What’s your purpose as a continuous improvement leader? And how can you fulfill your potential as a transformational change leader?

Tune in to my conversation with master operational excellence change leader Karen Martin to find out! 

Becoming a transformational change leader means balancing your technical skills to deliver results while cultivating the influence, coaching, and facilitation skills to lead change and develop people to create a high-performing organizational culture.

Whether you are an operational excellence professional or a leader that has a passion for continuous improvement, this episode will inspire you to excel in both the formal role that you were hired to do and the greater potential of the role that you want to lead transformational change. 

From learning how to more effectively navigate the complexities of business language to influence leaders, cultivating effective coaching and facilitation skills, and becoming aware of the limiting pitfalls that can hinder your impact – this episode is a must listen. 

About My Guest:

Karen Martin is the President and Founder of TKMG Academy and Founder of TKMG, Inc., and is an award-winning author of several books, including "Clarity First" and "The Outstanding Organization". Her clients include Fortune 500 companies and government agencies from local to federal levels. With a master’s degree in education, Karen is a mentor at heart and committed to fostering growth and nurturing potential in others to achieve lasting results and lead organizational change.

You’ll Learn:

• The difference between the purpose of your role as a continuous improvement leader and your potential to become a transformational change leader
• How to effectively transfer knowledge and develop problem-solving capabilities, tailoring approaches between reflective and directive coaching
• The importance of speaking the language of the business to influence decisions that align with your organization’s goals and growth needs
• The risk of short-term improvement kaizen or rapid process improvement events without follow-up to sustain improvement or building the team's skill sets 
• The importance of having a coach or mentor to support your growth

Tune in now for actionable strategies and insights to equip you to step into your greater transformational leadership potential and position you to lead lasting impact in your organization.

Important Links:

• TKMG Academy Website: tkmgacademy.com
• Follow Karen Martin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karenmartinopex
• Episode website: ChainOfLearning.com/11
• Download the KATALYST Self-Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/katalyst
• Listen to Episode 9: The 8 Essential Skills to Become a Transformational Change KATALYST: ChainOfLearning.com/9
• Katie's book: LearningToLeadLeadingToLearn.com
• Work with Katie: KBJAnderson.com
• Follow Katie on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson

Are you enjoying the Chain of Learning podcast? Be sure to subscribe or follow –  and to share this podcast with your friends and colleagues so we can all strengthen our Chain of Learning® – together. 

Timestamps:

03:09 The purpose and potential of a transformational change leader
11:53 Practical advice for accelerated discoveries about how to get results and develop people
16:41 Learning to be an effective change leader through facilitating, overcoming fear, navigating organizational dynamics
27:16 Gaps in continuous improvement cultures and how to overcome them
35:56 Internal-capability challenges and opportunities for change leaders, managers, and executives
37:03 Karen’s example about valuing the people-development side of business

Apply for the Nov 2025 Japan Leadership Experience - early registration rate now through May 31st! 
https://kbjanderson.com/japantrip/