The blog post

In this Lean Blog Audio episode, Mark Graban reflects on an unexpected leadership lesson learned on the pickleball court. As a beginner unlearning decades-old tennis habits, Mark experiences firsthand how execution errors, muscle memory, and self-criticism can quietly undermine learning. A kind instructor and supportive playing partners provide timely feedback—without blame—turning mistakes into moments of growth.

The story becomes a practical metaphor for leadership, psychological safety, and continuous improvement. Mark connects a missed serve, an illegal volley, and other rookie mistakes to familiar workplace dynamics: fear of speaking up, hesitation to give feedback, and cultures that confuse mistakes with incompetence. Drawing on themes from his book The Mistakes That Make Us, he explores the difference between judgment errors and execution errors, why unlearning is often harder than learning, and how leaders set the tone for Kaizen through their reactions.

Whether in sports, healthcare, manufacturing, or office work, improvement depends on environments where people feel safe to surface mistakes, reflect, and adjust—one learning cycle at a time.

The blog post

In this episode, Mark reflects on a visit he made twenty years ago to the NUMMI plant in Fremont, California — the Toyota-GM joint venture that became legendary in Lean circles. What stayed with him wasn’t flashy tools or so-called Lean perfection, but a series of small, human moments that revealed how Lean actually works as a management system.

Through six short stories — a broken escalator, aluminum foil, an explanatory safety sign, a pull-based gift shop, imperfect 5S, and visible audit boards — Mark explores the deeper principles behind Lean thinking: asking “why” before spending money, respecting people enough to explain decisions, encouraging small frontline ideas, and reinforcing standards through daily leadership behavior. Long before the term was popular, NUMMI demonstrated psychological safety in action.

The episode also contrasts NUMMI’s management system with what came after, when the same building became Tesla’s first factory — underscoring a central lesson: buildings and technology don’t create quality. Culture does. These NUMMI lessons remain just as relevant today for leaders trying to build systems that support learning, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Explore the original NUMMI Tour Tales:

• NUMMI Tour Tale #1: Why Fix the Escalator?
• NUMMI Tour Tale #2: The Power of Reynolds Wrap
• NUMMI Tour Tale #3: The Power of Why
• NUMMI Tour Tale #4: The Pull Gift Shop
• NUMMI Tour Tale #5: Nobody Is Perfect
• NUMMI Tour Tales #6: “You Get What You Inspect”

The blog post

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson once joked that his incredible physical transformation came from one simple routine: working out six hours a day, every day, for twenty years. In this episode, Mark explores why that line from Central Intelligence mirrors how organizations misunderstand Lean. Many admire the “after” picture of Toyota, ThedaCare, or Franciscan St. Francis Health, but far fewer commit to the steady, everyday habits that make those results possible.

This short reflection looks at the gap between wanting improvement and practicing it, the risks of “instant pudding” thinking, and what real diligence looks like in organizations that sustain progress year after year. Continuous improvement doesn’t require six hours a day—but it does require showing up, consistently, over time.

The blog post

In this episode, Mark Graban flips roles and becomes the guest—answering five core Lean questions posed by longtime Lean thinker Tim McMahon of the A Lean Journey blog. These questions have been answered by many practitioners over the years, and they cut straight to the purpose, the misconceptions, and the future of Lean.

Mark shares how he first encountered Lean as an industrial engineering student, and how the system came alive when he worked inside the GM Livonia Engine Plant under a NUMMI-trained plant manager. That contrast, and the mentoring from former Toyota and Nissan leaders, shaped his views on what Lean really is: a management system rooted in respect, not a collection of tools.

He discusses the most powerful (and most overlooked) aspects of Lean today, including the central role of psychological safety and why tools fail without the right leadership behaviors. Mark also explores where he sees the biggest opportunity for Lean—particularly in healthcare, where preventable harm, burnout, and broken processes remain stubbornly persistent.

The conversation closes with why these foundational questions still matter. Lean evolves as we learn, and the answers shift as our experiences expand. Mark reflects on how continuous improvement requires an environment where people feel safe to speak up, experiment, and improve their work every day.

If you’re interested in the human side of Lean, how culture and leadership shape results, and where Lean thinking needs to go next, this episode offers a grounded and candid perspective.

The blog post

In this episode, Mark Graban explores one of the most misunderstood — and most essential — principles of Lean: the commitment to no layoffs due to improvement. Drawing from his work with Johnson & Johnson’s ValuMetrix Services team and stories from Lean Hospitals, Mark explains why Lean cannot thrive in a culture of fear and why protecting people’s livelihoods is foundational to psychological safety.

Through examples from ThedaCare, Silver Cross, Avera McKennan, NorthBay Healthcare, and more, Mark illustrates how a visible “no layoffs” pledge builds trust, accelerates improvement, and strengthens both culture and performance. He also addresses the common misconception that Lean equals cost-cutting, emphasizing instead how freed-up capacity can be reinvested into better care, better service, and better access.

Whether you work in healthcare, manufacturing, tech, or any industry undergoing change, this episode offers a clear lesson:
When leaders protect people, people protect the organization — through creativity, engagement, and continuous improvement.

Perfect for listeners interested in Lean management, psychological safety, culture change, and leadership practices that sustain improvement without sacrificing people.

The blog post

In this episode, Mark Graban explores why so many organizational change efforts stall—not because people are resistant, but because leaders rely on telling instead of asking. Drawing from his recent Lean Blog article, Mark introduces five Motivational Interviewing questions that shift conversations from compliance to genuine commitment.

