Chain of Learning: Leadership Strategies for Transforming Culture, Developing People, and Getting Results

What does it really take to lead transformation as responsibility grows?

At some point, leadership stops being about doing the improvement work or having the right answers. For operational leaders and change practitioners alike, the work moves to holding the system—people, priorities, and consequences—and helping others learn how to do the same.

In this episode of Chain of Learning, I’m joined by Carlos Scholz, CEO of Catalysis, to explore the critical shift leaders must make to enable systemic, lasting organizational change.

Carlos shares his journey from technically trained engineer in manufacturing, to transformational change leader in healthcare leading a team of continuous improvement practitioners, to operations leader, and now CEO. Across these roles, he’s learned that transformation doesn’t fail because leaders don’t care or aren’t trying, but because we often rush to outcomes and skip the systems-level and behavioral maturity required to sustain them.

This conversation highlights a critical truth: leadership is practice. It’s not a role or a title, it’s how you intentionally show up and get better, day after day.

Together, we explore what really changes as leadership responsibility and organizational complexity increase, how leaders have to change their own behavior, and how influence shifts when the work is no longer about doing improvement, but about developing leaders who can own the system.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why leadership becomes less about expertise and more about intentional practice as scope and responsibility expand
• What changes when you move from leading through influence to owning the system through positional authority and the consequences that come with it
• How identity and perceived value shape resistance to change, including your own
• Why skipping organizational and behavioral maturity undermines reliability, even with strong intentions
• How repositioning improvement teams from doers to coaches helps leaders change their behavior and allows transformation to scale

If you’re navigating your own growth as a change leader—or supporting leaders in truly owning their system—this conversation offers language and perspective to help you lead with greater impact.

ABOUT MY GUEST:

Carlos Scholz is the CEO of Catalysis, a mission-driven organization advancing people-centered, value-based healthcare. A former manufacturing engineer and healthcare operations and change leader at Kaiser Permanente and NYC Health + Hospitals, he brings deep experience driving system-wide Lean and continuous improvement transformation and developing leaders at scale. Carlos was named a Shingo Rising Star and serves on the Shingo Institute Board.

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/66 
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Connect with Carlos Scholz: linkedin.com/in/carlosscholz 
• Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
• Download my free KATALYST™ Change Leader Self-Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/katalyst 
• Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: kbjanderson.com/japantrip

RELATED EPISODES:

• Episode 9 | Move from Technical Expert to Influential Leader
• Episode 16 | Leverage Analytical Systems Thinking and Psychological Safety to Drive Organizational Improvement [with Mark Graban]

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

03:02 Leadership shifts Carlos made stepping into senior executive responsibility
06:19 The start of Carlos’ journey and how it evolved
relationships as it does on technical expertise
12:19 Learning that sustainable change depends as much on influence and being vulnerable and sharing openly
17:42 Multiple approaches in creating conditions for leaders to feel safe enough to be vulnerable
18:44 Importance of organizational assessment to identify behavioral gaps
24:05 Understanding that sustainable change requires aligning the entire system, not just improving isolated parts
26:32 When leaders are not on board with change efforts
28:48 Importance of both the technical and social side of being a change leader
31:30 The process of building a system of coaching
36:23 Transitioning from leading through influence to stepping into direct operational leadership

43:28 How skills developed as an influence leader strengthened operational leadership
45:57 A surprising lesson from stepping into an operational leadership role
50:16 How Carlos is leading transformation as a CEO of Catalysis
55:08 Steps to make real transformation happen
1:00:13 Reminders for leading transformational change
1:01:43 Questions for reflection to strengthen the system around you

Please leave a review and rating of the show! Your review helps reach more listeners like you around the globe.

What if the reason your learning feels productive—but your impact feels stuck—has nothing to do with effort?

Many change leaders and improvement practitioners are excellent learners. You’re likely a Learning Enthusiast—like me. You read the books, attend the workshops, listen to podcasts, and gather ideas with genuine enthusiasm.

And yet, despite all that effort, learning doesn’t always turn into impact. In fact, it can sometimes lead to overwhelm or paralysis—more ideas, more options, and less clarity about what to actually do.

I’ve lived this pattern myself, and I see it again and again in my work with leaders around the world. When learning becomes something we collect rather than something we practice—and bring to fruition through our habits—it stalls our impact.

The challenge isn’t gaining more knowledge.
It’s learning how to turn insight into behavior—and connect behavior to results.

In this episode, I explore a critical shift: moving from the Chain of Learning® to a Chain of Impact.

