Summary
In this conversation, Nadja and I explored several key themes:
The Schaeffler Production System – How one of Germany's largest automotive suppliers
approaches operational excellence and standardized work across a global manufacturing
footprint.
Lean Fundamentals – What lean really means in practice, beyond the buzzwords—and why
the philosophy matters more than the tools.
From Military Officer to Lean Leader – How Nadja's experience in the German Armed
Forces shaped her leadership style, her comfort with structure and standards, and her ability
to train and motivate large teams.
Engaging the Shop Floor – Practical approaches to getting factory floor workers genuinely
involved in evolutionary change and continuous improvement, rather than having
improvement "done to them."
Leading Without Taking Away Responsibility – Perhaps the most nuanced topic we
covered: how leaders can guide, support, and develop their teams without inadvertently
disempowering them or creating dependency. It's about building capability, not just
compliance.
Nadja Böhlmann:
Nadja Böhlmann is Director of the Schaeffler Production System at Schaeffler, the global
automotive and industrial supplier. Her career path is anything but conventional—she started
as an officer in the German Armed Forces before transitioning into the world of lean and
continuous improvement.
Her military background gave her deep expertise in training, leadership, and building
structured systems that work. After leaving the Bundeswehr, she gained experience across
diverse industries including construction, healthcare, food production, and automotive
(notably at Porsche Leipzig). She also served as Global Head of Kaizen at Teknos, an
international coating manufacturer, where she built a Kaizen culture from scratch including
training programs and eLearning systems.
Nadja holds a Master of Science from Danube University Krems and has published research
on the often-overlooked role of middle managers in sustaining lean transformations. She
describes herself as a "European Lean Citizen" and is passionate about creating organizations
where processes flow, people thrive, and improvement becomes second nature.Nadja holds a Master of Science from Danube University Krems and has published research
on the often-overlooked role of middle managers in sustaining lean transformations. She
describes herself as a "European Lean Citizen" and is passionate about creating organizations
where processes flow, people thrive, and improvement becomes second nature.
Nadjas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadja-b%C3%B6hlmann/
More Info on the Schaeffler Production System: https://www.schaeffler.com/de/
medien/storys/storys-technologie-system/produktion-in-perfektion/
Stellar Work:
Here is the Stellar Work Newsletter: https://substack.com/@stellarwork
Check out www.stellarwork.com for more information about how evolutionary agile
transformations work
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