Leadership and Lean Manufacturing: A Conversation with Jamie Flinchbaugh – LeanBlog Podcast on the Role of Leadership in Driving Change and Improvement

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #6, the second part of my discussion with Jamie Flinchbaugh, co-author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean. You can find the first part of the podcast here.

In this Podcast, we talk about how leadership needs to apply the ideas of waste to reduction to their own jobs and how leaders really “lead” rather than being merely “behind” lean efforts.

MP3 File

• 0:50 How do you teach people how to see waste? What is the role of leaders in eliminating waste?
• 1:10 More about the “language of waste” and specific waste terminology, why is that important?
• 2:10 How leaders can eliminate waste from their own role and your own work
• 4:20 How can leaders get people to move to action? Does fear get in the way?
• 4:55 “Be visible” – being visible versus being a “showman”
• 5:10 “Great leaders ask great questions” but it's also important to make suggestions as a leader, to help drive action
• 5:30 “The management support myth” — being “behind” lean versus being a leader
• 6:35 Asking questions versus pointing out things to do
• 8:30 Doing lean “with” someone versus “for” them
• Jamie's most recent column in Assembly Magazine can be found here. Click here for an archive of Jamie's columns.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 993-0630 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban”. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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