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If I were to sum up “2 Second Lean” by Paul Akers in one word, that word would be “passion.”

So, Paul Akers is passionate about lean?

Yes…only it’s more than that.

Paul Akers being passionate about lean is not the input; it is the output. The author’s passion for lean stems from his burning desire to give value to all of those around him, his fellow business owners, his customers and his employees.

He is passionate about lean because it is the best way to show his love and respect for people.

Some lean books, let’s admit it, can be a bit of a grind. Akers writes with the brightness that imbues his every waking moment. The text is light, humble and packed with impactful gems of wisdom. There are no complex graphics, tables, nor calculations, nor are there are detailed tool descriptions, theories, and action plans. There is, however, oodles of joyous enthusiasm which, as it turns out, is more than enough.

Akers message is the simple realisation that all people are valuable and, as such, does it make sense for them to work in, or pay for waste?

The book is also packed with QR codes for just a small, but telling sample of the videos on the FastCap public YouTube channel – which are freely shared with generosity and warmth. The book also contains great reflection questions at the end of each chapter, giving the work a real vitality.

“2 Second Lean” is not a textbook that looks to stretch your knowledge, no. This book is a continuous call to action, almost unlike any lean book that I have ever read. You can practically hear Paul in your ear saying:

“Why are you still reading this? Why aren’t you up and doing something? Start with you and start by fixing something that gets on your nerves! And don’t let perfect get in the way of better!”

I am only sorry that it has taken me over a decade of working in lean to finally read this book. Whether you are a seasoned professional, or a welcome friend taking their first steps, I would urge you to read “2 Second Lean” at your earliest convenience.

An easy 5 Stars.

Simon was reading the new, Shingo Award-winning third edition, with five additional chapters.

Follow this easy link to obtain your copy of “2 Second Lean.”

Simon D. Gary is the author of the new book “Super Lean: Unlock Your Company’s Million-Dollar Edge.” The book opens up the lean discussion into how to truly uncover the latent potential of the wonderful people in your team. It is available on Amazon and through this link.

History is littered with individuals who made stunning contributions to humanity, but who were not credited with their foresight at the time.

Take, for example, Dr Spencer Silver. While attempting to create a strong-adhesive, he accidentally made a low-tack, reusable sticky substance, for which there was seemingly no application. Then, a few years later, as one story goes, a gentleman by the name of Art Fry used it to anchor the bookmark in his hymn-book. From here, the sticky note was born, and a generation of lean thinkers was enabled to make awesome flow-maps!

The subject of today’s post is a name that I first came across many years ago, and I have been stunned by his simple vision ever since.

Clarence Saunders was the inventor of the supermarket. On the 11^th of September, 1916, at 79, Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, Saunders opened a store called Piggly Wiggly.

The concept was stunningly simple, and yet utterly remarkable, as the best ideas always are. Before the opening of this shop, it was traditional that customers would enter a store and give their list to a clerk. The clerk would the busy themselves by going to the appropriate storage locations and picking the items that the customer desired.

There were obvious problems with this. Firstly, there was the customer waiting time. If you were third or fourth in the queue, you knew you were in for a wait. You could see the staff dashing about, which gave some impression of value-add, but you knew that they were not working on your request.

Secondly, a customer could have no real idea if the things on their list were in the store. Ironically, this issue arises with online grocery shopping. We can make a request, but if our preferred item is not in stock, we do not have the luxury of picking our own substitute, or of deciding to leave the shop without it.

Thirdly, the clerk is experiencing motion waste. The items on the list will not necessarily be in the order in which the clerk would like to pick them, so some serious thought is also required to minimise trips back to the same storage locations.

In Saunders’ new store customers served themselves. They entered via a turnstile and followed a pre-designated route to the check-out, a model still used by a Swedish furniture giant today. In this way, customers passed all the products available and selected those that they liked for their basket.

Commodities, such as flour and sugar, were packaged into smaller quantities out in the back and marketed directly to the customer in eye-catching packets. It was the beginning of branding and product identity. Fruit and vegetables were available to be picked from bins, and there were even chiller cabinets, containing goods like milk and butter.

To the customer, it must have been a startling experience, but they loved it, and the Piggly Wiggly brand started to spread.

