WLEI - Lean Enterprise Institute's Podcast

Leadership at the Gemba with Scott Heydon and John Shook

Former Starbucks Executive and Senior Coach at LEI Scott Heydon, joined author and LEI Chairman John Shook for a last minute learning session at the Lean Coaching Summit. 

The response was so positive we've adapted it to be a podcast.

Closing the Learning Gap with Steven Spear

Today's podcast features a conversation about closing learning gaps between LEI's CEO Eric Beuhrens and Steve Spear. Steve is author of a few works key to understanding lean.  There’s “Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Producing System” and “Learning to Lead at Toyota,” both in Harvard Business Review and his book The High Velocity Edge. 

As you’ll hear, Steve’s work really focuses on how Toyota as one of a few real exceptional organizations competes on the basis of a management system that optimizes on the speed, quality, and breadth of problem solving talent.  He coaches these capabilities into organizations ranging from hospitals, industrial companies to the US Navy through his company HVE LLC, and teaches about them at MIT where he’s a senior lecturer.

In this conversation chapters from his book The High Velocity Edge were mentioned. To read a pdf of those chapters go to: https://www.lean.org/downloads/The-High-Velocity-Edge-Chpt-1-4and5.pdf 

Port to Plate, Lean Changes the Restaurant Industry with Legal Sea Foods' Executive Chef Rich Vellante

Can the restaurant industry change they way they've worked for decades? Legal Sea Foods has been on their lean journey for a few years and lean has influenced everything from the second that fish is caught right up until their guest has left the restaurant. 

Legal Sea Foods' Executive Chef, Richard Vellante sat down with LEI's Senior Coach, Josh Howell to talk about some of the changes and experiments that have taken place at several of Legal Sea Food's locations.

Leadership, Building Consensus, and Embracing Culture with Dr. Kiame Mahaniah and John Shook

Two things to think about. Challenges and Culture.

Challenges shape who we are. I think we can all look at who we are and remember a few key challenges we’ve faced and how they have changed us and the way we view things. It certainly helps shape us as leaders.

Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, CEO of the Lynn Community Health Clinic.

Born in the Congo, raised in Switzerland, educated in the US, Kiame faced remarkable challenges, was immersed in multiple cultures, and has come out of all as a remarkable, yet humble leader that is focused on building consensus instead of being a top down iron fisted CEO.

Dr. Mahaniah was kind enough to sit down with LEI’s Chairman, John Shook to talk about growing up in different cultures, from the Congonese to the Quakers, and how he became a CEO in an organization trying to become lean, and helped keep that movement going. Which is something that typically ends lean’s progress in an organization.

Mindfulness and Leading with Respect with Mike Orzen and John Shook

Author and and LEI faculty member Mike Orzen discuss connecting with people through leading with respect with John Shook. 

The conversation primarily focuses on what mindfulness is and how it fits in with lean thinking and practice. Mike also gives some great tips on staying focused when you catch yourself getting distracted.

Is Lean Thinking Japanese Culture? Jim Womack and Matt Savas Discuss What They Saw While Touring Toyota in Japan

Jim Womack interviews Matt Savas about a recent trip to Toyota Motor Kyushu, Japan.

Matt and Jim share their observations on how Toyota has countermeasured their aging workforce by being clever and not replacing resect with robots.

Fighting Poverty with Lean Product/Process Development at MIT D-Lab

D-Lab at MIT is using LPPD thinking to help solve problems in the developing world, and are truly making the world a better place for all those involved.

Today Kendra Leith, Associate Director for Research, at D-Lab joined LEI’s Communication’s director to share more about how D-Lab works and some of the great projects they are working on.

To learn more about D-Lab at MIT and the great projects they are working on visit d-lab.mit.edu.

To hear from Kendra Leith in person join us this June 19-20 at the Designing the Future Summit in Traverse City, Michigan. There you’ll not only hear Kendra but you’ll also hear from the chief engineers of the 2015 Ford Mustang, 2019 Toyota Avalon, as well as how lean product and process development applies Software development, energy creation, healthcare and more.

To learn more about this event go to lean.org/designfuture2018

The Lean Farm and Sharing Your Gift Live from the 2018 Lean Transformation Summit

Live from the 2018 Lean Transformation Summit in Nashville, Jim Womack interviews Ben Hartman, author of the Lean Farm, Joel Daly General Manager Veada Industries, and Aluminum Trailer CEO/Owner Steve Brenneman.

You’ll hear how lean thinking was shared from one person to another in very different industries, and the amazing changes that took place.

Tracey and Ernie Richardson with John Shook Live at the Lean Transformation Summit

Tracey and Ernie Richardson, authors of the Toyota Engagement Equation join John Shook on the main stage at the Lean Transformation Summit in Nashville.

Amazon and Buffet Tackle the Healthcare Tapeworm with Eric Buehrens and Chet Marchwinski

A few weeks ago Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon announced that they are forming their own company to combat the costs and issues with healthcare in the US. 

Eric Buehrens sat down with LEI's Communications Director, Chet Marchwinski to discuss this new organization, and talk about some of the challenges they may face and offering some advice.