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.
Scroll down for info, videos about Lucid Motors, how to subscribe, and more My guest for Episode #410 of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast is Keith Champion, Senior Manager of Operational Excellence at Lucid Motors, a new entrant in the…
In my recent podcast with Ritsuo Shingo, one topic was the history of the acronym “SMED” — it stands for “Single-Minute Exchange of Die,” referring to how long it takes to do a “die change” on a machine like a…
My previous post in this series: A Lean Guy Gets Vaccinated at Dodger Stadium On Saturday, March 6th, I had the opportunity to visit two mass vaccination sites that were each being run in partnership with the UC San Diego…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Healthcare – Creating Value for Patients It is said that “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. …
Jay Hodge taught the Toyota Production System at a General Motors stamping plant in Indiana — then got a call from Toyota asking him to come work for them. In this episode, he shares what he learned about lean culture,…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Healthcare – Creating Value for Patients Striving for zero harm is becoming more widely accepted in healthcare. Here, an…
My guest for Episode #400 is Jeffrey Liker, the retired University of Michigan professor who has recently released the second updated and revised version of his seminal book The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer. The new edition…
Lesa Nichols worked closely with Hajime Oba at Toyota’s Supplier Support Center (TSSC) and later became a production manager at Toyota’s powertrain plant in Georgetown, Kentucky. In this episode, she shares lessons from Mr. Oba on overburden, learning from mistakes,…
Joining me for Episode #397 is Hide Oba. His father was the late Hajime Oba, famous for his work at Toyota and the TSSC, as Steve Spear and I discussed back in Episode #386. Hide worked with his father at…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! 2020 was an unusual year. As much as I look forward to seeing it in the rearview mirror, I…
Steve Spear shares lessons from Hajime Oba, who founded Toyota’s Supplier Support Center (TSSC) and became one of the most influential teachers of the Toyota Production System in North America. In this episode, Spear describes how Mr. Oba looked at…
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…
