“The Master doesn’t talk; he acts. When his work is done, the people say, “Amazing, we did it, all by ourselves.” – Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu
“Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning,” by Katie Anderson is so much more than a book.
It is a wonderful tapestry, spun from the wisdom of Mr Yoshino, a lifelong Toyota leader and learner.
The book is cleverly structured and beautifully written, as Mr Yoshino, through countless hours of reflection, shares the stories that shaped his life of continuous learning and dedication. Katie Anderson skilfully reveals Mr Yoshino’s twin passions, to help and develop others, and to live internationally. The author leaves us in no doubt that Mr Yoshino has been fantastically successful in both of these worthwhile purposes.
It is my prediction that this book will become something of a business classic. In this description, I hesitate to use the term “lean,” as I believe this book will encourage further reflection on what lean truly is. Mr Yoshino and Katie Anderson nudge us to reflect upon the nature of lean, as a topic. Here are some words from the author:
“We have a choice, in work and in life, of how we respond to our circumstances. While we may not always have control of out conditions, we have control of our mindset and our reactions. Indeed, our happiness, our growth, and our experience, is what we make of it.”
This book points to something far more existential. Businesses, after all, are an abstract construct. They are a small collection of people working together to derive something that a larger group of people would like. Herein lies the concept of value. What value we create is a mirror of the value that we extract.
The human is at the heart of it all, learning through iteration, and sharing the joy of that learning with all who will hear.
This is not a book that you can read once and put to one side. I suspect “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn” will accompany me for many years. My continued learning will not occur during the act of reading but during the act of reflection.
Katie recognises this fact and facilitates realisation by providing reflection questions at the end of each major section. These questions can be used as part of a rigorous personal and organisational inventory. In future years, there will be many cherished copies in circulation which will be well-thumbed and revealing annotated.
The book is not the end of the journey, just the start. Many valuable additions are available for free at the book’s website. As I would urge you to read this tome, I would recommend you to visit the site.
There is a satisfying quality of symmetry to this book and Mr Yoshino’s story. I will not reveal more here but will leave you some words from Mr Yoshino himself.
“Failure isn’t failure if you learn something important you could never have learned elsewhere.”
To conclude, this is a book that I would recommend to anyone with interest in lean, management, or any aspect of leadership and coaching. I wish Katie Anderson and Mr Yoshino every success with, what I believe, will prove to be an essential and much-studied piece of work.
Highly recommended. A very easy five star rating.
Order via the website above, or directly from Amazon, or follow these embedded links for the paperback or ebook formats.
Simon D. Gary is the author of the new book “Super Lean: Unlock Your Company’s Million Dollar Edge,” which offers breakthrough discussion into the topic of lean. You can buy your copy here.
Thanks for your Book Review, will read once I receive the copy!