Saunders, by the very nature of his concept, would have been using lean principles in his stores. Piggly Wiggly represented both a pull and a push system. Stock in the store would only be replenished when consumed by a customer, which sent clear signals into the supply chain to trigger storeroom replenishment. But the use of a push system was also ingenious. By forcing customers to pass all of the shelves on their route around the shop, Saunders unlocked the profit-centre of impulse buying.

With costs, such as staff and excess inventory stripped out of his business model, Saunders was able to pass savings onto his customers in the shape of lower prices. He had realised the lean ideal of creating more value for the customer at a lower cost. This goal was achieved through an innate ability to reduce waste and understand the voice of the customer.

That Saunders eventually became bankrupt and lost control of his empire may be the sad end to this story. But I like to reflect that around forty years later, men like Taiichi Ohno were observing the US supermarket and taking concepts like JIT, pull, and FIFO, back to their native Japan.

These ideas would eventually become enablers such as Just-In-Time and Kanban, both important mainstays of the revered Toyota Production System.

I would like to think that, as we continue to celebrate TPS, we should also tip our hat in the direction of Mister Clarence Saunders, a true innovator and visionary.

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.

I’m really excited to share the initial artwork for my upcoming book “Super Lean.”

Big thanks to the wonderful cover artist Maja Kopunovic, whose portfolio you can view on Instagram.

Stay tuned for release and launch details. Very best wishes, Simon.

Life has a wonderful quality that brings you down with a gentle bump when you think you know about something.

Every so often, along comes a timely reminder that thankfully restores one’s sense of humility and draws you back into the “shu” stage of “shu-ha-ri,” and that blissful state of learning.

I used to think that I was relatively well versed in TWI (Training Within Industry.) It was a delight to find out that I was not.

A work colleague clued me in on “The TWI Facilitators Guide” by Donald A. Dinero, and I immediately sought to buy a copy. I am so delighted that I did.

TWI, or Training Within Industry, has its origins in the war economy of 1940’s USA. Companies needed to find solutions to boost productivity, and required to do so with an influx of new and inexperienced staff.

As Dinero explains, four men stepped forward to help from US industry. Their names were C.R. Dooley, Walter Dietz, M.J. Kane and William Conover. They may not be as celebrated as Sakichi Toyoda, Taiichi Ohno, Daniel Jones, or Mike Rother, but their legacy lives on, and this book is a celebration of that.

It is clear that Dinero believes deeply in, and is passionate about the TWI “J” programs. It is this passion and belief that permeates every word in this work. I do not doubt that this project was a labour of love.

The outcome is probably one of the most definitive tomes on the subject of Training Within Industry. Dinero’s attention to detail is simply stunning, as is his faith in the original training content. No point, however small, is left unchecked or unexplored, and it is clear that the book is one giant set of cascading Job Breakdown Sheets.

To apply TWI to write about TWI is simply masterful.

The book covers all three of the TWI programs, namely Job Instruction, Job Methods and Job Relations. Admittedly, the bulk of the material is on the Job Instruction Four-Step Program, but this is to be expected.

That is not to say that Job Methods or Job Relations are treated lightly. They are not. Even after a decade in Continuous Improvement (I am still learning), I found much that was refreshing in Dinero’s explanations on Job Methods and ECRS Logic.

What I also saw was Dinero’s rigid belief in the primary tenets of lean. Have respect for people and take responsibility for creating a supportive, learning environment. He touches on the psychology of lean, concerning the way that people interact with this body of knowledge. I am convinced that this is where the future of lean lies, and I suspect Dinero believes this too.

Excitingly, Dinero does not narrow the scope of the book to talk merely of the programs.

The author also supplies a roadmap to lead you from the original concept, through to selling the idea, onwards to initial delivery and forwards into a sustainable training system. This level of information is a fantastic addition. It makes the TWI topic something that is actionable, and this, after all, is the only reason that you should read this book – with the intention of application.

This book is a very welcome addition to my lean library, and one I would urge all interested lean practitioners to read. It is rewarding in so many ways, and the supplementary materials provided are fantastic.

An easy five stars.

Simon D. Gary is the author of the new book “Super Lean – Unlocking Your Company’s Million Dollar Edge.” Stay tuned to this blog for further details.

