursing retention. The lead article…
Ryan and I are co-sponsoring a workshop that I’ll be presenting on “Measures of Success” in Winnipeg on May 10. Learn more. Healthcare – Creating Value for Patients A hospital in India continues to develop world-class surgical practices at a…
Joining me for Episode #339 of the podcast is Charles Protzman, author of a great number of Lean healthcare books. Today, we are talking about a book that he wrote for a broader audience, The BASICS Lean Implementation Model: Lean…
Here’s an interesting recent article from the Wall Street Journal (you might require a subscription to read it): The Economy’s Last Best Hope: Superstar Middle Managers Anemic growth, millennial malaise, you name it–blame a lack of inspiring bosses I’ll comment…
My guest for Episode #338 is Mr. Grey Dube, the Chief Executive Officer at Leratong Hospital. He has over 40 years’ experience in the public service, including time as CEO at the hospital since 2005. Leratong Hospital is an 855…
I was first introduced to the ExperienceChange simulations about ten years ago when I already had more than ten years of experience trying to facilitate change in manufacturing companies and healthcare organizations. Playing the healthcare-based “Lakeview” hospital simulation and learning…
Healthcare – Creating Value for Patients The design of payment and reimbursement systems in healthcare is a key driver of value. In Canada, it is not uncommon for primary care physicians to institute a “one issue per visit” policy. This clearly impacts…
It’s my second straight podcast with a healthcare CEO. This time, joining me for Episode #337 is Vance Jackson, FACHE, FACMPE, the President & CEO of Davis Health System, based in Elkins, West Virginia. Vance and I talk about how…
Healthcare – Creating Value for Patients The new venture between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase to fix healthcare is called “Haven” according to a new press release. I will be following with interest. This venture has great leadership, vast resources, and…
My guest for Episode #336 is Gladys Bogoshi, the Chief Executive Officer at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, one of the ten central hospitals in South Africa and the main teaching platform of the University of the Witwatersrand. The Hospital…
