Leadership Archives | Gemba Academy

Old Habits Die Hard, When Leadership Behavior Doesn’t Match Leadership Intent

By Ricky Banks - June 30th, 2026

Old Habits Die Hard, When Leadership Behavior Doesn’t Match Leadership Intent A tale as old as time, a company launches a new initiative. There’s energy, excitement, a townhall meeting and possibly a slide deck. If you’re

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.

Building the Staircase

By John Knotts - June 26th, 2026

John was a frustrated plant manager. His team was missing shipments, quality problems were increasing, overtime costs were climbing, and employee morale was slipping. Every morning seemed to bring another problem, another customer comp

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

The Most Dangerous Improvement Project

By Ron Pereira - June 24th, 2026

Lean and Six Sigma practitioners are experts at improving processes, but often overlook the most important process of all: the conversation happening in their own minds. Discover how negative self-talk can influence performance and how

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

It Started with a Grey Bedsheet

By Ron Pereira - June 17th, 2026

Gemba Academy’s first “studio” was a spare bedroom with a grey bedsheet backdrop. This story is a reminder that meaningful work rarely starts perfectly. It starts when we stop waiting and begin.

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”

Are You Too Old to Learn Something New?

By Ron Pereira - June 10th, 2026

The biggest barriers to growth are often the stories we tell ourselves. Learn how self-limiting beliefs shape performance, leadership, and continuous improvement.

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 635 | Emotions Are Not the Enemy with D. Earl Johnston

By Jessica Bush - June 4th, 2026

Most continuous improvement practitioners are trained to prize logic and treat emotion as noise in the system. D. Earl Johnston spent nine years and thousands of research hours across twelve disciplines discovering that framing is back

What the Best Problem Solvers Know About Suffering

By Ron Pereira - June 3rd, 2026

Continuous improvement teaches us to solve problems, but not every hardship can be fixed. Sometimes the greatest opportunity for growth is learning how to suffer well.

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

Ego: The Quiet Enemy of Leadership

By Ron Pereira - May 20th, 2026

Ego often sounds reasonable in our own heads, but it can become one of the biggest obstacles to growth. Discover why humility and self-awareness are essential leadership skills.

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

Elite marathon runners competing in a race, illustrating high performance and endurance

Stop Looking for Faster Runners

By Ron Pereira - May 6th, 2026

A little over a week ago, something happened in the world of marathon running that many thought to be impossible. Two runners broke the two-hour marathon barrier. Not one…two! Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe finished in 1:59:30, just 11 sec

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

The Angel in the Marble

By Ron Pereira - April 29th, 2026

I recently came across a quote normally attributed to Michelangelo that I can’t stop thinking about. “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Notice he didn’t say he built the angel. Instead,

A New Way to Look at 5S

By John Knotts - April 24th, 2026

Most people think they understand 5S. They associate it with cleaning, organizing, and maybe putting tape on the floor. In many organizations, that is exactly what it becomes. A one-time cleanup event followed by a slow return to the w

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 628 | A Factory on Fire: How Lean Saves Lives with Brian Meyers

By Jessica Bush - April 16th, 2026

This week’s guest is Brian Meyers. Ron and Brian discussed the heart-stopping story of how Brian’s facility caught fire, the profound difference lean made in saving it, what “unwavering commitment” means, and mo

GA 627 | Value Stream Mapping on University Campuses with Kristin Kielich

By Jessica Bush - April 9th, 2026

This week’s guest is Kristin Kielich. Ron and Kristin discussed Kristin’s experiences with continuous improvement in education, dealing with resistance, measuring success, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is a

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

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