When I delivered my keynote at Kata Rendez-vous in Montréal—a gathering of lean and continuous improvement practitioners from around the world—I was reminded why I love serving as a leadership keynote speaker.
In times of uncertainty, I believe resilient organizations don’t just respond—they learn, adapt, and move forward with intention.
Thriving in today’s world requires more than tools or tactics; it demands a culture of continuous learning, grounded in scientific thinking and deep respect for people.
In my keynote, Leading to Learn®: Become a Katalyst™ for Continuous Learning, I share how you can become a Katalyst™—a change leader who accelerates learning as the engine for improvement and transformation.
Through my Leading to Learn® framework, I explore three essential leadership practices: set direction, provide support, and develop yourself.
Together, these help leaders cultivate a learning culture—what I call a Chain of Learning®—where people are empowered to experiment, reflect, and grow, even in the face of change.
Watch my full keynote below from Kata Rendez-vous event in Montréal:
Below are the core topics I covered in this keynote and some of the topics that I often deliver in my leadership development keynote presentations—and how they help leaders and teams create meaningful, lasting impact.
Becoming a Katalyst™ for Continuous Learning
I use the term Katalyst™ to describe the vital role that leaders have in creating a high performing learning culture.
The word blends catalyst—something that accelerates the rate of change—with the Japanese term kata, which refers to the routines and patterns that shape how we practice problem-solving and improvement.
A Change Katalyst™ is a continuous improvement leader who builds the habits that sustain progress. They don’t just implement tools or chase results—they model learning in action.
When we lead as Katalysts™, we help our teams move beyond reacting to problems and instead build the capability to continuously learn, adapt, and grow together.
Ultimately accelerating learning as the true source of progress and transformation.
SAPD: The Missing Step in Continuous Improvement
We often talk about the scientific method or the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act), but too often, our organizations rush straight from planning to doing.
That’s why I prefer to call it SAPD—Study, Adjust, Plan, Do.
The shift is intentional.
“Study” reminds us to pause—to reflect on what actually happened versus what we expected to happen. This is where true learning occurs.
When we skip reflection, we fall into the trap of plan, do, plan, do, or worse, do, do, do, do, do. We stay busy but stop learning.
Embedding the study and adjust steps builds the habit of learning from every action, turning daily work into a series of experiments rather than tasks to complete. Continuous improvement isn’t about constant doing—it’s about creating the conditions to study, learn, and then act with intention.
This mindset is what defines effective lean leadership and a thriving organizational learning culture.
Shu-Ha-Ri: The Journey from Rules to Mastery
Shu-Ha-Ri is a concept that comes from Japanese martial arts that beautifully mirrors the journey of learning and mastery.
- Shu (守) – Follow the rules. At this stage, we learn the patterns and fundamentals exactly as they are taught. This builds the foundation—our “muscle memory” for effective practice.
- Ha (破) – Break the rules. Once we’ve mastered the basics, we begin to adapt and adjust based on our context and what we’re learning.
- Ri (離) – Transcend the rules. Here, the patterns are so deeply internalized that we can move fluidly, responding to new challenges with creativity and confidence.
Too often, leaders get stuck in Shu—rigidly following tools or templates. But the real strength of a continuous learning mindset lies in moving beyond imitation to embodiment.
When learning becomes part of who we are, not just what we do, we create the foundation for transformational leadership.
Leading to Learn®: The 3 Essential Leadership Practices
At Toyota, effective leadership rests on three practices that I teach in my leadership development keynotes:
- Set Direction. Define the challenge or target condition based on what’s needed, not on metrics alone. Real learning happens when goals stretch us beyond comfort.
- Provide Support. Create conditions for others to succeed. Coaching for learning—rather than fixing problems—helps people build capability. I call this the Coaching Continuum: knowing when to ask, when to guide, and when to let others think.
- Develop Yourself. Leaders must practice reflection and self-awareness. Modeling curiosity and humility shows teams what a continuous learner looks like in action.
These practices cultivate intention—leadership with both heart and direction—which I often describe in my intentional leadership keynote sessions.
Leadership Is a Chain of Learning®
In every organization, leadership is not an individual act—it’s a connected system.
When one person learns, everyone benefits.
In my keynote presentations, I explore how to create what I call a Chain of Learning®—a culture where leaders at every level develop others through coaching, curiosity, and reflection.
When organizations cultivate this kind of learning culture, improvement is no longer top-down. It’s shared, sustained, and scalable.
The Katalyst™ Change Leader Competencies
Becoming a Katalyst for continuous learning isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about developing the mindset and skills that help others discover their own.
True Katalysts accelerate learning by how they ask questions, frame challenges, and guide reflection. They create the conditions for people to explore the space between what was expected to happen and what actually did—where the real learning takes place.
But being a Katalyst also requires a broader set of leadership competencies. It means showing up with curiosity, adaptability, and humility—while developing the skills that help bridge learning, systems, and people.
Key competencies of a Katalyst Change Leader include:
- Knowledgeable Business Communicator: Speak the language of your organization. Don’t lead with Lean tools—lead with purpose, context, and business understanding that connects with others.
- Analytical Systems Thinker: See the whole system, not just the parts. Sustainable improvement requires understanding how everything interconnects.
- Tactical Strategic Aligner: Link daily actions with long-term direction. Help people understand how their work contributes to the broader purpose.
- Astute Political Navigator: Build relationships and influence across the organization. Know who the true decision-makers are—and how to bring them along in the learning journey.
- Lifelong Learning Enthusiast: Model curiosity and reflection. Attend learning events, seek new experiences, and stretch beyond your daily work.
- Skillful Facilitator: Guide conversations that spark discovery. Ask questions that begin with what and how—the questions that open thinking and fuel problem solving.
These leadership competencies define what it means to embody the Katalyst approach and create a truly continuous improvement organization.
Leading with Intention: Heart + Direction®
At the core of effective leadership is intention—what I describe as Heart + Direction®.
Heart reflects purpose and care for people.
Direction represents clarity and aligned action.
Combine them, and you get intentional leadership that turns good intentions into lasting impact.
This balance is essential for a keynote on continuous learning mindset: showing how values and systems together create environments where people feel safe to experiment and grow.
Lessons Learned as a Leadership Keynote Speaker
When I’m invited to speak as a leadership keynote speaker, one question I’m often asked is:
“What can our leaders take away from your keynote that will truly make a difference?”
My answer is always the same: meaningful change begins when leaders learn to lead with intention.
The secret to lasting success—whether in business, education, or healthcare—doesn’t come from tools or tactics. It comes from fostering a continuous learning mindset built on reflection and respect for people.
As Toyota leader and my mentor Isao Yoshino once told me:
“The only secret to Toyota is its attitude towards learning.”
That simple truth guides everything I share on stage.
Bring These Leadership Lessons to Your Organization
As a keynote speaker for lean leadership, I help organizations connect purpose, people, and performance through practical, reflective learning experiences.
Whether you’re hosting a continuous improvement keynote, a leadership development summit, or an internal organizational learning event, my sessions provide clarity, inspiration, and actionable takeaways that help people lead better every day.
If you’re looking for a keynote speaker for continuous improvement, an intentional leadership keynote speaker, or someone to help your team strengthen its learning culture, I’d love to collaborate.
Let’s explore how to bring my learning experience to your next event and spark a lasting Chain of Learning® within your organization. Click here so you can book me to come and speak.
