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Artwork for Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership Conversations in Healthcare and Beyond

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership Conversations in Healthcare and Beyond

Mark Graban
Continuous Improvement
Lean Management
Healthcare
Leadership
Lean
Trust In Organizations
Physician Burnout
Toyota Production System
Rewiring Excellence
The Human Margin
Psychological Safety
Manufacturing
Podcasting
Lean Accounting
Wiring the Winning Organization
Norm Bodek
Diversity In Lean
Toyota
Minor League Baseball
Six Sigma

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership Conversations features thoughtful, in-depth discussions with leaders, authors, executives, and practitioners who are applying Lean thinking in the real world.

Hosted by Mark Graban—author of Lean Hospitals, Measures of Success, and The Mistakes That Make Us—the podcast explores Lean as a management system, a leadership philosophy, and a people-cent... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes594Founded19 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BusinessManagement

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Artwork for Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership Conversations in Healthcare and Beyond

Latest Episodes

What if operational excellence depends less on doing more with less—and more on how leaders create meaning, optimism, and relationships at work?

Episode page with video, transcript, and more

In this episode, Mark Graban is joined by Kathy Miller, s... more

Don Kieffer has spent more than fifty years redesigning how real work gets done. In this episode, he explains why so many improvement efforts stall—and how Dynamic Work Design offers a clearer, more practical way forward.

Episode page with video, tr... more

YouTube

My guest for Episode #539 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Darren Walsh, author of Making Lean and Continuous Improvement Work: A Leader’s Guide to Increasing Consistency and Getting Significantly More Done in Less Time.

Episode page with vide... more

YouTube

My guest for Episode #538 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Nelson Repenning, Faculty Director of the MIT Leadership Center and co-creator of Dynamic Work Design.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more

Nelson describes himself as an "or... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Don Kieffer
Co-author of the book 'There's Got to Be a Better Way', and seasoned executive, consultant, and speaker.
Episode: Toyota Thinking for Knowledge Work: Don Kieffer on Dynamic Work Design
Darren Walsh
Author of Making Lean and Continuous Improvement Work
Making Lean Work Ltd
Episode: Lean Leadership Routines That Sustain Results: Darren Walsh on Moving Beyond Firefighting
Nelson Repenning
Faculty Director of the MIT Leadership Center and co-creator of dynamic work design
MIT Sloan School of Management
Episode: Why Leaders Get Trapped in Firefighting — Nelson Repenning on Lean and Dynamic Work Design
Caroline Greenlee
Lean and continuous improvement coach with rich experience in various sectors
Episode: Why Caring Cultures Matter in Lean (with Caroline Greenlee & Chris Butterworth)
Chris Butterworth
Award-winning author, international speaker, and certified Shingo Institute master level facilitator
Episode: Why Caring Cultures Matter in Lean (with Caroline Greenlee & Chris Butterworth)
Carlos Scholz
New CEO of Catalysis and experienced Lean practitioner with a background in both manufacturing and healthcare.
Catalysis
Episode: Lean Healthcare Leadership: Humility and Psychological Safety (Carlos Scholz)
Gregg Stocker
Author of Profitable at Any Price and expert in Lean thinking
Lean practitioner
Episode: Profitable at Any Price: Lessons from Toyota, Daily Kaizen, and Safer Workplaces with Gregg Stocker
William Harvey
Conference Workshop Chair for AME Annual Conference
AME (Association for Manufacturing Excellence)
Episode: Previewing the AME 2025 International Conference & Workshops with William Harvey
Cheryl Jekiel
Founder of the Lean Leadership Center and author of 'Let Go to Lead'
Lean Leadership Center
Episode: Building Independent, Empowered Teams Through 6 Transformational Leadership Habits, with Cheryl Jekiel

Host

Mark Graban
Host of Lean Blog Interviews and a seasoned Lean practitioner and author.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 75 ratings
  • Failure as Fuel

    If you grew up in a family like mine, where mistakes were never acknowledged and apologies didn't happen, this podcast will feel like a breath of fresh air. Mark Graban's guests share real stories about the mistakes that shaped them—not as signs of weakness, but as turning points for growth.

