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GA 655 | Behavior Is the Audit with Adam Lawrence

By Jessica Bush Updated on October 22nd, 2026

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Most kaizen practitioners know the moment when a skeptic turns. It can take a day, a week, or nine months, but something clicks and the person who crossed their arms at the start is now telling the VP what their line accomplished. Adam Lawrence has spent decades collecting those moments, and he has built a framework around making them more likely to happen. That framework just got a significant overhaul.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How the Wheel of Sustainability evolved into something more auditable (4:31)
What leadership engagement looks like the day after a kaizen (5:26)
How five observable patterns replace nine abstract elements (13:09)
What owning the change looks like on the shop floor (16:20)
How earning trust shows up in a leader’s response time (18:08)
Why growing an improvement culture starts with paying attention (20:23)
What getting behavior change right actually requires of leaders (23:03)
How to adjust your approach when the room is full of skeptics (26:48)
Why sustainability is created during every conversation, not after (29:04)

“Sustainability is created during every conversation, every interaction, and every leadership behavior.” – Adam Lawrence

Keep Learning

Adam’s five observable behaviors all trace back to whether leaders know their role and act on it consistently. The School of Leadership can help you build the daily habits that turn kaizen results into lasting culture change.
Learn More About School of Leadership at https://www.gembaacademy.com/leadership

Podcast Resources

Past GA Podcast Episodes with Adam Lawrence
Adam on LinkedIn
PI Partners on LinkedIn
PI Partners
Adam on YouTube
The Wheel of Sustainability on Amazon

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What Do You Think?

Of Adam’s five observable behaviors, which one do you see leaders struggle with most in your organization?

Jessica Bush

Jessica is responsible for the editorial aspects of Gemba Academy’s content, focusing on course materials, podcast production, social media, and other copywriting efforts. An avid advocate of entrepreneurship, Jessica has worked with two technology startups as co-founder and head marketing strategist. Jessica received her BS in Business Administration from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, with a minor in Music.

Jordan Kelly
October 22, 2026 - 8:28 am
Reply

Great perspective, Adam! Sustainable improvement really does start with people and leadership. Creating a culture where the right behaviors are visible, measurable, and consistently reinforced is key to long term success. Thanks for sharing these insights!