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

Rowers, Watchers & Grumblers – Fukuda’s Parable in the Age of AI – Pascal Dennis says Fukuda’s Parable frames organizational change as a voyage in which leaders should identify and invest in enthusiastic “Rowers,” let “Watchers” observe progress, and avoid being derailed by resistant “Grumblers” while using visible systems and forums to spotlight top contributors.

Are You Too Old to Learn Something New? – Ron Pereira argues that people are never too old to learn, showing that the real barrier to growth is the limiting story we tell ourselves—not age—and that effective Lean leadership is rooted in the belief that everyone can develop new skills when expectations, mindset, and support align.

Lean Leadership and the Broken Windows of Culture – John Knotts argues that organizational culture succeeds or fails based on what leaders tolerate, showing that “broken windows” — small ignored violations — quietly redefine a company’s true values unless leaders set clear expectations, build capability, and reinforce accountability through consistent Lean leadership behaviors.

Why Lean Leaders Should Stop Solving Problems for Their Teams – Ricky Banks says that Lean leaders should stop solving problems themselves and instead develop their teams’ problem‑solving capability, because doing the thinking for employees creates dependency while coaching builds a stronger, more resilient organization.

The Future of Lean Transformation Is Leadership – Alen Ganic argues that the future of Lean transformation depends on developing leaders—not just tools—because only strong Lean leadership can sustain continuous improvement, build capability, and drive enterprise‑wide cultural change.

Prompt, Do, Check, Act: The New PDCA – Art Smalley explains that Prompt‑Do‑Check‑Act is the modern evolution of PDCA, showing how humans and AI can work together by treating the prompt as the plan, letting the model execute the work, and using human judgment to check and adjust in iterative cycles that build real capability in cognitive work.

No (Design) Problem is a Problem – Eric Ethington shows how to apply product development discipline to enterprise transformation, asking leaders to define what value should be before acting.

People Aren’t on the Balance Sheet. That’s the Problem – Kevin Meyer argues that traditional accounting dangerously treats people as expendable costs rather than value‑creating assets, obscuring the massive loss of knowledge and capability that occurs when organizations cut staff—because human capital grows over time, even if the balance sheet refuses to acknowledge it.

How to Release the Genius of the Organization? Pascal Dennis argues that modern organizations stifle human potential, and in his view the cure is building cultures of total involvement—powered by a Centre of Excellence and Shark Tank–style forums—to help people solve problems, spark innovation, and ultimately release the genius of the organization.

Why Improvements Don’t Stick After a Kaizen Event – Mark Graban argues that what looks like “backsliding” after a kaizen event is usually a failed handoff, not a loss of progress, because frontline teams were never truly involved in designing, testing, or owning the new process—meaning real sustainment only happens when improvements are co‑created, coached, and followed up with a structured adoption rhythm.

The 5 Whys Mistake That Stops Your Root Cause Analysis Three Whys Early – Jeff Roussel explains that most teams misuse 5 Whys by stopping at the first plausible answer, urging deeper root cause analysis—verified by backward‑reading the cause chain and checking multiple branches—so problems are truly prevented instead of just getting another “wet floor” sign.

The Illusion of Someday– Ron Pereira argues that the belief in “someday” is an illusion, urging leaders to practice true respect for people now by investing time, presence, and intentionality in developing others—because leadership is ultimately about people, not postponed priorities.

First, We Develop the People – Mark Graban argues that most “failed sustainment” isn’t backsliding at all but a failed handoff, because frontline staff were never truly involved in designing, testing, or owning the new process—meaning improvements stick only when they’re co‑created, coached, and supported through a structured adoption rhythm.