Lean Archives | Gemba Academy

GA 646 | Connect Before You Correct with Royden Johnson and Luc van Merrienboer

By Jessica Bush - August 20th, 2026

Culture shapes how people receive change, and nowhere is that clearer than on a shop floor where history, language, and moral authority all sit alongside the 5S board. Royden Johnson and Luc van Merrienboer bring two distinct lenses to

Kindness at Work: A Different Kind of Continuous Improvement

By Ron Pereira - August 19th, 2026

Could you ever imagine voluntarily giving one of your kidneys to a complete stranger? As it turns out, there are people who do exactly that. These extraordinary altruists go through surgery, willingly accept the pain and risk that come

GA 645 | Why Leadership Is Failing with Keith Wyche

By Jessica Bush - August 13th, 2026

Trust in leadership has been declining for decades, and Keith Wyche has the research to prove it. A 40-year veteran of AT&T, IBM, and Walmart, Keith opened up to us about a few mistakes he’s made in his career. The real conve

Stop Worrying and Start Problem Solving

By Ron Pereira - August 12th, 2026

Worry is one of the least productive uses we can make of our minds. It’s also one of the least pleasant. I know this because I’ve struggled with worry throughout my life. Of course, this doesn’t imply we never have good reaso

GA 644 | Defining Propaganda with Owen Fitzpatrick

By Jessica Bush - August 6th, 2026

Most leaders assume that the right argument, delivered clearly, will change minds. Owen Fitzpatrick has spent 30 years studying why that assumption is wrong. A psychologist who has worked inside some of the world’s most extreme p

Will We Remember How To Think?

By Ron Pereira - August 5th, 2026

AI tools can help us write, think, cook, work, and even parent better. But as we become increasingly dependent on them, are we slowly losing our ability to think for ourselves?

GA 643 | Asking Better Questions with Kabrina Ashley

By Jessica Bush - July 30th, 2026

Most organizations say they want high performers, yet quietly punish them for being too valuable to lose. Kabrina Ashley, a coach and behavioral science practitioner based in Nashville, makes the case that the real barriers to change,

What Spills Out When the Pressure Is On?

By Ron Pereira - July 29th, 2026

What happens when your organization faces unexpected pressure? The response often reveals and amplifies the habits, relationships, and leadership behaviors that shape its culture.

Be Where Your Feet Are

By Ron Pereira - July 22nd, 2026

If you walk through almost any workplace, you’ll likely see it. A supervisor is talking with an employee while glancing at their phone. A manager attends a meeting but is already preparing for the next one. A leader conducts a Gemba

GA 641 | What Makes a Good Teammate with Eric Reveno

By Jessica Bush - July 16th, 2026

Most organizations spend enormous energy developing leaders and almost none developing teammates. Stanford Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach Eric Reveno has spent 30 years watching what actually determines whether a team wins

Why Some Leaders Grow Wiser

By Ron Pereira - July 15th, 2026

Experience alone doesn't produce wisdom. The leaders who continue to grow are the ones who intentionally seek lessons in every success, setback, and conversation. Here's why curiosity and reflection may be two of a leader's greatest st

Don’t Let the Objective Statement Stop Your Project

By John Knotts - July 13th, 2026

If you’ve ever taught Lean Six Sigma or coached a new Green Belt, you’ve probably watched someone stare at the Project Charter for several minutes before asking the inevitable question. “So…how am I supposed to know what my

Leadership Is Human

By Alen Ganic - July 10th, 2026

Have you ever wondered why leadership is so difficult? Most people think of leadership as something reserved for CEOs, politicians, military officers, or managers. But the truth is, every one of us becomes a leader at some point in lif

GA 640 | Optimistic Fear with Cornelia Choe

By Jessica Bush - July 9th, 2026

Most leaders think their biggest risk is making the wrong call. Cornelia Choe argues the real danger comes earlier, when a leader stops questioning the mental map they’re using to make calls in the first place. In her book The Pa

Your Response Is Always a Choice

By Ron Pereira - July 8th, 2026

Every day presents leaders with situations they can't control. What they can control is how they respond. Inspired by Viktor Frankl's timeless insight, this article explores why our response, not our circumstances, is one of the most i

The Keys to Developing Lean Leadership

By Alen Ganic - July 4th, 2026

Why Lean Leadership Matters More Than Ever If you have worked in an organization that has practiced Lean for some time, implemented Kaizen events, and introduced employees to Lean tools, you have probably also witnessed one common chal

GA 639 | Putting the Customer First with Slaytor Baldwin

By Jessica Bush - July 2nd, 2026

A suppressor manufacturer in Utah started its lean transformation about a year ago. Twelve months later, inventory turns had doubled, changeover time dropped from 3.5 hours to 9 minutes, and a rollout planned for a year got compressed

The Boy in the Back of the Bus

By Ron Pereira - July 1st, 2026

A simple invitation on a school bus changed my life forever. Inspired by the movie Wonder, this personal story explores why kindness may be one of the most overlooked leadership principles in Lean.

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.

Why Lean Leaders Should Stop Solving Problems for Their Teams

By Ricky Banks - June 12th, 2026

The Lean Leader Trap Many leaders earn promotions because they are excellent problem-solvers. They understand the process, know the business, and can quickly find solutions when challenges arise. When a customer issue surfaces, equipme

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

Lean

Start your improvement training today.