As a Continuous Improvement professional, I am used to looking at a process and attempting to squeeze out an extra few per cent of performance.

But, as with all things lean, we must, at some point, put people back in the centre of our thinking. When we do this, it soon becomes clear that we must start where we stand and begin from the inside out.

Take Paul Akers for example, he of Two-Second Lean. The man is simply full of energy and vitality. Is this just a character trait? Possibly. But maybe he is running on higher octane fuel – his engine is driven from the foundation of his diet.

So, I looked within. Could I honestly state that my diet enhanced my performance in the workplace? If anything, the way I was eating was having a detrimental effect. If I wanted to find that extra few per cent, I had to look at how I was feeding my energy.

With this minor epiphany, I looked up a company called Allplants. As I remember, an advert appeared on my Facebook timeline. For some reason, Mr Zuckerburg seems to know what products I need before I know – so I followed the link.

Arriving at the website, it seemed clean, bright and intuitive – so I had a further look around. The scheme works a little like this. You chose six meals and a subscription plan. The plan enables you to have a box of meals delivered at a time-frequency of your choice. You can have a box every week, every couple of weeks, or even once a month. The option is yours.

As this was an experiment, I chose monthly, but then found it easy to cancel the recurring subscription plan – so you have need have no fear of being locked into something you might not want.

Next comes the difficult bit.

From a list of over thirty meals, you have to choose just six. I navigated this challenge eventually and waited a couple of days for delivery. (It should be noted that I ordered on a Bank Holiday Weekend, so delivery really is rapid.)

What struck me first is how beautifully packaged the meals were. They arrive frozen, in a remarkable thermal box. You are provided with a return label for the packaging, and this can be dropped off at a convenient location near you. Mine was left outside in a safe place for a few hours and were still beautifully frozen when I unpacked them.

The meals themselves are also strikingly packaged and come in natty cardboard sleeves, so there is no doubt as to what meal you have. One pleasing aspect of the sleeve is the autograph of your chef on the side. I felt this small touch connected the customer with the business. It was clear that somebody had taken pride in the preparation, and cared about the customer experience.

One thing to mention here. Do you know how ready meals often have tiny portions? Well, I attempted to alleviate this by ordering the two-person size. I needn’t have worried. The two-person size is very much as described! If there is just one of you, a single portion will be sufficient!

Also, know that all meals cook from frozen. This feature is great for me because I often forget to take food out of the freezer before I go to work. It was nice to know that I was always going to have a hot, nutritious meal to eat when I got in after a hard day in the automotive world.

Now onto the important bit – the meals I chose:

• Smoky Soul Chilli – This was delicious! The chipotle chills were a bit hotter than I was expecting, but this was a welcome surprise. A striking addition was the crunchy coconut cornbreads. I felt they were remarkably innovative and underlined a theme for all of the dishes. As flavoursome as all the food was, the chefs also worked hard to add different textures. That bit of crunch elevated the dish.
• Shepherd’s Pie – Now, between you and me, I am something of a Shepherd’s Pie connoisseur, but this was wonderful! That sweet potato topping complimented the rest of the dish and the addition of the paprika crumb, for texture was glorious.
• Lasagne Noci – The winner here was the butternut squash bechamel. Accompanied by walnut ragu and mined mushroom, it was as good as any lasagne that I have tasted.
• Super Green Risotto – Again, this was a very textured dish, with complimentary and fresh flavours. The seasonal greens tasted as if they were picked yesterday, and you could just feel that they were doing you good. I would say this was a summery dish, but I could equally see myself eating this on a dark winter’s night.
• Nacho Bean Chilli – My second chilli dish on the list and equally as good as the first. With so many ingredients, I guess it would be easy to produce something where flavours were battling. However, some serious R&D has clearly been done by the good people of Allplants, as this meal was awesome! Add in the tortilla chips for texture, and we have another winner.
• Teriyaki Udon – Not my favourite of the dishes, but this is because I am not at all adept at eating noodles! I was still able to recognise a beautifully textured and balanced piece of cooking, put together with craft and love.

To conclude, I think this was an experiment that I will definitely be repeating. With all those other options to try, it would be churlish not to! I am recognising that diet, hydration, exercise, and quality sleep are vital ingredients to finding that little bit extra. Therefore, these meals can be certainly described as adding value to my life, while saving time and helping me cut out junk food.