    It's refreshing, honest, and surprisingly liberating. Whether you're already fearless about failure or still learning to embrace it, there's wisdom here that challenges the old "never admit you're wrong" m... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Amy Rasdal
    United States2 months ago
  • Brilliant conversations

    I really enjoyed the episode where you talk with Michele Smith about Management behaviors that lead to the continuous improvement culture. I would highly recommend this podcast to anyone interested in Lean in manufacturing, healthcare, and startups.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    I value the unique angle
    Austria4 years ago
  • Direct and Informative

    This podcast is always professional and business like. Mark is an excellent host who guides his guests with a very realistic approach to their subject matter. Lean Blog Interviews is straightforward, informative, and definitely worth a listen.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TK21LL
    United States4 years ago
  • This was the first podcast that I ever listened to and it inspired me to start my own podcast. Mark always has interesting guests and asks really great questions that are engaging and entertaining. If you are interested in Lean, Continuous Improvement or leadership and management this is definitely worth the time to listen and be inspired!

    Podchaser
    5
    Chris Burnham
    4 years ago
  • Empowering, insightful and actionable! 🙌

    Whether you’re well established as someone who can translate Lean energy into the impact you want to have on the world, or just getting started as a catalyst for change - this is a must-listen podcast for you! Mark does an incredible job leading conversations that cover a huge breadth of topics related to the ins and outs of building a Lean enterprise and life you can be proud of - with leaders who’ve actually walked the path. Highly recommend listening and subscribing!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JoshCrist
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The expert interviews are consistently viewed as engaging, providing a wealth of knowledge and inspiring stories from Lean practitioners.
Many find the content valuable for both beginners and experienced professionals, covering a spectrum of Lean topics adequately.
The discussions are recognized for their candidness, focusing on mistakes and learning experiences rather than just success stories.
Listeners appreciate the accessible, practical insights that can be directly applied to their work environments.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#196
Italy/Business/Management
Apple Podcasts
#156
Chile/Business/Management
Apple Podcasts
#178
Sweden/Business/Management
Apple Podcasts
#199
South Korea/Business/Management
Apple Podcasts
#207
Spain/Business/Management
Apple Podcasts
#236
Taiwan/Business/Management

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Toyota Thinking for Knowledge Work: Don Kieffer on Dynamic Work Design
Q: What would your hope be for the economy and businesses applying dynamic work design?
Don expresses that there is almost infinite potential for organizations applying dynamic work design to improve performance and enhance lives.
Toyota Thinking for Knowledge Work: Don Kieffer on Dynamic Work Design
Q: What is your Lean origin story?
Don talks about his journey from being a factory worker and solving problems, leading him to learn from Hajime Oba about Toyota's methodologies.
Lean Leadership Routines That Sustain Results: Darren Walsh on Moving Beyond Firefighting
Q: What are the common pitfalls organizations face in sustaining Lean initiatives?
Organizations often apply the wrong improvement approach, fail to recognize traditional management thinking as a barrier, and lack effective leadership routines.
Lean Leadership Routines That Sustain Results: Darren Walsh on Moving Beyond Firefighting
Q: How do you find the balance between working on pressing needs versus smaller improvements that matter to teams?
Use facts and data to identify the most pressing needs, while encouraging teams to also address issues that they deem important to them.
Lean Leadership Routines That Sustain Results: Darren Walsh on Moving Beyond Firefighting
Q: What advice do you have for creating a better foundation for improvement in organizations?
Focus on understanding the right problems, building a management system with effective leadership routines, and encouraging teams to engage in problem-solving consistently.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This podcast features in-depth conversations with influential figures in the Lean and continuous improvement community, offering insights applicable across various industries, such as healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. Focused on real-world experiences, the episodes emphasize the importance of cultural transformation, leadership behaviors, and psychological safety while showcasing how Lean principles can lead to meaningful change and operational excellence. A unique aspect of the content is its blend of practical advice and personal stories, highlighting lessons learned from both successes and mistakes rather than just theoretical constructs or popular frameworks.

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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership
2. The Lean Solutions Podcast
3. The Ezra Klein Show
4. Marketplace
5. The Rest Is History

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 19 years ago and published 594 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Don Kieffer
2. Darren Walsh
3. Nelson Repenning
4. Caroline Greenlee
5. Chris Butterworth
6. Carlos Scholz
7. Gregg Stocker
8. William Harvey

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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