Gemba Academy

The Unglamorous Power of Routine

By Ron Pereira - March 18th, 2026

You might be wondering about the picture I chose for this article. Obviously, it’s nothing fancy, just a pair of shoes sitting on a gym bag. But to me, this image represents something very important: the quiet, unglamorous power

The Hidden Enemy of Continuous Improvement

By Ron Pereira - March 11th, 2026

If you’ve been practicing continuous improvement long enough, you’ve almost certainly heard one, possibly all, of these statements: We tried that before. That won’t work here. We’re different. Management won’t approve it. Tha

Theory of Constraints: Why Improving Everything Fails

By Alen Ganic - March 10th, 2026

The Common Improvement Trap When an organization struggles to increase output or throughput, it sometimes falls into a common improvement trap. Leaders communicate the need to increase performance, and teams respond by trying to improv

Why Working Longer Often Leads to Getting Less Done

By Ron Pereira - March 4th, 2026

It seems logical that if you want to accomplish more, you should work longer. More hours should equal more output, right? Interestingly enough, at least for me, I’ve often experienced the opposite. There have been times when I spend

What Is Leader Standard Work?

By Alen Ganic - February 13th, 2026

Results or Process: Two Very Different Leadership Styles The traditional leadership style focuses on results and doing whatever it takes to achieve them. For years, this approach has shaped how organizations operate. Even today, when s

A Snowstorm, A System Failure, A Leadership Lesson

By Alen Ganic - January 8th, 2026

When the System Fails, Blame Follows Recently, in several European countries, government leadership was surprised by the amount of snowfall they received. Their staff was surprised as well. For years, these regions had not experienced

Lean in Government Is Possible

By Alen Ganic - December 11th, 2025

Last week, I had the honor of serving as a keynote speaker at one of the largest Lean conferences in Europe. As soon as I stepped off the stage, I was reminded just how universal the challenges of leadership, operations, and continuous

Will It Make the Boat Go Faster?

By Ron Pereira - December 3rd, 2025

Every year around this time, I find myself reflecting on what truly matters for organizational success. What actually moves us forward versus what just keeps us busy. And recently, one powerful metaphor keeps coming back to me: rowing.

Introduction to Gemba Academy

By Alen Ganic - December 1st, 2025

What Do We Do? We provide training to organizations on their continuous improvement journey. Whether you’re just starting out or have been practicing this for years, we help you find waste in your processes and solve pro

The Role of a Lean Leader

By Alen Ganic - November 13th, 2025

Understanding the True Role of a Lean Leader The key role of a lean leader is to develop others, not to manage people or their tasks. To develop team members, the lean leader must have a deep understanding of the work their team does.

Leading Through the Paradox: Lessons from James Stockdale

By Ron Pereira - November 6th, 2025

The older I get, the more I find myself reflecting on the many lessons I’ve learned both professionally and, especially, personally. One of these lessons is realizing that the toughest leadership and personal growth moments often com

Adaptive Leadership in an Ever-Changing World

By Ricky Banks - October 21st, 2025

There is a Chinese proverb that says, “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, others build windmills.” As leaders, we can resist and maintain a singular leadership style, or we can adapt to meet the changing ne

From Struggle to Strength: Lessons Learned on the Lean Leadership Journey

By Alen Ganic - October 21st, 2025

What Every New Lean Leader Should Expect Have you ever faced challenges as a leader when you were promoted for the first time and suddenly found yourself responsible for guiding a team? Maybe you’re currently in a Lean leadership rol

Continuous Improvement Eliminates Excess Overtime

By Ricky Banks - October 21st, 2025

For decades, overtime has been treated in many organizations as a “badge of honor.” It signals a sign of dedication and sacrifice to “get the job done.” Leaders often view it as a necessary tool to meet deadlines and maintain b

Do Hard Things

By Ron Pereira - October 20th, 2025

There’s an ancient story about Odysseus and the island of the Lotus Eaters. When Odysseus and his men arrived there, they were offered lotus flowers that made them forget their purpose. Those who ate the lotus lost their desire t

The Discipline of Presence: Lessons from My Son and Eminem

By Ron Pereira - October 15th, 2025

Have you ever caught yourself sitting at the dinner table…physically there, but mentally still stuck in a meeting, an email thread, or tomorrow’s to-do list? Yeah, me too. It’s easy to live life half-present these days. Our bodie

Micromanagement Is Not Respect for People

By John Knotts - October 8th, 2025

Micromanagement is one of the most common leadership pitfalls in the workplace. According to a survey by staffing agency Accountemps, 59% of employees reported having worked under a micromanager. Most managers do not set out to be micr

Cold Plunges and Continuous Improvement: Growth in Discomfort

By Ron Pereira - October 1st, 2025

I’ve been doing cold plunges for the last few weeks. If you’re not familiar with the process, here’s how it works. I jump into 50-degree (Fahrenheit) water and sit for a few minutes. If you’ve ever done a cold plunge, y

Developing People into Problem Solvers

By Alen Ganic - September 26th, 2025

Many organizations today struggle with high turnover, difficulty retaining talent, and constant firefighting. Day after day, leaders and teams are consumed by urgent issues, leaving little or no time to focus on solving problems in a s

What Is the Lean Practitioner Program and Why It Matters

By Alen Ganic - September 17th, 2025

Lean methodology is spreading worldwide because organizations are seeing the powerful benefits of introducing Lean into their work environments. In today’s fast-changing world, the ability to continuously improve is no longer optiona

The Importance of 1:1 Coaching

By Alen Ganic - August 20th, 2025

Why One-on-One Coaching Is Essential in Lean In Lean, one-on-one coaching is essential. If you really want to learn and apply Lean correctly, you need a coach who can guide you along the path. Lean is not something you can fully learn

Turning Conflict into Growth: 7 Steps Every Emotionally Intelligent Leader Should Know

By Ron Pereira - August 5th, 2025

Let’s face it—conflict is inevitable. Whether you’re leading a lean transformation or coaching a team through change, friction will arise. And that’s not always a bad thing. In fact, handled well, conflict can spark creativity,

How to Make Improvements Stick in Your Organization

By Alen Ganic - July 30th, 2025

Why Sustaining Improvements Is So Hard If we were to interview leaders in different organizations and ask them to describe one thing that is hard to do at work, most would likely say that sustaining improvements is a struggle. Perhaps

Using Fault Tree Analysis (with AI) to Fireproof Your Home

By John Knotts - July 25th, 2025

After over 35 years working in process improvement, I’ve applied tools like Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) in everything from factories to boardrooms. But it wasn’t until recently that I asked myself: Why not use FTA at home? That simpl

Change Management for Leaders

By Alen Ganic - July 15th, 2025

Why Empowering People Matters One of the biggest challenges in change management is empowering and engaging people. This is the seventh, and arguably one of the most overlooked, reasons why change efforts fall short. The truth is simpl

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