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.
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 the seven Native communities of the Chugach Region. I met Patrick at a Lean conference, where…
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 hit the Candlestick Park locker room at halftime trailing the Seahawks 20-3, Singletary called…
The Weekend Interview – WSJ.com Good interview with the CEO of FedEx, Fred Smith. If you click on the link above, be warned there’s some political discussion (which I know many of you might be sick of at this point).…
Top Small Workplaces 2008 – WSJ.com Today’s WSJ was well worth the $2.00. Yes, I subscribe to the online Journal, but there’s something nice about reading the regular print version while traveling. Maybe I should just buy a Kindle as…
A friend of mine, Kurt Woolley at Intel, has written an article for Industry Week that is quite popular. I thought I would share it here. It’s title is: The Key to a Successful Lean Journey? Leadership! Kurt talks about…
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 Employees to Embrace Lean and Energize Their Creativity.” I think hospitals have a long way to…
Thanks to Charlie P. for sharing this gem from the now out of print book: 40 Years, 20 Million Ideas: The Toyota Suggestion System by Yuzo Yasuda. This book was originally published by Productivity Press when Norman Bodek was still…
Wildcats know they have room to improve — chicagotribune.com Those of you who know me recognize me as a diehard Northwestern Wildcats fan. Yes, it’s often a tortured existence. Our football team is 3-0. That’s nothing to get too excited…
I heard a great quote at a conference today. I would give attribution, but I’m not sure if I have the OK to cite the person and company (they keep below the radar): “Lean can make a good manager great.…
by Jamie Flinchbaugh, co-author, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean Some of you have read the beginning of my Leading Lean A-Z. You can see the introduction and the first post here. I continue, quite out of sequence, with I. I:…
What people often think Lean is — a superhero there to “save them” or to “make them Lean.” As illustrated below: How people should really view Lean: The asterisk text reads “warning: requires effort and leadership (not a silver…
by Jamie Flinchbaugh, co-author, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean What’s the purpose of thinking about work as a value stream? Is it just a buzzword? It helps us identify how our activities connect and flow together in order to deliver…
