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Episode 57 – What does it really take to become lean—not just do lean? This is the secret to transformational lean leadership that Larry Culp, CEO of GE and GE Aerospace shared with me on stage three years ago. In this special bonus episode, I want to share his insights and wisdom about leadership and lean culture with you.
Episode 56 – Do you find yourself racing from meeting to meeting, rushing through tasks, or filling every silence with your own voice? In our doing-oriented culture, pausing feels uncomfortable—even counterproductive. Yet left unchecked, our instinct for action and answers can limit learning, development, and innovation. In this episode, I explore the power of the pause and why mastering it may be one of the most transformative leadership habits you can develop.
Episode 55 – How do you motivate, coach, or lead someone younger—without sounding critical, nagging, or controlling? We’ve all heard the stereotypes: “Young people don’t care.” “They’re entitled.” “They can’t take feedback.” But what if those assumptions are what’s really getting in the way of growth, engagement, and connection?
Episode 54 – Recently I joined my friend and business coach Betsy Jordyn for not just one, but two conversations, about positioning for impact as a consultant, coach, or lean practitioner. Betsy and I met at a retreat hosted by Carol Cox in 2022 and she has been working with me behind the scenes of my business since then to help me continue to uplevel my own clarity of positioning and branding.
Episode 53 – Ikigai is one of the hottest buzzwords in leadership and personal development. 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 at all.
I was honored to be invited as a guest on a special episode of the Comcast + Sky TV Leadership Podcast—a high-level internal series typically
Episode 51 — It’s a problem I’ve seen over and over again—and I bet you have too. 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.
Episode 50 – 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 aroun
Episode 48 – 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 of Chain of Learning, Josef Procházka, a lean consultant from the Czech Republic, shares his personal journey of transformation—from frustrated practitioner to heart-led coach—and the impact his shift in approach to consulting has had for his clients and for himself.
Episode 47 – 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.
Episode 46 – Is it possible to lead a real, long-term cultural transformation in a publicly traded company—where shareholders often demand short-term financial results? The answer? It’s challenging, yet possible. And GE Aerospace, with CEO Larry Culp at the helm, is leading the way. To give you an inside look, I invited Phil Wickler, Chief Transformation Officer, back to Chain of Learning for a deep-dive conversation on the enterprise-wide shift toward lean he and Larry Culp are leading at GE Aerospace.
What happens when leaders from around the world step away from their daily routines and immerse themselves in the birthplace of lean, continuous improvement, and people-centered leadership? In May 2025, I had the privilege of leading Cohort 7 of my Japan Leadership Experience—an extraordinary week of learning, connection, and transformation alongside 18 global leaders and 81-year-old Toyota leader Isao Yoshino.
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