Introduction:

Lean leadership is essential for sustaining and scaling Lean transformations within organizations. The role of senior leaders is critical in creating a culture that fosters continuous improvement, drives innovation, and aligns Lean strategies with overall business goals. This course will explore advanced Lean principles, leadership strategies, and tools required to guide teams and organizations toward achieving operational excellence. Participants will learn how to inspire, engage, and empower their teams to drive lasting change, while also mastering the strategic and tactical elements of leading a Lean transformation at an organizational level.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the principles and advanced concepts of Lean thinking and leadership.
2. Develop and implement strategies for leading Lean transformations at all levels of the organization.
3. Align Lean initiatives with strategic business goals to ensure sustained improvements.
4. Cultivate a Lean culture that encourages continuous improvement, employee engagement, and innovation.
5. Lead teams in the application of advanced Lean tools, such as value stream mapping, kaizen, A3 problem solving, and visual management.
6. Identify and overcome common challenges in Lean leadership and transformation.
7. Drive operational excellence and ensure long-term sustainability of Lean initiatives.
8. Measure the effectiveness of Lean transformations using key performance indicators (KPIs).
9. Create strategies for scaling Lean principles across the entire organization and supply chain.
10. Foster leadership capabilities in others and develop future Lean leaders.

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed for:

• Senior Leaders, Executives, and Managers responsible for driving Lean transformations
• Lean Practitioners (Black Belts, Master Black Belts, and Lean Champions) looking to enhance their leadership capabilities
• Operations Managers and Department Heads leading Lean initiatives
• Change Agents tasked with scaling Lean across large or complex organizations
• Anyone who wants to strengthen their ability to lead high-performance teams in Lean environments
• Human Resources and Organizational Development professionals seeking to build a Lean culture within their organizations

Day-by-Day Outline:

Day 1: Advanced Lean Leadership Principles and Frameworks

• Overview of Advanced Lean Thinking:
  • The evolution of Lean: From Toyota Production System (TPS) to modern Lean leadership
  • Key Lean principles: value, flow, pull, and perfection
  • The role of leadership in Lean transformations
• The Lean Leadership Model:
  • Understanding the mindset of a Lean leader
  • Characteristics of effective Lean leaders: vision, humility, and resilience
  • How Lean leadership differs from traditional leadership styles
• Creating a Lean Organization:
  • Structuring your organization for Lean success
  • Aligning leadership behaviors with Lean principles
  • Developing a Lean strategy that aligns with the organization’s vision and goals
• Leadership at All Levels:
  • Leading from the front: Senior leaders’ role in modeling Lean behavior
  • Building Lean leadership skills in middle management and frontline employees
  • The importance of leadership buy-in and engagement in Lean transformations
• Case Study:
  • Analyzing a real-world example of successful Lean leadership and transformation
• Hands-On Exercise:
  • Identifying key leadership challenges in your organization and how Lean principles can address them

Day 2: Driving Cultural Change Through Lean Leadership

• Building a Lean Culture:
  • What is a Lean culture and how to create it
  • Key components of a Lean culture: trust, respect, empowerment, and continuous learning
  • Overcoming resistance to change and building a culture of continuous improvement
• Leadership’s Role in Shaping Culture:
  • How leaders can influence culture at every level of the organization
  • Leading through behaviors: reinforcing Lean values and principles daily
  • The importance of recognizing and celebrating Lean successes
• Engaging Employees in Continuous Improvement:
  • Empowering employees through structured problem-solving and decision-making
  • The role of the leader in coaching and developing problem-solvers
  • Tools for employee engagement: Gemba walks, huddles, and kaizen events
• Sustaining Cultural Change:
  • Strategies for embedding Lean into the organizational DNA
  • Leading change for long-term sustainability
  • Measuring cultural maturity and aligning behavior with Lean values
• Case Study:
  • Reviewing a company’s journey to Lean cultural transformation
• Hands-On Exercise:
  • Developing a plan for fostering and sustaining a Lean culture in your organization

