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What makes a Lean transformation last not just a few years, but two decades? At Electrolux, the answer wasn’t more tools, more training, or more Kaizen events. The breakthrough came when the company realized that leadership behaviors — not Lean mechanics — were the deciding factor in whether improvement stuck.

In this episode, Sandro Casagrande shares the story behind the Electrolux Manufacturing System (EMS), now in its 20th year. He explains why the early years of EMS produced uneven results, what changed when Electrolux shifted its focus to leadership habits, and how coaching routines, visual management, and leader standard work became the backbone of a sustainable improvement culture.

Drawing from more than 30 years with Electrolux, Sandro details:

• Why early EMS efforts succeeded in some plants but stalled in others
• How leadership behaviors became the turning point in creating organizational habits
• What neuroscience and habit loops taught Electrolux about sustaining change
• How coaching — not directing — accelerates team development and problem solving
• How sites reach gold and platinum performance levels, and why those gains hold even through turnover, new products, and process changes
• Why zero-injury safety goals became both realistic and expected
• How digitalization and platforms like KaiNexus now support global consistency and scale

Sandro also lifts the curtain on Electrolux’s leadership academy: a months-long experiential system where leaders learn by doing — running improvement cycles, receiving coaching, and ultimately becoming coaches themselves.

If you’re trying to build a culture where improvement happens every day, not just during events or crises, Sandro’s journey offers practical, hard-earned insight into what it really takes.

About the Guest
Sandro Casagrande is the Group Methodology & Documentation Leader at Electrolux. His Lean journey began in 1994, and he has been central to EMS from its earliest pilot projects through today’s global digitalization efforts. He was the first Italian to achieve EMS Master Gear certification and continues to guide EMS implementation across all business areas.