Instead of treating continuous learning as something to acquire, I invite you to see learning as something to harvest—by making the value chain of impact explicit: turning insight into specific behaviors, practicing them deliberately through doing and reflection, and connecting that practice to the impact it creates for people and results.

If you care deeply about learning, growth, and people—and want to build the capability to translate learning into action and impact—this episode will help you do exactly that.

YOU’LL LEARN

• How to recognize when learning feels productive but isn’t changing how you actually show up as a leader
• How to make the connection between learning, behavior, and impact visible—and actionable
• Why behaviors—not intentions, traits, or inspiration—are the real bridge between learning and results
• How treating leadership actions as experiments helps you learn by doing and reflection, not just aiming for a target
• Why harvesting learning means finishing what’s ready—not endlessly adding more ideas or initiatives

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/65 
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Download my free KATALYST™ Change Leader Self-Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/katalyst 
• Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: kbjanderson.com/japantrip
  
  

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

00:59 Why doing more is not mean progress
02:13 The invisible trap of when we are focused on learning vs. putting it into practice
02:27 Harvest - what it means and why it’s a fitting word for 2026
05:04 The difference between learning and behavior in creating impact
05:25 How to apply Intention = Heart + Direction® to close the execution gap
07:40 Four key practices to take action on learning to impact your work and life 

07:48 [ONE] Make the learning itself concrete and specific

09:00 [TWO] Focus on specific observable behaviors, not traits that we want to develop
10:48 [THREE] Identify the gap you want to close and identify what you expect to happen and the impact when you put the learning into practice
11:42 [FOUR] Reflect and adjust for accelerated improvement
12:49 Where intention stems from and why intention plus direction is important to see results
13:54 How leaders turn into impact through the Immersive Japan Leadership Experience
14:52 Three open ended questions for leaders to reflect on to create a clear action plan
17:07 Josef’s experience in shifting from being seen as an expert to a trusted partner

18:06 Questions to ask to help break the telling habit
21:12 How the meaning of “harvest” is focused on collaboration and creating the space for others to grow

22:40 Reflection questions to reflect on to make an impact through your behavior

P.S. This episode happens to be released on my birthday 🎉 If Chain of Learning has made a difference for you, a quick rating and review would mean a lot—and helps others discover the show.

Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or rating and comments on an episode on Spotify or YouTube.

Please leave a review and rating of the show! Your review helps reach more listeners like you around the globe.

What if the reason leading your organization’s transformation feels heavy isn’t the work itself—but the role you’ve been playing as a change leader?

If you’re a change leader, continuous improvement professional, or internal consultant, this tension may feel familiar. You’re helping. You’re busy. You’re delivering results. And before you realize it, you’re wearing every hat—facilitator, teacher, problem-solver, checker—all at once.

That was my experience too as an internal change leader. And it’s a pattern I see again and again in my work with internal change leaders and continuous improvement practitioners: when we’re not clear on our role, we become the doers of transformation—when our real work is to enable others to lead it.

In this episode of Chain of Learning, I’m joined by Jill Forrester, Director of Continuous Improvement at 3sHealth, to explore the leadership shift that changed how she and her team show up—and the impact they’re having—by moving from helping to intentionally creating the conditions for learning and ownership.

If you’ve ever felt the weight of carrying organizational transformation on your shoulders, this conversation will help you see why—and how redefining your role and how you help can change everything.

You’ll Learn

• Why internal change leaders often become the default doers—and why that role isn’t sustainable

• How lack of role clarity creates confusion, overburden, and dependency for leaders and their internal clients

• What it really means to create the experience for learning, not just drive improvement outcomes

• Why clarifying and labeling your role and intention changes how others engage

• How shifting from doing to enabling builds capability, ownership, and sustainable transformation

ABOUT MY GUEST:

Jill Forrester has been a leader in health system transformation since 2012. She has collaboratively guided the development of a comprehensive management system at 3sHealth, encompassing patient and customer engagement, problem-solving and process redesign, strategic visioning and deployment, performance measurement, leadership coaching and development, and employee engagement. Jill is an active member of a strong provincial network of continuous quality improvement leaders dedicated to strengthening Saskatchewan’s health system through learning-centered, people-focused practices.