Day 3: Advanced Lean Tools and Techniques for Leaders

• Value Stream Mapping (VSM) for Leadership:
  • How leaders use VSM to identify value-adding and non-value-adding activities
  • Leading VSM workshops to engage teams in process improvement
  • Interpreting and acting on VSM results to drive change
• Kaizen and Continuous Improvement:
  • The role of kaizen in Lean leadership
  • How to facilitate effective kaizen events and encourage bottom-up improvements
  • Scaling kaizen to foster a culture of daily problem-solving
• A3 Problem Solving for Leaders:
  • Using the A3 report as a leadership tool for structured problem-solving
  • Coaching teams to apply A3 thinking to real-world challenges
  • Building a standardized approach to problem-solving across the organization
• Visual Management for Lean Leaders:
  • How visual management supports Lean leadership and drives transparency
  • Creating visual systems that communicate performance and expectations
  • Aligning performance metrics and KPIs with Lean initiatives
• Hands-On Exercise:
  • Creating an action plan for applying Lean tools (VSM, Kaizen, A3) in a leadership context

Day 4: Leading Lean Transformation Across the Organization

• Strategic Alignment and Deployment:
  • Aligning Lean objectives with organizational strategy and KPIs
  • How to drive alignment through leadership at all levels
  • Using Hoshin Kanri for strategic planning and Lean deployment
• Leading Cross-Functional Teams:
  • Breaking down silos and leading cross-functional teams for Lean success
  • Aligning diverse functions with Lean goals through effective communication
  • Ensuring accountability and ownership in cross-functional teams
• Leading Lean Across the Supply Chain:
  • Extending Lean beyond the organization to suppliers and partners
  • Implementing Lean principles in supplier relationships and procurement
  • Managing change and aligning Lean goals across the supply chain
• Scaling Lean Initiatives:
  • Strategies for scaling Lean initiatives across large, complex organizations
  • Overcoming challenges in scaling and maintaining momentum
  • Creating a sustainable framework for Lean leadership development
• Change Management and Overcoming Resistance:
  • Leading teams through resistance and change fatigue
  • Using Lean to support organizational agility and adaptability
  • Managing stakeholder expectations during Lean transformations
• Case Study:
  • Reviewing how a global company scaled Lean initiatives across multiple locations
• Hands-On Exercise:
  • Developing a roadmap for scaling Lean in your organization, including key initiatives, resources, and milestones

Day 5: Measuring Success and Leading for Continuous Improvement

• Measuring Lean Success:
  • Identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) to track Lean performance
  • Using Lean metrics to measure value, flow, and customer satisfaction
  • Assessing the financial impact of Lean initiatives (ROI, cost reduction, lead time improvement)
• Sustaining Lean Leadership:
  • Strategies for developing future Lean leaders and fostering leadership succession
  • Continuous learning for leaders: how to stay ahead in Lean practices
  • Keeping the momentum of Lean transformation over time
• Building Resilience in Lean Teams:
  • Developing resilient teams that can adapt to change and continuously improve
  • Coaching and mentoring future Lean leaders within your organization
  • Creating a feedback loop for continuous leadership improvement
• Final Project and Presentation:
  • Participants will create a comprehensive plan for leading a Lean transformation or improving an existing Lean initiative within their organization.
  • Presentation of the final projects, followed by group discussion and feedback.

Modern Features of the Course:

• Real-World Focus: Case studies and exercises based on current industry challenges and successful Lean transformations.
• Practical Tools: Emphasis on hands-on learning with tools like VSM, A3 problem-solving, kaizen, and visual management for Lean leaders.
• Leadership Development: Focus on developing and empowering the next generation of Lean leaders within the organization.
• Scalable Strategies: Actionable strategies for scaling Lean practices across global and complex organizations.
• Continuous Improvement Framework: Tools for measuring success and ensuring long-term sustainability of Lean initiatives.