He explains how MI, a framework rooted in empathy and autonomy, helps leaders uncover intrinsic motivation, build psychological safety, and coach more effectively. Mark also shares a personal example of self-coaching through these same questions, illustrating how they move us from guilt to growth.

Listeners will learn how to use these questions in team huddles, one-on-ones, and moments of cultural transformation — and why respectful curiosity often outperforms pressure in sustaining continuous improvement.

If you’ve ever struggled to “get people on board,” this episode offers a practical, human-centered alternative.

The blog post

This episode looks at how GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp grounds Lean leadership in two fundamentals: safety and respect for people. Drawing on his recent appearance on the Gray Matter podcast, we explore how Culp applies the core habits of the Toyota Production System—not as slogans, but as daily practice.

Culp traces his Lean development back to Danaher, where he learned kaizen directly from consultants trained by Toyota’s Shingijutsu pioneers. That early exposure shaped his belief that improvement is a behavior, not a program. He still invites those same advisers, including Yukio Katahira, onto GE Aerospace’s shop floors—reinforcing that the real expertise lives with the people doing the work.

He describes how he “kaizens himself” after board meetings and plant visits, using the same PDSA cycle expected throughout the organization. His message is blunt: Lean fails when leaders try to drive improvement from conference rooms instead of going to the work.

The conversation also highlights GE’s SQDC focus—Safety and Quality before Delivery and Cost—and why Culp begins every leadership meeting with a safety moment. Given that three billion passengers fly each year on GE-powered aircraft, he frames safety as a responsibility, not a dashboard metric.

Culp’s turnaround work emphasizes cultural change as much as operational results. He’s pushing GE from a finger-pointing culture toward a problem-solving culture, where issues are surfaced early and treated without blame. Psychological safety is essential to that shift.

The throughline is simple and consistent: continuous improvement requires humble leadership, curiosity at every level, and a commitment to getting closer to the work. Culp’s approach is a reminder that Lean endures not because of its tools, but because of the behaviors it cultivates.

The blog post

In this episode of Lean Blog Audio, Mark Graban reads and reflects on his post “Fred Noe of Jim Beam: Leadership Lessons on Mistakes, Innovation, and Long-Term Thinking.”

What can a seventh-generation master distiller teach us about leadership, experimentation, and learning from mistakes? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Drawing on two in-person encounters with Fred Noe—at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, and at a Bourbon Society event—Mark shares timeless lessons from a leader who practices Lean principles without ever using the jargon.

Fred’s stories about 4,000-gallon “small batch” experiments, revisiting brown rice Bourbon years later, and guiding his son Freddie through failed blends show how humility, patience, and long-term vision create both great whiskey and great organizations.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear insights on:

• How to design systems for learning, not perfection

• Why small-scale experiments fuel large-scale innovation

• How psychological safety allows teams to take smart risks

• Why Suntory’s decade-long mindset echoes Toyota’s long-term philosophy

• How legacy leadership means passing on curiosity, not certainty

Whether you’re leading a distillery, a hospital, or a startup, Fred Noe’s approach reminds us that the best results come from respecting the process—and the people—behind it.

Hashtags:
#Leadership #LeanThinking #Innovation #Mistakes #PsychologicalSafety #ContinuousImprovement #Bourbon #JimBeam #Suntory #LearningCulture

The blog post

In this episode of the Lean Blog Audio podcast, Mark Graban reads and reflects on one of his classic posts: “The Biggest Lean Six Sigma Myth: ‘Lean Is Just About Speed.’”

Far too often, consultants and trainers claim that “Lean is for speed” while “Six Sigma is for quality.” Mark calls out this false dichotomy and explains why both Lean and Six Sigma—when properly understood—aim to improve quality, flow, safety, cost, and morale together.

Drawing on his own experience in manufacturing and healthcare, Mark reminds listeners what Toyota has always taught: quality and productivity go hand in hand. If someone tells you Lean is about “making bad stuff faster,” that’s your cue to run the other way.

🎧 Listen to learn:

• Why the “Lean = speed” narrative misrepresents Toyota’s intent

• How “quality at the source” and “flow” reinforce one another

• Why misunderstanding Lean leads to failed transformations

• How to correct common Lean Six Sigma misconceptions

Lean is not about efficiency alone—it’s about building systems where people, quality, and improvement are inseparable.

Hashtags:
#Lean #SixSigma #ToyotaProductionSystem #ContinuousImprovement #QualityAtTheSource #PsychologicalSafety #LeanThinking

The blog post

In this episode of Lean Blog Audio, Mark Graban reads his reflection, “I’m Still Dreaming About My Meal at Sukiyabashi Jiro’s Sushi in Tokyo.”

Join Mark as he shares a rare dining experience at the legendary Sukiyabashi Jiro — the Michelin-starred Tokyo restaurant made famous by Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Beyond the extraordinary craftsmanship and taste, Mark explores what this meal revealed about efficiency, flow, and the subtle trade-offs between speed and hospitality.

Was the meal a marvel of Lean precision, or a reminder that even the best systems can become too efficient for the human experience?

This thoughtful story connects sushi-making to leadership, quality, and the meaning of service in any industry — from restaurants to hospitals to manufacturing floors.

Listen for insights on:

• The difference between cycle time and takt time — and how it shapes customer experience

• Why optimizing for efficiency can unintentionally reduce satisfaction

• The balance between process excellence and personal connection

• What Jiro’s disciplined craftsmanship can teach us about Lean thinking