Tag: Toyota

Toyota Thinking: Leadership, Systems, and Continuous Improvement

Toyota is often cited as the inspiration for Lean, but its success is rooted in leadership behaviors, management systems, and a deep commitment to learning—not tools or slogans. This archive brings together blog posts, podcasts, and reflections on Toyota’s approach to quality, continuous improvement, psychological safety, and respect for people. Many of these posts explore what leaders outside Toyota often misunderstand—and what truly matters if they hope to learn from Toyota rather than copy it.

Happy Nurses Week – Lean Can Help

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This week starts the celebration of International Nurses Week, which leads up to Nurses Day on May 12, which is the birthday of the...

Toyota’s Blog on Pillars of the Toyota Production System & Lean

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I didn't know , until yesterday, that Toyota has an official company blog (at least for Toyota UK). Even though I've learned from Toyota people...

The Leadership Pond Usually Isn’t Stocked with Humble Fish

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A big theme in Lean management is the idea of "leading with humility." The first chapter of an excellent book written by Toyota employees and...

The Truth About Data and PDSA/PDCA from a Toyota Publication

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Out there in the Lean and quality improvement communities, you sometimes hear some silly things. Sometimes, I want to attach the "Lean As...

Kaizen Adventures in My Hometown of Livonia, Michigan

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I'm in my home town of Livonia, Michigan this week, having arrived to the snow and cold yesterday, staying through Thursday. Boy, my blood...

Toyota Tour Thoughts – Yes, They Have Opportunities for Kaizen

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I had a chance to go back to the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas (TMMTX) plant in south San Antonio last week with a group...

Video: Toyota Uses “Lean Startup” Methods to Develop a New Product

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Since the "Lean" in the "Lean Startup" methodology basically comes from Toyota, it was fascinating to see two engineers from Toyota, Matt Kresse and...

Parallels Between Philadelphia Eagles’ Coach Chip Kelly & A Lean Leader

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The Philadelphia Eagles are playing in an NFL playoff matchup tonight against the New Orleans Saints. I'd admired Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and...

Videos Look Inside the Tesla (former NUMMI) Factory – Will They...

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I was able to tour the NUMMI factory in 2005, which I really enjoyed (see my series of blog posts here). NUMMI was, of...

10 (Actually, 20) of the Most Read LeanBlog.org Posts in 2013

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Thanks everybody for reading my blog in 2013! I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to read and participate in the...

Belated Book Review: The Machine That Changed The World

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Mark's note: Christina Kach is back with a new post, this time a review of what should probably be considered a "Lean classic." Come...

John Shook – #Lean Production Meets #LeanStartup

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After their recent recorded conversation, it was great to see John Shook, CEO of LEI, and Eric Ries, Author of  The Lean Startup together...
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