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.

Toyota Keeps its Eyes on the Customer

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by Dan MarkovitzIn a refreshing change of pace for the auto industry, Akio Toyoda, who was just named as the new president of Toyota,...

Alfie Kohn on Punished by Rewards, Deming, and Rethinking Motivation

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My guest for LeanBlog Podcast #57 is Alfie Kohn, an author and lecturer in the fields of education, parenting, and human behavior. His books...

What It Means to Lead

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Rod Dreher: What it means to lead | Dallas Morning News | Opinion: Viewpoints"Authority is responsibility. Authority...

Eliminating Waste through Direct Communication

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Eliminating He Said, She Said « Sharing thoughts, ideas and suggestions on hardwiring successI really like Quint Studer's books, not just for healthcare,...

Lean Management in Healthcare: Patrick Anderson’s Vision in Chugachmiut

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LeanBlog Podcast Episode #53 is a conversation with Patrick M. Anderson, the Executive Director of Chugachmiut, the Tribal consortium created to promote self-determination to...

More Proof that Exhortations Don’t Work?

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Singletary dropped pants at halftime - SF Gate Funny story here about new 49ers coach, Mike Singletary, during halftime of his first game. When his team...

FedEx’s Fred Smith on Why We Need Manufacturing

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The Weekend Interview - WSJ.comGood interview with the CEO of FedEx, Fred Smith. If you click on the link above, be warned there's some...

Lean Cultures in the Top Small Workplaces

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Top Small Workplaces 2008 - WSJ.comToday's WSJ was well worth the $2.00. Yes, I subscribe to the online Journal, but there's something nice about...

The Key to a Successful Lean Journey? Leadership!

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A friend of mine, Kurt Woolley at Intel, has written an article for Industry Week that is quite popular. I thought I would share...

Presenting at the Lab Quality Confab

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I'm giving a talk this morning at the "Lab Quality Confab," an event for hospital laboratory leaders. The title of my presentation is "Engaging...

The 20 Things a Supervisor Should Not Say

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Thanks to Charlie P. for sharing this gem from the now out of print book: 40 Years, 20 Million Ideas: The Toyota Suggestion System ...

Taking Responsibility for Mistakes – On the Field, and Off

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Wildcats know they have room to improve -- chicagotribune.comThose of you who know me recognize me as a diehard Northwestern Wildcats fan. Yes, it's...
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