I’m off back to https://allplants.com/ to have a look at what my next order will consist of. Perhaps you will join me there?

Simon D. Gary is the author of “Kaizen Your Life” – the book that describes how you can apply the techniques of the Japanese Business Masters in your day to day living.

“The meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment. To put the question in general terms would be comparable to the question posed to a chess champion: “Tell me, Master, what is the best move in the world?” There simply is no such thing as the best or even a good move apart from a particular situation in a game and the particular personality of one’s opponent. The same holds for human existence. One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfilment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.”

I must admit, I am nervous about writing this book review. Will I be able to find the words to make it meaningful and do Viktor E. Frankl’s classic text just a fraction of justice?

So I begin with the extensive quote above, in which Frankl describes the shapeshifting nature behind the meaning of life. It is in the moment, of the moment, for the moment. Tomorrow, that same soaring ideal may not offer you a similar feeling of sustenance.

“Man’s Search for Meaning” is a slight, but towering tome. It’s author, Viktor E. Frankl, is considered to be the father of Logotherapy, often called the Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy, since it builds on the work of Freud and Adler.

In the second half of the book, Frankl unpacks the basic tenets of Logotherapy. His paradigm has its root in the Greek word Logos, or “reason” – following the existential reckoning that a life imbued with real meaning is a life that can withstand any hardship, however extreme.

We saw recently, in our article on Ikigai, that meaning has a transformative effect on our attitude. We may find that nothing in our external locus changes, but the realisation of a deep purpose can nourish our outlook and cleanse our thought. This change of attention is enough to become free – we are only ever one thought away from mental clarity and wellbeing.

Frankl shares some brief case studies in which he reframes the struggle of his patients in terms of a stoic meaning. Particularly striking is the story of the grieving husband. This man’s daily struggle was almost overwhelming until Frankl asked him to consider the following. In surviving his wife, had this man not spared her the agony of his passing? In this sense, Frankl’s patient was able to bear his grief, as he had found meaning in it. The same struggle was spared for the wife he so deeply loved.

I found this story to be especially poignant, given the horrors described in the first half of the book. For it is here that Frankl describes the three years he spent in various concentration camps, including the darkly infamous Auschwitz.

At the time of his internment, Frankl had already been formalising Logotherapy for around sixteen years. In the squalor and inhumanity of Auschwitz, Frankl’s theories would be exposed to the sternest of tests – sterner than anyone dare ever imagine.

Frankl describes with skill and a manner of detachment, the three phases of the camp prisoner. First came shock. Then, a strange apathy quickly followed. Frankl describes how the horror of seeing the daily beatings was soon replaced by an acceptance of their inevitability.

The final stage, as Frankl painfully writes, was disillusionment. The author notes that when this stage was reached, death swiftly followed. The certainty of imminent death replaced the former glimmer of hope. Frankl observed that, at this point, the doomed fellow would smoke the last of his hard earning cigarettes. In a life with hope, this item would be kept and exchanged for extra soup.

So, it was through the life purpose of sharing Logotherapy that Frankl found meaning and the thread that tied him to survival. Many of his family were not so lucky. His wife, Tilly passed in Belsen. His father died in Terezin, and his mother and brother were killed in Auschwitz. It is difficult to fathom the grief and guilt that Frankl must have carried after and, indeed, he does not dwell in this.

In the world in which we find ourselves, there is one other colossal lesson the Frankl gives. Under the seismic pressure of facing death on an hourly basis, Frankl describes two extremes. At the one end are the murderous capos, privileged prisoners whose cruelty almost matched that of their captors. One the other extreme, Frankl shows images of men and women who went to their deaths to save others, full of stoicism and peace. Perhaps in these tragic ends, these victims had found their own meaning – in offering the extension of life, and therefore hope, for another loved individual.

The lesson, however, as Frankl states, is one of choice. We always have a choice in how we react to our circumstances – even if they are the most horrific and fearful. It is a sobering thought to bring this article to a close.

“Man’s Search For Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl is one of the most important books that has ever been written. It is moving, yet at the same time, soaringly liberating. It is a fitting tribute, lesson and moral compass. All should, one hopes, get the opportunity to read it. Beauty and affirmation are present in all things.

