coaching Archives | Gemba Academy

The Dull Saw: A Leadership Lesson

By Ricky Banks - June 29th, 2026

Years ago, I watched a maintenance technician struggle with what should have been a simple task. He was cutting through a piece of metal with a handheld saw. What should have taken only a few minutes stretched into nearly half an hour.

GA 638 | Separating Risk from Being Reckless with George Barrios

By Jessica Bush - June 25th, 2026

Confidence and arrogance can look identical from the outside. George Barrios has spent a career in rooms where the difference mattered, from running a semiconductor division at 29 to co-leading a $20 billion merger between WWE a

GA 637 | Developing Organizational Maturity with Norman Wolfe

By Jessica Bush - June 18th, 2026

Most organizations have the systems. They have the processes, the KPIs, the structured meetings, the strategic plans. And they are still stuck. Norman Wolfe has spent decades helping leadership teams understand why, and the answer keep

GA 636 | Taking Control of Your Life with Joel Steele

By Jessica Bush - June 11th, 2026

Most people trying to improve their lives are doing it without a clear picture of what they are building toward. For Joel Steele, a near-miss with prison forced him to start making different choices. His book “Life Switch”

Lean Leadership and the Broken Windows of Culture

By John Knotts - June 5th, 2026

Over the years, I have spent a great deal of time researching leadership accountability, organizational culture, and the causes of toxic leadership. Along the way, I encountered a concept known as the Broken Windows Theory. While the t

GA 634 | Doubling Profits in 90 Days with Ben Hansen

By Jessica Bush - May 28th, 2026

This week’s guest is Ben Hansen. Ron and Ben discussed how Ben helps companies improve their profit margins, dealing with “profititis,” shifting your focus from revenue to profitability, and more. An MP3 audio version

GA 633 | Be Curious and Seek Knowledge with Andy Olrich

By Jessica Bush - May 21st, 2026

This week’s guest is Andy Olrich. Ron and Andy discussed the roles of people and tools in continuous improvement, what NOT to do when building a lean culture, teaching younger generations, and more. An MP3 audio version of this e

GA 632 | Performance Unleashed with Chris Libutti

By Jessica Bush - May 14th, 2026

This week’s guest is Chris Libutti. Ron and Chris discussed Chris and his wife Yamila’s book, “Performance Unleashed,” his time in the military, the importance of self-discipline, and more. An MP3 audio version

GA 631 | What We Can Learn from Tetris with Michael Parent

By Jessica Bush - May 7th, 2026

This week’s guest is Michael Parent. Ron and Michael discussed an interesting AI conundrum, the impact that systems and design have on performance, Michael’s Tetris experiment, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode

GA 630 | Why Tone Matters with Shahab Shah

By Jessica Bush - April 30th, 2026

This week’s guest is Shahab Shah. Ron and Shahab discussed the importance of balancing human empathy with the demands of reality, why tone matters, first steps for making improvements, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episo

GA 629 | Why Leadership Is Like Cooking with Pete Behrens

By Jessica Bush - April 23rd, 2026

This week’s guest is Pete Behrens. Ron and Pete discussed Pete’s book, “Into the Fog,” what it means for leaders to face uncertainty, why leadership is like cooking, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episod

GA 626 | Learning to See Waste with Randall Dupre

By Jessica Bush - April 2nd, 2026

This week’s guest is Randall Dupre. Ron and Randall discussed Randall’s book, “Everyday Lean,” the kinds of mistakes Randall sees people making, what good leadership looks like, his favorite lean principles, and

GA 625 | Dealing with Hidden Threats with Dean Svarc

By Jessica Bush - March 26th, 2026

This week’s guest is Dean Svarc. Ron and Dean discussed Dean’s book, “Trojan Horse,” navigating hidden threats, why culture matters, the mistakes leaders make, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is a

GA 624 | The Pause, Consider, Act Framework with Ashley Herd

By Jessica Bush - March 19th, 2026

This week’s guest is Ashley Herd. Ron and Ashley discussed Ashley’s Pause, Consider, Act Framework, the concept of a career quilt, micromanagement, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download he

GA 623 | The Power of Entropy with Adam Lawrence

By Jessica Bush - March 12th, 2026

This week’s guest is Adam Lawrence. Ron and Adam discussed Adam’s Wheel of Sustainability, the importance of continuously improving, what his Sustainability System assessment is trying to solve, and more. An MP3 audio versi

GA 622 | The State of AI with Steven Remsen

By Jessica Bush - March 5th, 2026

This week’s guest is Steven Remsen. Ron and Steven discussed Steven’s time at Intel, how to make change “stick” at a large organization, what Steven sees organizations struggling with, the current state of AI, a

GA 621 | The Five Habits of Hope with Dr. Julia Garcia

By Jessica Bush - February 26th, 2026

This week’s guest is Dr. Julia Garcia. Ron and Julia discussed Julia’s book, “The Five Habits of Hope,” the power of resilience, the role hope plays in problem-solving, and more. An MP3 audio version of this epi

GA 620 | Is Your Lean Operating System Talking or Singing? with Royden Johnson

By Jessica Bush - February 19th, 2026

This week’s guest is Royden Johnson. Ron and Royden discussed the concept of a lean operating system talking versus singing, the different phases of the operating system, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is availabl

GA 619 | Don’t Walk By a Mess with Chad Bareither

By Jessica Bush - February 12th, 2026

This week’s guest is Chad Bareither. Ron and Chad discussed making culture changes in the workplace, powerful aspects of Japanese culture, the importance of cleaning up, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available

GA 618 | MORE Is Better with Kathy Miller

By Jessica Bush - February 5th, 2026

This week’s guest is Kathy Miller. Ron and Kathy discussed manufacturing, Kathy’s new book “MORE Is Better,” optimism, psychological safety, and the art of making high-quality connections. An MP3 audio version o

GA 617 | What Alignment Looks Like with Hanna Bauer

By Jessica Bush - January 29th, 2026

This week’s guest is Hanna Bauer. Ron and Hanna discussed the role of emotional intelligence in success, balancing empathy and accountability, navigating love languages, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available

GA 616 | Teaching Lean with Noah Waech

By Jessica Bush - January 22nd, 2026

This week’s guest is Noah Waech. Ron and Noah discussed Noah’s experiences teaching lean, what happens when things don’t go as planned, Value Stream Mapping, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available

GA 615 | Radical Product Thinking with Radhika Dutt

By Jessica Bush - January 15th, 2026

This week’s guest is Radhika Dutt. Ron and Radhika discussed OKRs, Toyota Kata, the target mentality, the OHLA puzzle framework, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you&#

GA 614 | Getting Lean to Stick with Joel Hugghins

By Jessica Bush - January 8th, 2026

This week’s guest is Joel Hugghins. Ron and Joel discussed dealing with CAVE people, intellectual property, getting lean to stick, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode y

GA 613 | Revealing Hidden Truths with Billy Taylor

By Jessica Bush - January 1st, 2026

This week we’re ringing in the New Year with Billy Taylor. Ron and Billy discussed strategy and KPAs, hidden truths, clarity, being hard on the process, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download her

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