Chain of Learning: Leadership Strategies for Transforming Culture, Developing People, and Getting Results

What do people in other functions at your organization think lean is all about? For many—in HR, OD, Finance, or operations—the answer is simple: process improvement, efficiency, waste elimination.   And while those are pieces of the puzzle, they miss the bigger picture. Too often, continuous improvement and operational excellence teams get pigeonholed as “process people,” making it hard to gain tr...

Ikigai is one of the hottest buzzwords in leadership and personal development. But what does ikigai really mean? When you think of ikigai, what do you envision?  Is it the popular Venn diagram that claims to help you find your purpose by identifying “the sweet spot” where what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for overlap?  The problem? That’s not ikigai...

What’s the #1 frustration most lean and continuous improvement practitioners face? It's something that I bet you've felt too, no matter how passionate you are about the work, no matter what you call it: lean, agile, continuous improvement, operational excellence, or DevOps... Too often, we struggle to clearly explain what we actually do as CI change leaders and why it matters. And when you can’t a...

Organizations invest thousands of dollars and countless hours into lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement training programs. Certifications get awarded. Belts get earned. But nothing actually changes. Technical problem-solving training alone isn’t enough to drive meaningful impact. Without guidance and support on how to apply problem-solving tools—and the people-side of leading change—i...

“Change the culture!” That’s exactly what longtime Toyota leader Isao Yoshino was tasked with during one of the most famous business transformations in history—NUMMI—Toyota’s joint venture with General Motors in the 1980s. The challenge?  Take GM’s worst-performing plant—plagued by absenteeism, low morale, and poor quality—and turn it around. Within just one year, with the same American workforce...

When you encounter challenges or setbacks, and it feels like things just aren’t going your way, it’s easy to get caught into a downward negative spiral.   But could simple mindset shifts change not just how you feel, but how you move forward and influence those around you with positive momentum? In this episode, I’m sharing three powerful reframes that have helped me reset, regain perspective, and...

Apply for the Nov 2025 or May 2026 Japan Leadership Experience https://kbjanderson.com/japantrip/   You’re implementing the tools. Making the improvements. Delivering the project results. But the same problems keep resurfacing and you’re left wondering: What’s missing? In this episode , Josef Procházka, a lean consultant from the Czech Republic, shares his personal journey of transformation—from f...

A global economic crisis is dragging down sales. Departments are working in silos and leaders at all levels are arguing about priorities.  Managers are too busy to coach their teams. You might think this describes your organization today—and it was the exact situation Toyota faced nearly 50 years ago. This challenge sparked one of the most ambitious and influential—and least known outside Japan—le...

Is it possible to lead a real, long-term cultural transformation in a publicly traded company—where shareholders often demand short-term financial results? It’s challenging, yet possible. And GE Aerospace, with CEO Larry Culp at the helm, is leading the way.  I invited Phil Wickler, Chief Transformation Officer, back to discuss the enterprise-wide shift toward lean at GE Aerospace. We explore what...

How effective is your organization's strategy in achieving results? If your team doesn't understand how their daily work connects to bigger organizational goals, you don't have a strategy—you have a gap.  A gap in engagement.  A gap in alignment.  This gap leads to confusion, misaligned priorities, and wasted effort. I’m joined by Mark Reich, author of “ Managing on Purpose” , to explore how hoshi...

How many questions is too many? You know that asking effective questions is key to helping others solve problems and unlocking improvement, but can you ask too many questions? Yes! And when you do so, you actually hinder progress, not enable it. In this episode, I share one of the most common mistakes leaders and coaches alike make when learning to Break the Telling Habit® and moving from “telling...

What’s the real purpose behind the Japanese practices integral to lean management —like kata, obeya, and A3 reports? These methods are often misunderstood as mere templates or formats, without recognizing the deeper meaning and intention that drive their impact. In this episode, we’re picking up on my conversation with Tim Wolput, Japanologist, Toyota Way management expert, and former World Aikido...