My closing hope echoes my opening fear. If I have not done this book a fraction of justice and tribute, then it is because my words have failed me. Please forgive me. Perhaps mere words could never be enough.

Love to you all, and I hope you find your meaning.

“Fearproof Your Life” by Joseph Bailey is a book that I highly recommend that you read.

For an author that has spent his professional life as a psychotherapist, this book represents the leading edge of human psychology.

The book draws on three simple principles, thought, mind and consciousness. As the monk Dandapani reminds us; we are consciousness flowing through mind. When we accept this principle and halt our consciousness on our true selves, this book can serve as both a map and an anchor.

“Fearproof Your Life” is exceptionally well written and flows with the ease that this book can unlock for all of us. It is incredibly accessible, as the reader realises that concepts revealed have been hiding in plain sight.

So, what can we expect if we are able to silence the fear with which our ego seeks to protect itself? Bailey explain, in his engaging way, that the gift is connection. It is both a connection to our higher, universal selves and, by extension and compassion, a deep connection with one another. Bailey uses the compelling metaphor: if fear is the ocean in an archipelago of our own islands, then, when it is drained – the illusion of the individual and the ego is shown to be false. It is for this reason that any hatred for others, for whatever reason, is a reflected hatred of ourselves.

Bailey goes on to reveal that the language of our connection with our True Self is intuition – a voice that many of us have long forgotten.

This revelation got me thinking about the nature of business, and how we are becoming increasingly reliant upon reams of data to help in our decision making. Surely there must still be room for intuition and hunches in our working world?

We tend to reserve this sort of thinking to the world of our creatives, but Bailey would argue that none of us are any more creative than another. Those that drive progress through inspiration are just perhaps more adept at listening to and trusting that inner voice. Bailey shows that this quality is within reach of us all.

The Three Principles still remains one of the worst hidden secrets in human development, and “Fearproof Your Life” may well become one of the core texts that finally brings this most empowering of topics to a broader audience.

For this reason it is very easy to recommend this work, and I can definitely say that Joseph Bailey will be an author whose work I will be exploring further.

“It’s just a beautiful game – played beautifully. But when it is not being played beautifully, it is a nightmare.”

The above quotation comes from snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan. It was made during a post-match interview, following a semi-final of the 2020 World Snooker Championship. During the denouement of that match, O’Sullivan overturned a 14-16 deficit, winning his place in the final by 17 frames to 16.

In that single quote, I felt that I immediately understood Ronnie O’Sullivan.

His sporting quest was not one of money, fame and championship titles. Mr O’Sullivan had arrived at a point where all that mattered was seeking the joy of mastery.

If you look up this interview on the internet, you will find this theme running through it. Ronnie, who by this point, has been at the top of the game for nearly three decades, was still searching for a perfect cue action.

Essentially snooker is a game of straight lines. If the cue is propelled towards the centre of the cue ball in a straight line, a good contact will be made. Such is the cue action that Ronnie describes, i.e. the ability to deliver the cue in a straight line.

Failure to strike in a straight line will send the ball off course, or impart unintentional spin, leading to a shot being missed, or position for the next shot not being found.

It should be said, however, that at the time of this semi-final victory, Ronnie O’Sullivan was a five-time World Champion. He is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest ever exponents of the game of snooker. This fact is what made the interview so fascinating.

Surely Ronnie O’Sullivan already has a beautiful cue action?

But Ronnie has always been a thinker. During the interview, he also mentioned that he had been reading a book, by Joe Davis, another snooker legend of yesteryear. Davis had also written on the importance of the cue action.

But what if the answer was not to be found in a book? What if it was also not in the coaching that he had received? For many years Ronnie had worked with six-time World Champion, Ray Reardon.

What if the perfection that he sought was already there?

There is a recognised condition in the game of darts, known as dartitis. A player afflicted with this condition is unable to let go of the dart during the throwing motion. It remains stuck in their hand. A legendary five-time World Champion in this sport, Eric Bristow, was a notable victim.

There was nothing physically wrong with Bristow, but in the act of not wanting to miss, his brain told him it was safer not to let go. If the dart wasn’t thrown, the dart couldn’t miss. It was almost a fight or flight response.

