I had the wonderful privilege of having a full career at Toyota. I even got to have one of those dream jobs for a decade: Dean of the University of Toyota. How cool is that! In my new life as a consultant, I get to work with companies on their "lean" and "leadership" challenges. Where I see the biggest challenge is companies struggling to adapt "lean principles and practices" to the service side of the business. For example, just about every hospital I know is trying to get "

Here’s the question: Is it the cat or dog that best characterizes your leadership style? First of all, cats truly capture the conventional images of leadership: independent, self-sufficient, and agile. But at their extreme, this can morph into aloofness, detachment and fierce independence. Dogs are totally the opposite. The moniker of “man’s best friend” is fitting — and their “total engagement and transparency” creates the most positive image of a leader. Dogs love unconditi

Let me start with the story of a farmer who had a huge rock in the middle of his field. It came with the farm and had been there for many years. Of course, the farmer had to work around the rock to plant and harvest his crops. Friends and visitors always noticed this big extrusion -- and finally a few close buddies got together with the farmer and helped him do something about it. They dug a whole twice as big as the rock and buried it! For the first time, the farmer could wo