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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
Psychological Safety
Lean
Physician Burnout
Trust In Organizations
Toyota Production System
The Human Margin
Rewiring Excellence
Manufacturing
Podcasting
Lean Accounting
Wiring the Winning Organization
Diversity In Lean
Norm Bodek
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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes598Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ManagementBusiness

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

Latest Episodes

John Rizzo joins Mark Graban to discuss why sustainable improvement depends on empowering people — not command-and-control leadership or short-term value extraction.

Links and more:

John is a senior executive, investor, and change leader who has le... more

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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

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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

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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

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Recent Guests

John Rizzo
Senior executive investor and change leader with experience in manufacturing, healthcare, and retail.
Basin Holdings, Talus Holdings
Episode: Creating Value Without Command-and-Control — John Rizzo
Kathy Miller
Senior Operations Executive, Keynote Speaker, Certified Leadership Coach, and Business Transformation Advisor
Episode: Why “More” Drives Better Operations: Kathy Miller on Meaning, Optimism, and Leadership
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

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
#118
Canada/Business/Management
Apple Podcasts
#200
France/Business/Management
Apple Podcasts
#122
Taiwan/Business/Management
Apple Podcasts
#139
New Zealand/Business/Management
Apple Podcasts
#143
Colombia/Business/Management
Apple Podcasts
#188
Chile/Business/Management

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Creating Value Without Command-and-Control — John Rizzo
Q: How can you help leaders understand the importance of empowering their teams?
Leaders need to adopt a coaching mindset, allowing their teams to make decisions while providing guidance.
Creating Value Without Command-and-Control — John Rizzo
Q: Who are you trying to reach with your book?
I aim to reach change agents across various sectors, not just manufacturing, including services and government.
Creating Value Without Command-and-Control — John Rizzo
Q: What goes wrong when a company learns Lean tools but misses the human connection?
Companies often struggle to achieve results because they focus solely on tools without developing people as problem solvers.
Why “More” Drives Better Operations: Kathy Miller on Meaning, Optimism, and Leadership
Q: How has your education in positive psychology impacted your coaching?
It has provided her with the science to back her intuitive leadership methods, allowing her to translate research into practical applications in the workplace.
Why “More” Drives Better Operations: Kathy Miller on Meaning, Optimism, and Leadership
Q: What motivated you to write this book?
Kathy wanted to explore how the pressure for performance can lead to burnout, and provide leaders with tools to improve organizational culture and motivation by combining her own experiences with organizational research in positive psychology.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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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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this podcast launched 20 years ago and published 598 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. John Rizzo
2. Kathy Miller
3. Don Kieffer
4. Darren Walsh
5. Nelson Repenning
6. Caroline Greenlee
7. Chris Butterworth
8. Carlos Scholz

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