Ronnie O’Sullivan is still able to deliver a cue-strike with beautiful fluidity. I do not believe that winning or losing is something that bothers him. He seems to have transcended that need. But he does feel a strong need to uncover and deliver his personal definition of snooker beauty.

As a player, he has reached such rarified air that the sporting spectacle of the game his faded, just leaving his own quest for mastery. In the Japanese learning cycle of “shu-ha-ri,” O’Sullivan is deeply into the “ri” stage, where he is questioning form itself.

But he cannot “think” himself further.

The understanding is already deep within him. This knowledge becomes clear when he is absorbed in doing what he does best: potting balls and break-building.

In this circumstance, O’Sullivan stops thinking and enters a flow state. You can almost see him fade into and become one with the table and the balls.

O’Sullivan will find his cue action when he stops seeking it externally. It has always been there. Personal thought was blocking what is within. It is a gift that he has always had.

O’Sullivan’s default snooker setting is connected genius. When perfection is sought from the external world, through thought, coaching and books, this genius becomes bogged down and lost.

We all have a deep connection within us, whether that be to art, sport, work, or even one another and our own inner peace. As children, we had it. Then life piled on top, and we lost our purest selves within thought.

Dandapani says that we are consciousness flowing through different areas of our mind. When thought quietens, and the analysis stops, we are free to enjoy the awareness without judgement and find our genius within.

I, for one, will watch the 2020  World Snooker Championship Final with interest. Will Ronnie, or his opponent, Kyren Wilson, find that flow state and just play for the pure joy of the art?

I hope so.

Simon D. Gary is the author of the book “Kaizen Your Life.” This book describes the methods of the Japanese business masters, and how you can successfully apply this to your day to day living.

“Seeing To Understand – Your Scientific Thinking Lifestyle Coach,” by Panos Efsta, is a tremendously innovative book.

I should say at the outset that I read the Healthcare version. I did not know that there was also a different edition that carries examples from a manufacturing environment. As I currently work in manufacturing, I may well have chosen this version, but, I think it is useful to see that the scientific method works well in any industry. Mr Efsta is an engaging and knowledgeable guide.

Mr Efsta styles this book as a “Scientific Thinking Lifestyle Coach.” As such, it is not incongruous that the author prompts the reader towards other books, particularly on the topic of Kata and Data analysis. Such is the function of the coach – inspiring, rather than instructing. The knowledge you need is already within you.

I found the structure of the book, and by extension, the thinking to be very clear and innovative. Mr Efsta creates a template that is both repeatable and reproducible – though it is one that can only be ingrained through continued practice and supportive coaching.

I found the Process Behaviour Charts to be illuminating, and a lot easier to derive than the more traditional Statistical Process Control Methods.

In addition, the combination of TWI methods with KATA and data studies felt fresh, and I have not seen it presented in such a way before. While I have used Job Instruction, I was less familiar with Job Methods and Job Relations. Mr Efsta certainly made me look at TWI afresh.

This book is well written and communicates the author’s expertise and joy of the subject in a manner which makes the piece exceptionally easy to read and highly engaging.

“Seeing To Understand” is a book that should be purchased in the paper version, as it is not one which should remain pristine. It should become weathered and covered in pencil notations. It is, after all, a coach. It is not a manual or a textbook. In this sense, Mr Efsta has succeeded in his purpose.

I will leave you with a quote from the author himself:

“Scientific thinking is about infusing your eco-system with a new way of understanding things and a different approach to innovation.”

It is the phrase “eco-system” that I like here. A workplace is a delicate eco-system. The scientific method of removing obstacles to optimum performance is one that should permeate deep into the roots of your organisation. It is not knowledge to be held and guarded by a cadre of experts. “Seeing to Understand” would serve as a superb starting point on this journey.

I thoroughly recommend engaging with Mr Efsta and this book. A worthy five-star rating.

To order a paperback version, with Healthcare examples, please follow this link.

To order a paperback version, with Manufacturing examples, please follow this link.

Simon Gary is the author of “Kaizen Your Life”, a book that explores how you can apply the techniques of the Japanese Masters to your everyday living. Links available via the shop.

“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.

Learning to Lead

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.