A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of July 2026.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

A Kaizen Board in Japan, and a Manager Who Answered Every Sheet – Mark Graban shares an example from a Japanese kaizen board where every employee improvement received a written management response, illustrating how visible leadership engagement reinforces respect for people and continuous improvement.

Toyota’s 1992 View: Standardized Work and Kaizen Are Two Sides of the Same Coin – Mark Graban explains that Toyota never viewed standardized work and kaizen as opposing forces, but rather as complementary activities that enable continuous improvement and learning.

Be Where Your Feet Are – Ron Pereira reminds leaders that true presence is a leadership skill, arguing that people cannot effectively coach, support, or understand others when their attention is divided.

Don’t Let the Objective Statement Stop Your Project – John Knotts explains that project charters should guide learning rather than predict outcomes with certainty, encouraging improvement teams to view objective statements as a starting point for discovery instead of a barrier to taking action.

The Keys to Developing Lean Leadership – Alen Ganic argues that sustainable Lean transformation depends on developing leaders who can build capability, foster continuous improvement, and create the culture necessary for long-term success.

Prompting for Problem Solving – Art Smalley explains how Lean practitioners can apply the Prompt-Do-Check-Act mindset when working with AI, emphasizing that effective prompting remains the foundation for productive human-AI collaboration.

Past, Present, and Future of Lean and AI – Gene Kim, Tyson Heaton, and Art Smalley explore the intersection of Lean thinking and artificial intelligence, discussing both the opportunities and risks organizations face as AI adoption accelerates.

What your brain is hiding from you – Kevin Meyer explores the limits of human perception, illustrating how much of reality remains invisible to us and why recognizing those blind spots is essential for learning and improvement.

Two Data Point Comparison Theatre – Chris Chapman cautions against drawing conclusions from limited data, demonstrating how comparisons based on only two observations can create misleading narratives and poor decisions.

How Good is Your Management System? – Pascal Dennis examines the purpose and elements of effective management systems, arguing that strong systems are essential for developing people while achieving operational excellence and innovation.

The Certainty Trap: Why Feeling Sure Is the Warning Sign – Mark Graban warns that confidence can create blind spots in problem solving, encouraging leaders to remain curious and open to learning rather than assuming they have the right answer.

The Trouble with Yellow – Bruce Hamilton challenges the common use of yellow status indicators on visual management boards, explaining how ambiguous signals can undermine accountability and decision-making.

What are YOUR unseen managerial routines? – Mark Rosenthal reflects on Toyota Kata and the often invisible routines that enable leaders to develop problem-solving capability and continuous improvement habits within their organizations.