Tag: Leadership

Leadership That Builds Better Systems, Better Results, and Better Work

Leadership isn’t about titles, charisma, or quick decisions—it’s about creating systems where people can do their best work and continuously improve. This archive brings together blog posts, podcasts, and reflections on leadership through a Lean lens, drawing on ideas from Deming, Toyota, healthcare, and real-world management practice. The common theme: leaders shape culture, influence behavior, and own the systems that produce results—for better or worse.

Lessons from a “Like Lean” Millionaire

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Listen to my podcast with Nick One of my blog themes is the idea of "Like Lean" - practices that seem very much like the...

Archived SlideCast of my Webinar on Gemba Walks

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I have strong ties and connections to the state of Michigan, growing up in Livonia, starting my career there in Livonia, and having my...

Intrinsic Motivation in Lean Leadership: Lessons from Daniel Pink, Deming, and...

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What really motivates people to improve their work--especially in healthcare and other complex environments? Drawing on Daniel Pink's Drive, Dr. W. Edwards Deming's teachings,...

Exceptional Efforts in Imperfect Circumstances – Celebrated or Lamented?

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Here's a thought starter for a Monday morning - I'm looking forward to hearing your perspectives. A few weeks ago, I heard a leader...

Another CEO Talk: “Can I Say That?”

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The final keynote talk at the recent Society for Health Systems / ASQ Healthcare conference was given by Dr. Barry Silbaugh, a former hospital...

An Industrial Engineer as Hospital CEO

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Last Friday at SHS/ASQ, I heard a talk by Michael Riordan, the CEO of the Greenville Hospital System in South Carolina. He is one of...

Productivity Targets Getting in the Way of Productivity Improvement

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Earlier this morning, I attended a presentation at SHS/ASQ about Lean implementation in multiple emergency rooms in a large health system. There were a...

Akio Toyoda’s Testimony to Congress

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I only watched a few minutes of Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda's live testimony (thanks to online cable news streaming), but the first things I...

John Toussaint Blog Posts & Interview

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Today, I'm sharing a few links featuring the thoughts of John Toussaint, M.D., the CEO Emeritus of the ThedaCare health system in Wisconsin and...

The Role of Purpose and Your Role

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What is your role at work? Your purpose? Those questions might make you really stop and think. I sat in yesterday on a class, taught...

A “Go to Gemba” Show (of sorts) Premieres after the Super...

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Hat tips to the blogs Lean is Good and Curious Cat... tonight is the debut of the new CBS reality show "Undercover Boss" a...

CEO Jim D’Addario on Lean Manufacturing: Creating Jobs and Business Growth

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Podcast #83 is an in-depth conversation with Jim D'Addario, the CEO of D'Addario, Inc., a manufacturer of guitar strings, drum heads, and other musical...
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