Leadership

878 Articles

GA 367 | The Dichotomies of Continuous Improvement with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - April 15th, 2021

This week’s guest is Ron Pereira. Ron discussed two books by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, specifically their teachings on dichotomies and balance. Inspired by this, Ron described three of the dichotomies he’s observed in c

The Dichotomy of Continuous Improvement

By Ron Pereira - April 2nd, 2021

Every weekday morning my 14-year-old son and I take the 25-minute drive to his school. Neither one of us are big talkers in the morning so we typically listen to audiobooks to pass the time. The topics of the books we’ve listened

GA 365 | Adopting a Growth Mindset with Nik Kottha

By Jessica Bush - April 1st, 2021

This week’s guest is Nik Kottha. Ron and Nik covered several important topics, including what Nik has learned from yoga, what excellence means to him, and where his passion comes from. Nik also stressed the importance of coaching

Did Standardized Work Originate Thousands of Years Ago?

By Steve Kane - March 26th, 2021

Armies around the world and throughout history have many common practices and traditions. One practice, in particular, started thousands of years ago and is deeply rooted in what we today would characterize as Lean practices. This prac

GA 364 | Why Continuous Improvement Programs Fail with Peter Christian

By Jessica Bush - March 25th, 2021

This week’s guest is Peter Christian. Ron and Peter talk all about why Lean & Six Sigma programs often fail. They also explain what you can do to prevent some of these pitfalls. A MP3 audio version of this episode is availabl

GA 362 | Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in Continuous Improvement with David Larsen

By Jessica Bush - March 11th, 2021

This week’s guest is David Larsen. Ron and David had a great discussion about continuous improvement in both manufacturing and in healthcare. David also shared an interesting case study he worked on to improve employee safety. A

GA 361 | The Role of Entropy in Lean with Luciana Toda

By Jessica Bush - March 4th, 2021

This week’s guest is Luciana Toda. Ron and Luciana discussed the concept of entropy and its role in a culture of continuous improvement. They also explored how sustainability factors in as far as creating real, lasting change. A

Coaches Have Obstacles Too

By Steve Kane - February 26th, 2021

The purpose of coaching is to help people get from where they are to where they want to be. It’s a process of inquiry that provides clear structure to thinking that, ideally, diminishes uncertainty by exposing obstacles and illum

GA 360 | The Importance of Being Intentional with Brandon Bartel

By Jessica Bush - February 25th, 2021

This week’s guest is Brandon Bartel. Ron and Brandon discussed setting intentions and the role intention plays. Brandon also shared his aspirations to incorporate more Toyota Kata into his lean journey. A MP3 audio version of thi

GA 359 | Pink Tools and Preventing Injuries with Adam Lawrence

By Jessica Bush - February 18th, 2021

This week’s guest is Adam Lawrence. Ron and Adam discussed Adam’s new book, “The Wheel of Sustainability,” including how and why he wrote it. Adam also shared some very moving stories that highlight the true pow

GA 358 | Lean in Higher Education with Thomas Lencki and Dagmar Vlahos

By Jessica Bush - February 11th, 2021

This week’s guests are Thomas Lencki and Dagmar Vlahos. They explained all the powerful ways they use lean in higher education in New Hampshire. Thomas and Dagmar also touched on increasing engagement, navigating Covid-era challe

GA 357 | Revisiting The Toyota Way with Jeff Liker

By Jessica Bush - February 4th, 2021

This week’s guest is Dr. Jeffrey Liker. Jeff explained why he released a second edition of his bestselling book, The Toyota Way. Jeff and Ron also discussed scientific thinking and its relationship to other lean tools like 5S, Ho

GA 356 | How Standards Prevent Turnover with Jason Haines

By Jessica Bush - January 28th, 2021

This week’s guest is Jason Haines. Ron and Jason discussed the importance of having a visual workplace, and how it, along with standard work, can actually help you retain employees. A MP3 audio version of this episode is availabl

What are Lagging & Leading Indicators? How are they related? Why are they important?

By Steve Kane - January 22nd, 2021

David Barber is CFO of Omni Industries in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  David and the rest of the senior executive team at Omni are leading a lean transformation. He wrote this article for Omni’s company newsletter to help people at

GA 355 | The Relationship Between Machines and Humans with Prasad Akella

By Jessica Bush - January 21st, 2021

This week’s guest is Prasad Akella. Prasad shared his take on the relationship between machine intelligence and human intelligence, and how they can work together in harmony. Prasad also stressed the importance of data and data l

GA 354 | Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap with Patrick Adams

By Jessica Bush - January 14th, 2021

This week’s guest is Patrick Adams. Patrick recently released a new book all about the concept of “continuous appearance.” He explained what it can mean for your organization and its culture, and how it can be prevent

GA 353 | Creating the Jeep with Paul Bruno

By Jessica Bush - January 7th, 2021

This week’s guest is Paul Bruno. Paul doesn’t have a traditional lean background, but the fascinating research he shared on the story behind the creation of the Jeep is full of lean parallels and lessons. A MP3 audio versio

GA 352 | Defining, Executing, and Aligning Winning with Billy Taylor

By Jessica Bush - December 31st, 2020

This week we’re sharing the audio of our recent Billy Taylor livestream. Billy is a lean powerhouse and his presentation is packed with practical and profound wisdom. If you’re looking for some New Year’s inspiration,

GA 351 | The Biggest Truth and Lie in Life with Lili Boyanova

By Jessica Bush - December 24th, 2020

This week’s guest is Lili Boyanova. Lili shared some of what she’s learned about lean so far and her vision for the future. Lili also asked Ron some pretty profound questions about life and lean. A MP3 audio version of this

GA 350 | Emphasizing the Process with Cristian Goyzueta

By Jessica Bush - December 17th, 2020

This week’s guest is Cristian Goyzueta. Cristian is relatively new to continuous improvement but had a wealth of knowledge to share. Cristian and Ron covered quite a few different topics, ranging from ISO to visual management and

GA 349 | Lean and Sports with Richard Henderson

By Jessica Bush - December 10th, 2020

This week’s guest is Richard Henderson. Richard has applied lean in various settings, and he shared some of what he’s learned over the years. Richard also plays and coaches soccer, and he and Ron discussed how lean relates

GA 348 | Communicating Respect in Lean with Tejas Munot

By Jessica Bush - December 3rd, 2020

This week’s guest is Tejas Munot. Tejas shared what he learned during his time at VIBCO Vibrators, the importance of respect, and more. Tejas also interviewed Ron about HIS lean journey thus far. A MP3 audio version of this episo

GA 346 | Navigating the Gemba with Jay Hodge

By Jessica Bush - November 19th, 2020

This week’s guest is Jay Hodge. Ron and Jay discussed the confusion around the word gemba and how gemba relates to kaizen. Jay has worked at GM, Toyota, and Caterpillar, to name a few, so he shared what it’s like to make th

GA 345 | Hearing for the First Time with Adam Alamade

By Jessica Bush - November 12th, 2020

This week’s guest is Adam Alamade. Adam works for a cochlear implant manufacturer and he described how they use continuous improvement. He and Ron also discussed dealing with resistance, owning problems, developing habits, and mo

GA 344 | Learning Lean Lessons From Powerful Stories with Steven Jackson

By Jessica Bush - November 5th, 2020

This week’s guest is Steven Jackson. Steven shared some incredible stories that have clear parallels to continuous improvement. This episode really demonstrates the effect this kind of thinking can have on human lives, past, pres

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