How much of the Toyota Way is dependent on Japanese culture? And how much of it all comes down to… being human? There are questions I’ve explored with 130+ global leaders who’ve joined my Japan Leadership Experience programs.  To help you answer this question, I’ve invited Tim Wolput – Japanologist and Toyota Way Management expert, to Chain of Learning. Together, we take a deep (and fun!) dive int...

You’re doing great work….yet you know you and the change you envision could have greater influence. You have a vision for more. More strategic work. More influence. More change that really makes an impact and actually sticks -- for your clients or organization. Only question—how do you get there? The issue isn’t your talent or skills. It’s how you and your work are positioned —how your clients or...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed that you are responsible for doing too much? Maybe you’re frustrated that your team relies on you for answers instead of developing their own solutions. Or you’re disappointed that improvements fall apart as soon as you step away. The problem: You’re likely stuck in the Doer Trap—and it’s holding you (and your team) back from the results you want.  The good news? There...

Ever feel like your to-do list never ends?  Running from meeting to meeting with no time to think—let alone lead or create?  You’re not alone. The problem isn’t you – that you’re not working hard enough.  You’re probably stuck in the complexity trap—buried in endless demands, inefficiencies, and busywork that keep you (and your team) from doing what truly matters. To help you simplify and focus on...

What have we really learned after four decades of lean?  Is lean thinking and management still relevant today? And importantly — what needs to change to ensure the future success of lean transformation? In the previous episode, I sat down with James Womack, founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute, to look back on 40 years of lean thinking and management since the publication of The Machine That C...

“Lean has failed.” That’s the bold statement James Womack—founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute and MIT researcher whose team introduced the term “lean” to the world—made at a conference where we both recently spoke. That really stuck with me. Has lean really failed?  If so, what can we do to course correct? To explore this, I invited him to share his reflections and experiences over the past 4...

How often do you pause to get a clearer view of your purpose and learn how your life experiences influence your leadership impact? Whether it’s in the moment to reflect on a recent situation or zooming out at a major milestone to see the bigger picture, reflection can be incredibly powerful. I’m hitting pause myself this week as I turn the big 5-0! I share two concepts that have helped me understa...

What do you do when you’re stuck between two conflicting options?  Deliver short-term results or take a long-term view? Focus on business outcomes or people development? Help by being the expert with the answer or a coach asking questions? For most of us, these competing choices are a paradox and source of conflict. We deal with uncertainty by asserting certainty that there are two distinct option...

Why do 70-90% of change initiatives fail? That’s a staggering statistic.  In many cases, new leadership comes in, economic pressures rise, or the next "flavor of the month" initiative takes over.  What’s happening and what can you do to counteract this trend? And if you are a change leader, lean practitioner, or continuous improvement coach, how do you avoid this becoming a career limiting move? T...

What questions are on your mind? That’s the question I posed to you last month when I asked you to “Ask me anything!” I received many great questions and, as promised, I’ve picked five to dive into during this episode.  Asking the right questions is a fundamental part of leading transformational change. It’s not just about finding answers—it’s about understanding why we ask our questions and how w...

Is your organization stuck in a constant state of crisis, where everything feels like an urgent, must-fix-now situation? As a leader, cutting through that noise is key to prioritizing and aligning your team’s efforts to focus on what really matters. In this episode, Isaac Mitchell, VP of Operational Excellence at Ballad Health System, shares his experience leading through Hurricane Helene and how...

It’s Chain of Learning’s first anniversary this month! And it’s the time of year for gratitude and thanks – and for reflection.  Thank you for listening and for being part of this Chain of Learning that we are growing together.  To mark this podcast milestone, I want to practice what I talk about on nearly every episode – reflection – as I believe it IS the foundation of learning and impact. In th...

Has your organization been making progress on its continuous improvement journey, only to find things starting to stall? Is your team hesitant to share ideas, or are your lean or process improvement initiatives viewed mainly as cost-cutting measures rather than a comprehensive strategy for long-term success? Perhaps you've been focusing on just one side of the path of excellence—improvement proces...