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PODCAST

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

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-centered approach to continuous improvement. Episodes span healthcare, manufacturing, startups, technology,

business management

All Episodes

52:31

Creating Value Without Command-and-Control — John Rizzo

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2026/01/21

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 led transformational improvement efforts across manufacturing, healthcare, retail, services, and nonprofit organizations. He is the author of Creating Value: Empowering People for Sustainable Success, a book that deliberately avoids Lean jargon while

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54:08

Why “More” Drives Better Operations: Kathy Miller on...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2026/01/07

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, senior operations executive, leadership coach, and author of More Is Better: Leading Operations with Meaning, Optimism, and Relationships for Excellence. Drawing on decades of experience in manufacturing and aerospace, along with research from positive

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50:31

How Don Kieffer Applies Toyota Thinking to Modern...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/12/03

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, transcript, and more Don traces his path from machinist to Vice President of Operational Excellence at Harley-Davidson and senior lecturer at MIT Sloan. He shares what he learned working with Toyota legend Hajime Oba, including the moment he realized that

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52:57

From Firefighting to Flow: Darren Walsh on Lean...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/11/12

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 video, transcript, and more Darren is the Director and Leadership Coach at Making Lean Work Ltd and holds a master’s degree from the Lean Enterprise Research Centre at Cardiff University. He brings more than 25 years of experience helping leaders transform

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56:10

How to Cut Through Workplace Chaos: Nelson Repenning...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/10/29

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 "organizational engineer," helping leaders redesign the routines and decisions that determine how work really gets done. He joins host Mark Graban to discuss his new book, There's Got to Be a Better Way: How to Deliver Results and Eliminate the Chaos of

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15:22

Building Excellence Through Quality and Psychological...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/10/22

In this special bonus episode of Lean Blog Interviews, Mark Graban is joined by C.J. Kaufman, Education Chair for the ASQ Cincinnati Section, to preview the ASQ Southwest Ohio 2025 Conference, themed “Excellence Through Quality.”Episode page with transcript, video, and more Taking place Saturday, November 8, 2025, in Mason, Ohio, the event brings together quality professionals from the Cincinnati and Dayton regions for a half-day of engaging speakers, practical insights, and networking — plus an

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51:05

Why Care: Building Respectful Lean Cultures with...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/10/15

My guests for Episode #537 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Caroline Greenlee and Chris Butterworth, two of the three co-authors (with Chris Warner) of the book Why Care: How Thriving Individuals Create Thriving Cultures of Continuous Improvement Within Organizations.Episode page with transcript and more In this conversation, we discuss their experiences and lessons on building cultures of continuous improvement that are rooted in respect, caring, and psychological safety. Caroline

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3:36

Ask Us Anything! — Lean Coffee Talk with Mark Graban...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/10/11

In this short bonus episode, I’m joined by my friend and Lean Coffee Talk co-host, Jamie Flinchbaugh. We’re inviting you — our listeners and fellow continuous-improvement thinkers — to help shape upcoming conversations.We’d love to hear your questions about Lean, leadership, culture, and problem-solving. The best discussions often start with the toughest questions — the ones without neat answers. If you have something you’ve been wrestling with or want to hear us unpack together, please share it

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59:59

New Catalysis CEO Carlos Scholz on Lean Healthcare,...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/10/02

In Episode 536 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast, Mark Graban talks with Carlos Scholz, the new CEO of Episode page with video, transcript, and moreIn this episode, Carlos shares lessons from his Lean journey—starting with one-piece flow in apparel manufacturing and continuing through large-scale healthcare transformations. He explains why lasting improvement requires leaders to move beyond tools and rapid improvement events to embrace behaviors, principles, and a true Lean management system. We

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14:05

Previewing the LPPDE 2025 Conference with Geoff...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/09/19

In this bonus episode of Lean Blog Interviews, host Mark Graban is joined by Geoff Neiley (chair) and Andrew Wagner (co-chair) of the Lean Product & Process Development Exchange (LPPDE).The 2025 North America Conference will be held October 27–30 in Milwaukee, bringing together Lean practitioners, leaders, and innovators to share insights on reducing waste in product development, improving collaboration, and accelerating learning cycles. Geoff and Andy share their Lean journeys, the history of

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46:39

Profitable at Any Price: Lessons from Toyota, Daily...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/09/17

Episode blog post with video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #535 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gregg Stocker, a seasoned Lean practitioner, consultant, and author. Over the past 30+ years, Gregg has worked across industries, including oil and gas, energy services, manufacturing, and construction, guiding both independent operators and major corporations on their Lean journeys. He is the author of Profitable at Any Price: Lean Thinking for Safer, Cheaper, and More Responsible

