8 Lessons for Sustaining Excellence
- Leadership, Lean Management
- March 25, 2026
A long time reader, Dave, recently asked me for advice on leadership commitment for Lean implementation: Can Lean be successful if you don’t have top down commitment? I currently work for a midsize manufacturer that only like to say they are Lean, when in reality they only have one division attempting. Any advice? In my experience I
READ MORECompanies with poor management practices typically have employees who are disengaged. While a disengaged workforce is a symptom of substandard leadership, just what constitutes bad management? Here are a few problematic practices and signs I believe should be axed: 1. Bad Communication Few things cause employees to tune out faster than a management team that
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I believe when Lean principles are properly understood and applied, the upside for productivity improvements is nearly infinite. I have personally witnessed numerous Lean thinking initiatives that have improved productivity by large amounts (like 40-60%) in short periods of time with minimal expenditures. The Lean track record is well documented by numerous authors. Despite the
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Respect for People is one of the least well known and often under practiced principles of Lean thinking. As a voice in the Lean community I feel a sense of responsibility to try to change that. Showing respect in the workplace is one of the most important traits of a Lean environment. Some of the
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Empowerment may not be a new concept to you, but many organizations experience problems because they don’t know how to ‘live it’. Empowerment is often described as “having the power to make decisions”. However, this empowerment/decision making power is something that must be earned, not given, through a set of fundamental principles cultivated as follows:
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In a sports environment, a “coach” is someone who trains athletes or athletic teams to achieve their maximum physical performance. In the business world, a “coach” refers to a manager who leads a team of employees, actualizes the professional potential of his or her employees, and achieves a “winning” service or product with his or
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