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/64 
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Connect with Jill Forrester: linkedin.com/in/jill-forrester 
• Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
• Download my free KATALYST™ Change Leader Self-Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/katalyst 
• Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: kbjanderson.com/japantrip
• Discover how to get out of the Doer Trap: kbjanderson.com/doertrap 

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

03:27 Jill’s new role director of continuous improvement and when she realized she needed to make a shift
05:00 The question, “Are we actually helping”?  that changed how Jill viewed her role
07:01 Why starting a training with questions makes a bigger impact
10:12 Why opening up space for others to learn and contribute can improve engagement
13:56 Two shifts Jill and her team made to clarify their roles for better continuous improvement outcomes and build confidence
16:07 Labeling your role (even when it feels awkward) to better guide others to transformation
22:47 What lead Jill to invest in the Japan Leadership Experience to take her leadership to the next level
25:14 Seeing quality as trust and quality as love to reshape how you think about improvement
25:44 What good 5S is as something you feel instead of a checklist

27:16 An example of 5S in the Japanese culture
29:20 The importance of long term thinking to sustain your company for decades
30:42 How giving with two hands can be applied to your organization to show respect and support others
33:08 The impact of creating space for others to ask questions and learn more quickly
35:05 Doing less doing and creating the conditions to increase results and coach more effectively
37:15 Reflections to shift from doers to catalysts of change 

38:29 Top recommendation for change leaders and continuous improvement practitioners who want to show up in that different space from doing to enabling
40:35 Your role as a change leader and creating an experience for others to learn and to lead change themselves
42:38 The impact of an intention pause before your next meeting or discussion to help you shift from doing to enabling

Please leave a review and rating of the show! Your review helps reach more listeners like you around the globe.

Many major transformations, including lean and sustainability—don’t stall because leaders don’t care. They stall because of an execution gap: the gap between what organizations say matters and what actually shows up in daily work, decisions, and priorities.

When you hear the word sustainability, what comes to mind first?

If it’s recycling, you’re not alone. 

But sustainability is far bigger—and more complex—than end-point solutions that address the symptoms of deeper problems. As this episode reveals, sustainability efforts—are stuck in the execution gap between intent and action.

In this episode of Chain of Learning, I’m joined by Rose Heathcote, sustainability expert, lean adviser, and author, to explore sustainability as a leadership and transformation challenge, not just an environmental one.

Together, we discuss why sustainability often lives in strategy decks and slogans, but struggles to take root in everyday work, and how leaders can shift their focus upstream to close that gap: to how work is designed, how problems are framed, and how people learn to see new kinds of waste and impact.

This conversation goes beyond sustainability to address a pattern that shows up in any transformation—lean, AI-enabled change, or building a people-first learning organization. 

If you’re working to close the gap between intention and execution, this episode offers perspective and practical starting points for leading meaningful change that lasts.

You’ll Learn:

• What sustainability really means—and why it’s often treated as an aspiration instead of embedded in daily work
• What the sustainability execution gap is, and why it mirrors lean and culture-change failures
• Why shifting problem-solving upstream—from symptoms to root causes—is critical for creating lasting impact
• How lean thinking and problem-solving skills enable sustainability and organizational transformation when paired with influence and change leadership skills
• Why speaking the language of business matters for gaining leadership buy-in—and how AI can be used as a thinking partner to support systems thinking and better decisions

ABOUT MY GUEST:

Rose Heathcote is a speaker, adviser, and Chartered Environmentalist who works at the intersection of Lean thinking and sustainability. She is the founder of Thinking People and the author of "Green Is the New Gold." With decades of experience supporting organizations across industries and regions, Rose focuses on helping leaders move sustainability from aspiration to everyday practice through systems thinking, problem-solving, and people-centered change.

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/63 
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Connect with Rose Heathcote: linkedin.com/in/rose-heathcote 
• Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
• Download my free KATALYST™ Change Leader Self-Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/katalyst 
• Learn more about Rose’s book, “Green is the New Gold”: https://payhip.com/b/UtreT
• Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: kbjanderson.com/japantrip 

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

01:04 Why the real challenge with sustainability starts with where the conversation begins
02:39 A broader definition of sustainability meeting the needs of people, planet, and future generations

04:16 Why people mistake sustainability for “recycling”
05:54 The execution gap lean leaders keep running into
07:43 A real-world example: when “people first” and sustainability don’t show up in the metrics
09:58 Important shifts leaders must make to close the execution gap

11:26 Seeing waste, energy loss, and impact through a green lens

14:06 Using AI as a thinking partner, not a replacement

15:16 The skills leaders must develop in an AI-driven world
16:41 How multidisciplinary thinking led to a smarter, more sustainable solution

19:19 Why sustainability requires systems thinking across the value chain

20:23 How to make progress towards big challenges
23:05 The meaning of the Japanese concept, “sanpo yori” and “yanpo yori” for goodness in four ways and happiness for the long term view

24:33 How the book “Green is the New Gold,” came to be
27:10 Three ways to build better products and be more efficient while reducing impacts on the planet

29:19 What we are doing well as a global community to make improvements towards sustainability
31:31 How to broaden your lens and use what you already know to do more good
32:35 Practical first steps lean leaders can take to apply a sustainability lens at work
34:29 Why productivity alone doesn’t reduce damage to the environment
36:45 A simple reflection on looking upstream to improve sustainability

Please leave a review and rating of the show! Your review helps reach more listeners like you around the globe.

