From "Troublemakers" to Innovation Leaders: The NUMMI Story - Part 2
In Part 1, we discussed how an employee who is labeled a troublemaker can change when placed in a Lean environment.
Are your most thoughtful employees labeled as troublemakers? In traditional management, this happens more often than we'd expect. Yet, these perceived "troublemakers" often become the driving force behind successful Lean manufacturing transformations.
I witnessed this firsthand at NUMMI, where we transformed over 7,000 employees and managers from a conventional "command and control" structure into a dynamic, improvement-driven organization. The key? Embracing Toyota's Lean principles that empower every employee to become a business owner of their work area.
The Leadership Evolution
In the Lean system, leaders evolve from mere decision-makers into teachers and coaches. This transformation begins with one of Toyota's foundational programs, Job Instruction.
At the Job Instruction’s core is the critical step of "Preparing the Learner" - a process that simultaneously develops both the student and the teacher.
This marks the beginning of a leader's journey from traditional management to becoming an effective teacher. While I have much more to share about this transformation from "troublemaker" to innovative leader, I'll save those insights for our next installment.
Transform Your Leadership Journey
Ready to start your own Lean transformation? Introducing "A Lean Challenge" - our new flexible online training program:
- Learn at your own pace with weekly module releases
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Experience the difference structured Lean learning can make in your organization. To begin your journey or learn more, visit The Lean Learning Academy website.
Watch for Part 3 of our series, where we'll dive deeper into the practical steps of leadership transformation in Lean organizations.
Click the following link to learn more about The Lean Challenge:
https://theleanlearningacademy.com/creating-a-continuous-improvement-culture
