Lean Quote: Prisoner of the Past or Pioneer of the Future

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future."   —  Deepak Chopra

It’s unlikely that many of us would want our lives to look exactly the same in 10 years as it does today. Yet we often resist change rather than embrace it, bringing old responses to new situations. Embracing change requires courage, resiliency, insight and perspective.

Making a conscious decision to let go and free yourself is key. Without freedom from the past there really is no freedom to embrace the future. Here are some tips to help you let go of the past:

1.     Challenge yourself – Ask yourself a very fundamental question. How am I benefiting from the past activity. Once you clearly understand that it doesn’t serve you in any way it will help you detach yourself from it. Learn the lesson and more on.

2.     Don’t over analyze - Let’s face it: kicking the past around and living in the land of " What if?" is not only exhausting; but not helpful. Under no circumstances “should on yourself” If you hear yourself saying “should have”, “would have” or “could have” all you will do is make yourself feel disappointed and regretful.

3.     See mistakes as stepping stones - Some of the best and most precious lessons I have learnt in my life have come from my biggest mistakes and potential set backs not when everything was a walk in in the park. Remember you weren't born to be perfect you were born to be real and real people make mistakes, so learn the lesson and move on...!

Every day — every moment — is a new beginning, one in which we have the opportunity to think, feel and respond in new ways. We get to plant the seeds of who we are becoming and set new patterns of our choosing into motion. We also can choose to neglect ourselves to varying degrees and, on autopilot, keep recreating the past. For some it’s frightening to consider the power they have in their own lives.

Lean Roundup #195 – August, 2025

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of August 2025.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.   

 

Daily Management Walks – a Primer – Pascal Dennis talks about Daily Management Walks keep leaders connected to reality by seeing the work directly rather than relying only on reports. 

 

Einstein’s Favorite Mistake — and What It Teaches Us About Lean Thinking – Mark Graban says Einstein’s “biggest blunder” illustrates the danger of ignoring evidence and the importance of humility in Lean learning. 

 

What Makes Employees Actually Participate in Continuous Improvement Programs? - Danielle Yoon shares white paper that discusses employee buy-in, more than tools or processes, is the deciding factor in whether continuous improvement efforts succeed or fail. 

 

How to Make Improvements Stick in Your Organization - Alen Ganic shares tips to why sustaining improvements is harder than making them, requiring leadership commitment, accountability, and culture change. 

 

Turning Conflict into Growth: 7 Steps Every Emotionally Intelligent Leader Should Know – Ron Pereira says if handled well, conflict can spark creativity and stronger relationships, making it a vital leadership skill in Lean. 

 

The Digital Dark Age: Why Electronic Records Could Leave Future Archaeologists Empty-Handed – Kevin Meyer discusses how our digital age—seemingly the most documented period in human history—may paradoxically become the most invisible to future archaeologists. 

 

Ambidexterity – the Battles We Have to Win – Pascal Dennis says to thrive in today’s volatile world requires balancing operational excellence with innovation to avoid obsolescence. 

 

15 Unmeasurable System Conditions – Christopher Chapman says there are things you can’t measure with a KPI, yet are vital for determining the output quality of your organization’s products and services. 

 

Celebrating our Frontline Scapegoats – Bruce Hamilton shares a lighthearted tribute to frontline workers who too often bear the blame for systemic quality issues. 

 

Efficiency? What efficiency? – Jacob Stoller explains how siloed “efficiency” misses the mark—and why leaders should focus on system-wide productivity instead. 

 

What Are We Really Teaching in Frontline Jobs?  - Josh Howell explains that frontline jobs are more than entry-level work — they’re powerful training grounds for future leaders. 

 

Data is Good; Facts that Tell You What’s Actually Happening in Your Business Are Better - Eric Ethington says in product and process development, leaders must see facts, engage stakeholders, and design processes that reveal problems. Tools matter only when they serve people and process. 

 

Kaizen Alone Isn’t Enough: Why Leaders Must Fix the System for Real Improvement – Mark Graban explains true improvement requires leaders to address systemic barriers, not just rely on frontline kaizen.