What if the very thing weighing on you right now is the key to your next level of growth?

Many of us carry more than we realize: unfinished goals, unmet expectations, family pressures, and the constant mental load of what still needs to be done.

In this episode of Chain of Learning, I share a grounding teaching from a Zen priest in Japan after a Zazen guided meditation session that has deeply resonated with me—and with leaders on my Japan Leadership Experience:

“Remove the muda to reveal the Buddha.”

In Japanese, muda means waste. And in Lean, muda refers to anything that doesn’t add value.

I’ve been reflecting on this phrase and its deeper meaning as I process my own life experiences, both personally and professionally.

This Zen teaching invites us to look inward: to notice what weighs us down, reflect on what it’s trying to teach us, and transform that weight into wisdom.

As you move forward—whether at the end of a year or in the middle of a busy work period—this episode offers an invitation to slow down, study your experiences, and release what no longer serves you, so that you can lead your life and work with greater intention, clarity, and a continuous learning mindset.

YOU’LL LEARN:

• What Daruma dolls reveal about resilience, focus, and habits rooted in practice, not perfection
• What “Remove the muda to reveal the Buddha” means beyond lean – and how reflection helps turn inner weight into wisdom
• Four additional Zen teachings that apply to effective leadership, helping change leaders move beyond tools to presence, purpose, and a growth mindset
• A simple reflection practice to reframe or release muda so it supports – not burdens – your growth
• The distinction between goals and intentions, and why letting your being guide your doing leads to more meaningful progress

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/62
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
• Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: KBJAnderson.com/japantrip 
• Get a copy of “Learning to Lead Leading to Learn”: KBJAnderson.com/learning-to-lead 
• Video clip of the daruma temple: Leadership Lessons from Japan’s Daruma Temple

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

01:55 Daruma dolls and what they represent
03:28 How Zazen meditation can bring you back to inner peace and inner being
04:26 What it means to “Remove the muda to reveal the Buddha”
06:43 The burden Isao Yoshino carried of what he considered was his big failure as a business leader and the shift in perspective to lift the burden, as highlighted in “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn”
08:07 Four Zen teachings and how to apply them as a transformational change leader

12:00 How the burning of daruma dolls each year show reflection in practice

13:05 Your intentional practice to help you remove the muda
13:36 3 examples of how to use this reflection process to adjust or release so to turn waste into wisdom
13:49 Example 1: You’ve been stuck in constant doing
14:16 Example 2: Your plans didn’t unfold as expected

15:07 Example 3: A relationship has shifted
16:38 The distinction between goals vs intentions—being and doing
17:31 How to “Remove the muda to reveal the buddha” to release the weight you carry and move forward

Please leave a review and rating of the show! Your review helps reach more listeners like you around the globe.

Have you ever stepped outside your routine and suddenly seen your work—or yourself—with fresh clarity?

Sometimes the most meaningful leadership breakthroughs happen when we pause and immerse ourselves in a space designed for reflection, curiosity, and connection.

In this bonus episode—recorded live in Tokyo the morning after Cohort 8 of my Japan Leadership Experience wrapped up—I’m joined by Ikigai expert and past Chain of Learning guest Nick Kemp, who spent the week with my Japan program cohort in November 2025 as both a participant and speaker. Still energized from the experience, we sat down to capture our reflections while they were still vivid.

You'll hear us revisit the moments that stood out, the leaders who inspired us, and the Japanese concepts that came alive throughout the week—ikigai, kaizen, ichigo ichie, omotenashi, sanpo yoshi, and more.

This unscripted conversation offers a glimpse into what my Japan Leadership Experience is all about: a week of learning, community, and connection that helps global executives, lean practitioners, and change leaders discover the essence of respect for people—and “hold precious what it means to be human”—and how to create a culture of excellence.