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57:55

Don't Repeat Our Mistakes: Dale Lucht's Leadership...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/09/03

My guest for Episode #534 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Dale Lucht, co-author of the new book Don't Repeat Our Mistakes: Nine Lessons for Leaders Championing Cultural Transformations.Episode page with video, transcript, and more Dale has led Lean transformations in manufacturing, healthcare, and financial services, and he brings decades of leadership experience shaped by mentors such as George Koenigsaecker and the Shingijutsu consultants. In our conversation, Dale reflects on what it

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14:29

Previewing the AME 2025 International Conference &...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/08/29

In this bonus episode of Lean Blog Interviews, Mark Graban is joined by William Harvey, AME 2025 Workshop Chair (and 2026 Conference Chair), to preview the AME Annual Conference coming up in St. Louis, October 6–9, 2025.Topics We Discuss ✅ Why AME is for all continuous improvement leaders—not just manufacturing ✅ The 2025 conference theme: Gateway to the Future – AI and Beyond ✅ How AME is blending AI and people integration into learning and networking ✅ Four key workshop tracks, including

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54:14

(Fixed) Building Independent, Empowered Teams Through...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/08/20

My guest for Episode #533 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Cheryl Jekiel, founder of the Lean Leadership Center and a longtime advocate for aligning continuous improvement with people-centered leadership. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Cheryl is the author of Lean Human Resources, and her latest book, Let Go to Lead: Six Habits for Happier, More Independent Teams (with Less Stress and More Time for Yourself), offers a practical and deeply human approach to modern leadership

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54:14

Building Independent, Empowered Teams Through 6...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/08/20

My guest for Episode #533 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Cheryl Jekiel, founder of the Lean Leadership Center and a longtime advocate for aligning continuous improvement with people-centered leadership.Episode page with video, transcript, and more Cheryl is the author of Lean Human Resources, and her latest book, Let Go to Lead: Six Habits for Happier, More Independent Teams (with Less Stress and More Time for Yourself), offers a practical and deeply human approach to modern leadership

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01:03:42

v2 Coaching Relentless Problem Solvers and Building a...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/08/15

My guest for Episode #532 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Anne Frewin, a seasoned Lean leader with over 12 years of improvement experience in healthcare, laboratories, and manufacturing.Updated with the correct audio Episode page with video, transcript, and more Anne's background in finance and healthcare administration provided her with a unique entry point into Lean -- first supporting improvement efforts through data, and then stepping fully into the role of change agent. She shares the

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54:14

Coaching Relentless Problem Solvers and Building a...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/08/06

My guest for Episode #532 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Anne Frewin, a seasoned Lean leader with over 12 years of improvement experience in healthcare, laboratories, and manufacturing.Episode page with video, transcript, and more Anne's background in finance and healthcare administration provided her with a unique entry point into Lean -- first supporting improvement efforts through data, and then stepping fully into the role of change agent. She shares the story of how a persistent

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20:26

Patrick Adams Previews the 2025 Lean Solutions Summit...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/08/03

In this bonus episode of Lean Blog Interviews, host Mark Graban welcomes back Patrick Adams, founder of the Lean Solutions team and author of Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap—a Shingo Publication Award-winning book. Patrick joins the show to preview the 2025 Lean Solutions Summit, taking place September 23–25 in Detroit, Michigan, at the Westin Detroit Airport. This year’s theme—“Catalysts of Tomorrow: Shaping Future Leaders”—focuses on equipping the next generation of Lean and continuous

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10:39

Jared Thatcher on Growing the Global Lean Summit and...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/07/29

In this bonus episode of Lean Blog Interviews, host Mark Graban talks with Jared Thatcher, founder of the Global Lean Summit, to preview the upcoming event taking place September 23–25, 2025 in Bloomington, Indiana.Jared shares the Summit’s origin story—from a virtual event launched during COVID lockdowns to a high-impact in-person gathering that brings together Lean leaders, practitioners, and learners from a wide range of industries. This year’s Summit includes: ✅ A site visit and training day at

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54:53

Take 2: Melisa Buie on Lean Culture, Scientific...

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership... ·

2025/07/23

My guest for Episode #531 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Dr. Melisa Buie, a seasoned operations and engineering leader with decades of experience in high-tech manufacturing.Episode page with video, transcript, and more Melisa has held senior roles at companies like Lam Research, Applied Materials, and Coherent, where she led large-scale Lean transformations and helped drive cultural change across global operations. With a PhD in nuclear engineering and plasma physics, Melisa brings a rare

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239 results

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