Teams are more creative and achieve higher levels of production and quality than any single person. Companies that empower their teams achieve the desired level of success in implementing and sustaining Lean. Employees are not widgets. They are items in the value stream to be eliminated. Their brains, their passion, and their creativity need to be developed and nourished. The transformation of your organization depends on their involvement. You need to treat them as an asset and invest in their development just as you invest in any other asset in your company.