YOU’LL LEARN:

• How the Japan Leadership Experience creates an ibasho—a place where you feel you truly belong—and why this is foundational for leadership
• How Japanese companies view revitalization through kaizen as both a business strategy and a people-centered philosophy
• What the debate over whether it’s “seven wastes vs. eight wastes” in lean and Toyota Production System reveals about how we teach, learn, and complicate continuous improvement
• Why immersive learning matters—and how stepping away from your daily responsibilities helps you reconnect with purpose and see challenges through a new lens
• Why long-term relationships and trust sit at the heart of meaningful learning and business success.

If there’s one thing to take away from this episode, it’s this:
Transformation happens when you step outside your routine and into intentional space for reflection, learning, and community.

ABOUT MY GUEST:

Nicholas Kemp, is the founder of Ikigai Tribe and is the author of IKIGAI-KAN: Feel a Life Worth Living and co-author with Professor Daiki Kato of Rolefulness:A Guide to Purposeful Living. 

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/61 
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Connect with Nick Kemp: linkedin.com/in/nicholas-kemp 
• Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
• Check out Nick Kemp’’s website: ikigaitribe.com 
• Listen to Nick’s Ikigai Tribe podcast: ikigaitribe.com/podcasts 
• Download my free KATALYST™ Change Leader Self-Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/katalyst 
• Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: kbjanderson.com/japantrip 

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

01:54 The story behind how Nick and Katie first met
03:55 Katie and Nick’s shared connection of living in Japan
04:45 What Katie loves about her special relationships with Japanese business leaders
06:23 What lead Katie to start the Japan Leadership Experience
09:47 How living in Japan and developing relationships with Japanese businesses and Toyota leaders led to Katie to write the book “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn” and start the Japan Leadership Experience programs  Japan Leadership Experience
11:33 The parallel process with writing the book and leading the first program
12:34 The definition of “ibasho” and how the Japan Leadership Experience is about being in a place where you can feel like yourself
15:03 How the word “revitalize” is used in Japan by leaders as the reason for kaizen
15:41 Katie’s favorite parts of leading her Japan Leadership Experience cohorts

17:41 The planning behind the scenes to make the experience a success
18:55 Katie’s connection to her role in bringing people together for learning and connection
21:08 Nick’s biggest takeaway during the week in Japan on the Japan Leadership Experience
23:56 How different cultures have a different sense of urgency and the difference between Japanese culture and Western culture in relationship to kaizen activities
25:25 Starting the day with a morning meeting, “chorei” connected to greater purpose and feeling inspired to do more

26:37 The key to being more roleful and the book “Rolefulness”
28:47 What “sanpo-yoshi” means – goodness in three ways – operating in  three- way goodness for customer, company, and community
31:27 The importance of sustainability in Japanese culture
32:31 Clarity on the debate of seven waste or eight waste in lean from a Toyota leader
34:44 The essence of being over doing
36:01 An example of omotenashi in Japanese culture
37:43 Nick’s experience in taking time away to be go to Japan
39:42 The importance of putting aside your everyday role and experience a different way of leading
44:09 The transformation when you step outside routines and into intentional space for reflection and connection
44:53 Questions to reflect on as you listen to this episode

Please leave a review and rating of the show! Your review helps reach more listeners like you around the globe.

We all know that moment where something falls apart.

A project slips. A conversation goes sideways. The promotion doesn’t happen.

We call it “failure,” but it’s often not the mistake itself that stops us.

It’s the fear, the funk, and the uncertainty that follow. And those emotions can hold us back far more than the faceplant ever did.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Melisa Buie and Keeley Hurley—seasoned leaders in engineering, quality, and continuous improvement and the co-authors of Faceplant: FREE Yourself from Failure’s Funk.

Together, we explore what really happens beneath the surface when we stumble—and what it takes to get back up with clarity, confidence, and intention. 

Just like Daruma dolls represent the Japanese proverb “Fall down seven times, get up eight,” always righting themselves when knocked over, our path to success comes from acknowledging the stumbles, setbacks, and faceplants that are inherent along the way.

What matters is that we don’t get stuck—we get up and learn our way forward.

YOU’LL LEARN:

• What’s at risk when leaders fear failure, and how organizations unintentionally teach people to avoid mistakes
• The FREE model (Focus, Reflect, Explore, Engage) as a practical way to get back up, learn forward, and regain clarity after a setback
• Emotional hijacks to watch for—including the four instinctive patterns in the Conspirator Matrix: machine, magician, statue, and satellite
• Why embracing a growth mindset frees you to experiment, learn, and release perfection when things don’t go as planned
• Continuous improvement practices like reflection (post-mortems) and anticipation (pre-mortems) that strengthen learning before and after challenges occur

If a setback has ever left you uncertain about your next step in building a people-centered culture, this conversation offers a compassionate, practical path to learn your way forward when you fall down.

ABOUT MY GUESTS:

Dr. Melisa Buie is a laser physicist–turned–problem solver with a PhD in Nuclear Engineering/Plasma Physics and decades of leadership in manufacturing at Coherent, Lam Research, Applied Materials, and Advanced Energy. She’s published 40+ papers, holds 6 patents, and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. Melisa is the co-author of Faceplant: FREE Yourself from Failure’s Funk, where she turns hard-won lessons into practical wisdom for navigating setbacks.

Keeley Hurley is a continuous improvement leader with 20+ years in engineering, manufacturing, and quality, and a Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence. Known for her humility and humor, she brings real-world experience from the many “faceplants” that shaped her problem-solving approach. She is the co-author of Faceplant: FREE Yourself from Failure’s Funk, blending lessons from her own missteps into tools for resilience and growth.

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/60 
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Connect with Melisa Buie: linkedin.com/in/melisabuie
• Connect with Keeley Hurley: linkedin.com/in/keeleyhurley
• Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
• Check out Melissa and Keeley’s book, Faceplant: FREE Yourself from Failure’s Funk

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

01:46 What inspired the book, “Faceplant”
02:56 The emotion behind failure that keeps us stuck
05:53 Getting over the hump of the funk knowing others experience failure
07:03 The meaning of the equation, anxiety = care x uncertainty where our anxiety is amplified
08:25 Why the care factor amplifies when when others are involved
10:01 The pre-mortem exercise to reduce anxiety by anticipating what could go wrong
12:01 How faceplanting is similar to daruma dolls in getting up after we fall
12:44  The aspects of the FREE model in freeing yourself from failure

14:25 Breaking down the acronym FREE: Focus, Reflect, Explore, Engage
17:01 The meaning of the Japanese word, hansei, that means deep self-reflection in improving how we react
17:53 The four quadrant system and determining which quadrant triggers our fight or flight response
20:25 How the four quadrants were determined
21:51 An example of how fear held Keeley back in an emotional hijack in the laser industry
22:47 Melisa’s personal experience in having a fixed mindset when faced with failure
23:56 How Melisa moved from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset and taking chances
26:13 Ways to approach failure in an organizational level
28:40 Importance of clarifying expectations instead of adding pressure on ourselves
30:02 The meaning behind the phrase, “By learning the wrong lesson, you can get stuck with a Life Sentence”
31:24 The both/and thinking that both Melisa and Keeley had to face in embracing failure
36:55 How to apply the concept of hansei in reflecting on a current change initiative and how to learn from failure
39:06 Two ways to reflect on this episode to get past face plants and building small intentional steps to build a learning culture

Please leave a review and rating of the show! Your review helps reach more listeners like you around the globe.

AI is everywhere. And its use and capabilities are accelerating every day. 

But is AI actually helping us get better at getting better? 

Or is it just amplifying the friction, bottlenecks, and complexity that already exists in our workflows and processes?

In this episode, Nathen Harvey, leader of the DORA Research team at Google, explores how AI is reshaping not just how we work, but how we can use it to elevate human work, collaborate as teams, and reach better outcomes.

Drawing on new findings from the DORA 2025 report on AI-assisted software development, we dig into what truly drives high performance – regardless of your industry or work –  and how AI can either accelerate learning or amplify bottlenecks.

If you lead or work on any kind of team you’ll discover how to use AI thoughtfully, so it supports learning and strengthens the people-centered learning culture you’re trying to build.

YOU’LL LEARN:

• How AI accelerates learning—or intensifies friction—based on how teams use it
• Why AI magnifies what already exists, and why stronger human learning habits matter more than stronger tools
• The seven DORA team archetypes—and how to quickly spot strengths, gaps, and next steps for more effective collaboration
• How to use team characteristics to target where AI (or any tech) will truly move the needle and support continuous improvement
• How the Toyota Production System / lean principle of jidoka—automation with a human touch—guides us to use AI to elevate human capability, not replace it

ABOUT MY GUEST:

Nathen Harvey, Developer Relations Engineer, leads the DORA team at Google Cloud. DORA enables teams and organizations to thrive by making industry-shaping research accessible and actionable. Nathen has learned and shared lessons from some incredible organizations, teams, and open source communities. He is a co-author of multiple DORA reports on software delivery performance and is a sought after speaker in DevOps and software development. 

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/59 
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Connect with Nathan Harvey: linkedin.com/in/nathen 
• Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
• Learn more about DORA: dora.dev/publications 
• Join the DORA community: dora.community 
• Download my free KATALYST™ Change Leader Self-Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/katalyst 
• Learn more about my coaching, trusted advisor partnerships, and leadership learning experiences: KBJAnderson.com 

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

03:04 What DORA is and how it’s used as a research program for continuous improvement

04:31 AI’s primary role in software development as an amplifier where organizations are functioning well and where there’s friction
05:53 Using AI to generate more code in software engineering
07:03 Danger of creating more bottlenecks when you try to speed up processes

07:44 Importance of a value stream to understand the customer journey

10:41 How value mapping creates visibility across silos so others see different parts of the whole process
10:55 The process of gathering information for the State of AI Assisted Software Development report

12:20 Finding seven team characteristics based on a survey of 5,000 respondents and learning how to leverage the results to improve performance
14:18 Examples of several team characteristics and how it applies over various industries
16:33 The negative impact of focusing on the wrong process that impacts the throughput

17:00 Focusing at different types of waste to prevent undue pressure on people

17:51 What DORA has found in having a tradeoff in having fast and stable production pushes vs. working slow and rolling back changes
18:50 Three big things you need to improve throughput and quality
19:44 Why the legacy bottleneck team archetype is unstable with elevated levels of friction
21:22 Why harmonious high achievers deliver sustainable high quality work without the burnout

22:37 How the report findings are being used to help improve organizations

23:42 Seven capabilities of the DORA AI Capabilities Model in amplifying the impact of AI adoption to improve team and product performance
26:27 The capability of executing in small batches to see the process through to fruition

28:52 How to leverage AI to elevate human work vs machine work

30:58 The benefits of AI in making new skills accessible, but does not make anyone experts in a specific skill

31:44 Leveraging AI to help you complete tasks that would’ve taken longer

32:43 Using AI to elevate creative thinking, but doesn’t replace your thoughts

33:56 Ability to ask AI “dumb” questions to improve collaboration across teams

34:49 Creating an experiential learning experience where there's not a step-by-step path on how to reach outcomes

37:08 Importance of collaboration when moving from point A to point B

37:35 The difference between trainers and facilitators

39:03 Using the DORA report to form a hypothesis for your next experiment in whether a process is working

39:55 Two ways to start leveraging AI to accelerate learning

40:23 Importance of using AI and learning through use

40:58 Benefits of having a conversation with someone who introduces friction to your work

44:21 The concept of jidoka in designing systems that empower humans to do their best thinking and work

45:22 Questions to ask yourself as your reflect on the role of AI in your organization

Please leave a review and rating of the show! Your review helps reach more listeners like you around the globe.

Where is your primary focus as a leader, change practitioner, or organization? 

Getting business results? 

Improving processes? 

Or developing people? 

What if the real key to lasting business success isn’t found in metrics or milestones—but in how you create a culture that nurtures people and their problem-solving capabilities? 

In this episode I explore what it really takes to deliver sustainable organizational success, and why building a people-centered learning culture—one where developing others isn’t an afterthought, but the foundation that enables operational excellence and, ultimately, better business outcomes.

Effective leadership begins when you shift from managing results to developing people—creating the conditions for continuous improvement, engagement, and growth.

When you put people first, results follow.

Whether you are a senior executive, lean practitioner, or team leader, that’s how you build organizations that learn, adapt, and thrive—today and for generations to come.

YOU’LL LEARN:

• How Toyota’s philosophy of Monozukuri wa hitozukuri (“We make people so we can make things”) shapes a people-first culture of learning and improvement
• Why focusing on people → process → results (not the reverse) drives lasting impact across teams and organizations
• The interdependence of three qualities that support business success  —quality of people development, quality of work, and quality of results – to create sustainable impact 
• Insights from real leaders about how shifting from results-focused to people-focused leadership led to  significant measurable improvement in business outcomes
• How to model intentional leadership practices to develop people, foster engagement, and sustain a culture of continuous learning and improvement

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/58 
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
• Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: kbjanderson.com/japantrip

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

01:51 What leadership with purpose truly means
02:06 Why Toyota’s motto, “ The only secret to Toyota is its attitude towards learning,” is its secret to success
03:18 Three interrelated qualities that determine lasting business success represented by a pyramid
03:45 [Third level] Results - The outcomes customers see
04:12 [Second level] Process - The technical and operational systems that make the work flow better
04:37 [First level] People - The foundation that nurtures people, problem-solving, and learning
05:28 Why the Western approach is backwards when it comes to people, processes, and results

06:50 The meaning of the quote, “profit is excrement,” that captures the backwardness of the usual business approach to success
07:39 The difference between lean as a transactional toolkit versus a way of nurturing people and problem solving at all levels
07:53 Why putting people first is not just in Japan or for Toyota leaders

08:41 Leaders who put people first as the foundation for success

10:12 The challenge in putting people first
10:38 An example from Gustavo of why our intentions and our actions are aligned
12:29 Gustavo’s realization that he had a people engagement problem
13:20 The positive results in engagement when he focused on people first

14:08 What leadership in action looks like

14:35 What it really means to create a chain of learning across your organization

15:00 The two pillars of the Toyota Way
15:43 Three questions to ask yourself as you reflect on this episode

16:26 Questions to ask your people to create a cycle of reflection and continuous improvement
17:13 How to build organizations and leaders that last

Please leave a review and rating of the show! Your review helps reach more listeners like you around the globe.

What does it really take to become lean—not just do lean?

This is the secret to transformational lean leadership that Larry Culp, CEO of GE and GE Aerospace shared with me on stage three years ago. In this special bonus episode, I want to share his insights and wisdom about leadership and lean culture with you.

This bonus episode marks two milestones in my own Chain of Learning® journey:

 🎙 The two-year anniversary of the launch of this podcast!
 🎉 The three-year anniversary of my interview with Larry Culp

These two moments are deeply connected and they tell a powerful story about learning, leadership, and continuous improvement in action.

To celebrate, I’m bringing you my “fireside chat” with Larry Culp—recorded live on stage at the AME Conference in Dallas in 2022. It’s a rare, candid look at how one of today’s most respected global executives leads with a lean mindset to practice intentional leadership, humility, and continuous learning to reshape culture, improve decision-making, and lead sustainable organizational transformation at scale, 

You’ll also hear how this conversation became a defining moment for me—ultimately inspiring the launch of the Chain of Learning® podcast—and why Larry Culp’s insights on lean leadership are just as relevant today.

YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why even senior leaders and CEOs need a coach or teacher—and how having a trusted mentor helps accelerate learning and growth
• The importance of shifting from answers to questions—and why Breaking the Telling Habit® matters
• Why embracing mistakes and “bad news” builds psychological safety, and a stronger foundation for continuous improvement
• The power of going to see—going to gemba (the place work happens)—and how its essential for lean transformation
• How embracing the awkwardness of learning—going slow to go fast—helps leaders model humility and build trust through transparency

ABOUT MY GUEST:

Larry Culp joined the GE Board of Directors in April 2018, and was appointed CEO of GE in October 2018. In June 2022, he assumed additional duty as CEO of GE Aerospace and became Chairman & CEO of GE Aerospace when it launched as a public company in April 2024. He also serves as the non-executive Chairman of GE HealthCare. Larry spent 25 years at Danaher Corporation, serving as President and CEO, where he helped increase both revenue and market capitalization fivefold. Recognized as one of the world’s top CEOs by Harvard Business Review and Barron’s, Larry has served as a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, teaching leadership and strategy. 

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/57 
• Watch the full interview with Larry Culp on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=U3hFsuLOaPU
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Follow Larry Culp on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/larry-culp
• Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
• Read “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn” – the leadership book Larry Culp recommended to all GE employees : LearningToLeadLeadingToLearn.com 

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

02:51 Larry Culp’s view on lean as a lever to embrace cultural disruption at GE
04:14 The importance of having a coach and a teacher to help guide you as a senior leader
05:34 Larry’s shifts in his leadership approach as he was learning how to lead
07:47 How to really listen and hear what others meant to say
07:28 How to become a better listener and ask better questions
08:20 The difference of implementing lean versus becoming lean
10:12 What lean means to you as a leader

12:25 The importance of doing the work even though you have a coach
13:49 How to build failure and mistakes into your leadership practice and culture
15:06 Fostering an environment where sharing mistakes and challenges are acceptable
17:55 Larry’s key takeaway from Katie’s Shingo award winning book, “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn”
21:16 What to assess when going to Gemba
24:13 What Larry has learned from his sensei and going to Japan that has helped him be a more impactful leader
28:11 How hoshin kanri is connected to your approach leadership approach
29:24 The impact of cross-functional collaboration
31:22 Managing awkwardness as a leader while learning new leadership skills
32:49 Making the shift in being okay with not having all the answers
34:56 Future improvements of GE
36:33 The purpose of daruma dolls in setting intentional goals
37:46 The real heart of lean leadership in using learning as a lever for results that matter

Please leave a review and rating of the show! Your review helps reach more listeners like you around the globe.