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TL;DR: Respect for People is the foundation of Lean management. It means engaging employees as problem solvers, creating psychological safety so people speak up, developing standardized work with teams instead of forcing it on them, and implementing improvement software with people -- not to them. It includes high standards and accountability. Without Respect for People, continuous improvement becomes mechanical and unsustainable.

Respect for People in Lean management is the principle that employees are capable problem solvers who must be engaged, developed, and trusted in order for continuous improvement to succeed.