TL;DR: Masaaki Imai (1930-2023) was the Japanese consultant who, more than any single person, brought the word “kaizen” — and the practice of continuous improvement — to the global business community. His 1986 book Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive…
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more During our summer hiatus from releasing new podcast episodes, we’re looking back at previous episodes of the podcast. Today, sadly, we’re taking a look back at guests from the past 15…
I was incredibly saddened today to hear that Norman Bodek passed away yesterday in Japan, where he had recently moved with his wife, Noriko. Norman was 88. This was announced through an email from Norman’s company, PCS Press, and I…
I’ve seen a number of people post on LinkedIn about the passing of the legendary “Mr. Oba” of Toyota (sometimes spelled “Mr. Ohba”) — Hajime Oba passed away on September 4th, in Connecticut. I’ve heard many stories from people who…
I was very sad to see the news about Anthony Bourdain's death, reportedly by suicide.
I regularly watched Bourdain's TV shows, "No Reservations" and "Parts Unknown." I don't normally get too excited about celebrity, but I do remember entering a contest where the prize was a chance to have dinner with him.
I also read his famed book Kitchen Confidential, which I really enjoyed. The other day, I saw a friend post a link to his 1999 article ("Don't Eat Before Reading This") in the New Yorker, which led to the 2001 book. He had a way with words, on the page and on screen.
Yesterday, I saw this headline from the Associated Press:
"Tatsuro Toyoda, former head of Toyota, dies at 88"
He passed away on December 30, 2017. I offer my condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.
In this post, I share some of his history and some reflections from two Americans who worked with him directly.
I was very saddened earlier to receive an email from an employee of a great leader, Dr. Michel Tétreault, informing me that he had passed away. Michel was, since 2005, the CEO of St. Boniface General Hospital in Winnipeg.
My deepest sympathies to his family and those who knew him. Steve Jobs is certainly an American original and he’s the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford of our times, combined. Jobs’ products make my life easier, more fun, more productive,…
