Practical Lean Leadership: A Strategic Leadership Guide For Executives [Paperback]

Bob Emiliani (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

Practical Lean Leadership: A Strategic Leadership Guide For Executives is the first book to present Lean leadership in ways that are specific and actionable for executives to apply at work every day. It links Lean principles and tools directly to leadership beliefs, behaviors, and competencies in new and innovative ways that connect to workplace and marketplace realities. It goes far beyond the common understanding of leadership and the training methods used for leadership development. The workbook can be used individually or by a leadership team in self-paced group training. Senior managers will be inspired by the proven approaches to improving their understanding and practice of strategic leadership.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bob Emiliani is addressing THE most important problem facing organizations trying to make Lean work; the role of the executive leadership. This workbook provides sound methods to assist managers understand their role and put it into practice. This is workbook and it requires some work, but the workbook format is very helpful to move these methods from ideas into the daily practice of Lean leadership." -- Brian Maskell, President, BMA Inc. and co-author of Practical Lean Accounting

"Practical Lean Leadership explains key aspects of enterprise leadership and then takes it several steps further by applying Lean principles and tools to leadership itself. An effective model is created by understanding behavioral waste and by applying value stream mapping and standardized work in totally new contexts. The workbook format engages the reader and immediately connects to their reality." -- Kevin Meyer, President, Superfactory Ventures, LLC.

"Practical Lean Leadership explains key aspects of enterprise leadership and then takes it several steps further by applying Lean principles and tools to leadership itself. An effective model is created by understanding behavioral waste and by applying value stream mapping and standardized work in totally new contexts. The workbook format engages the reader and immediately connects to their reality." -- Kevin Meyer, President, Superfactory Ventures, LLC.

"Bob Emiliani is addressing THE most important problem facing organizations trying to make Lean work; the role of the executive leadership. This workbook provides sound methods to assist managers understand their role and put it into practice. This is workbook and it requires some work, but the workbook format is very helpful to move these methods from ideas into the daily practice of Lean leadership." -- Brian Maskell, President, BMA Inc.

"Emiliani addresses the most prevalent and misunderstood aspects of transforming an enterprise to Lean management. He presents the roadblocks and explains how to overcome them in a systematic manner. This workbook will move senior managers to improve their leadership and the business for the better." -- James Huntzinger, author of Lean Cost Management

"This book is the definitive primer for anyone considering a Lean transformation. It is an excellent review for existing Lean leaders to ensure that their approach, leadership, and guidance to their teams are consistent with the Lean principles they espouse." -- Thomas Goetter, Vice President, The Bilco Company

"This is a 'must read' book for all senior leaders. It is very well written for the C-level team and it fills a gap on how executives should lead a Lean transformation. It truly is the best description of Lean leadership today. I highly recommend it." -- -Edward Miller, President, Strategy Development Services, LLC

From the Publisher

In Practical Lean Leadership: A Strategic Leadership Guide for Executives, Bob Emiliani presents innovative and proven approaches to understanding and practicing Lean leadership in an easy-to-follow workbook format.

Practical Lean Leadership is the first book to capture the essence of Lean leadership in ways that are specific and actionable for executives to apply at work every day.

It links Lean principles and tools directly to leadership beliefs and behaviors in new and innovative ways that connect to the realities of the workplace.

Senior managers will be inspired by the new approaches to understanding strategic leadership and leadership development contained in Practical Lean Leadership.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 150 pages
• Publisher: Center for Lean Business Management, LLC, The (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972259155
• ISBN-13: 978-0972259156
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #944,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Please visit my web site, http://www.bobemiliani.com

I am a Lean leadership author, educator, researcher, and historian of progressive management. I have over 20 years of experience in aerospace, consumer products, and service industries, and have had front-line responsibility for implementing Lean principles and practices in the manufacturing shop floor, supply networks, and in higher education (academics).

My focus since the mid-1990s has been exclusively on Lean leadership. I was the first person to do this because I wanted to understand why top leaders and their organizations have such limited success with Lean management. My research has yielded many unique contributions to Lean leadership. They show what senior managers can do to become Lean leaders and provide practical and specific actions to take.

My books are unlike any others in their scope of fresh ideas and new Lean concepts and practices. They answer some of the most important questions people have, including: "How do we conduct a Lean transformation?" "How do I become a Lean leader?" "Why is the 'