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.
Op-Ed Contributor – G.M.’s Secret Success – NYTimes.com I agree with the basic premise of this piece that not all is rotten in GM. For example, I rather like some of their recent products — design and execution (Chevy Malibu/Saturn…
Article – NYTimes.com Marketwatch.com article Breaking news (but not entirely unexpected if you’ve been following the news in the last week): Toyota Motor, the Japanese auto giant, announced Monday that it expected the first loss in 70 years in its…
I’d love to go on one of these Japan lean study missions at some point. Blogger Jason Yip, who writes about Lean software development and comments here sometimes, wrote about the trip he took with Enna. Japan Lean Study Mission…
No Detroiters Need Apply – Automotive News First off, I hate the whole “czar” term in our government. Ick. But if we need a “car czar”, I can’t think of a better candidate than Gary Convis, formerly of Toyota and…
UAW suspends jobs bank, delays retiree fund payments – USATODAY.com So this might be the end of the infamous Jobs Bank that we’ve talked about here a lot. When I started working at GM in the mid 90’s as an…
I recorded an upcoming LeanBlog Podcast with Steven J. Spear yesterday. Here is that episode: He’s promoting his new book Chasing the Rabbit: How Market Leaders Outdistance the Competition and How Great Companies Can Catch Up and Win. Update: the…
Business World – WSJ.com — How to Save Detroit And $50 Billion: The Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. column “Business World” in the WSJ is normally a good read. Last week, he wrote about the proposed bailouts (um, assistance) that automakers…
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.…
Toyota’s plunge into big pickups veers into a Texas-size ravine – USATODAY.com I’ve already written about this before, but there was a new article in USA Today about Toyota’s commitment to its workers in San Antonio, even during a slow…
The Associated Press: Toyota lays off 800 line workers at Japan plant I’m starting to cut Toyota less slack for their claims of not having laid off employees in over 50 years. Japanese automaker Toyota has laid off 800 people…
1) Guardian (U.K.) Story 2) Houston Chronicle Story 3) Chicago Tribune Story Look at those articles. How amazing is this illustration of Toyota’s “respect for people” principle? You can treat people as expendable costs or an asset to train and invest…
Toyota Bumps Prices For 11 Models | The Truth About Cars Ok, since I was accused (rightfully so) of picking on just GM for this, Toyota has also used the “rising materials cost” excuse for raising prices on some models.…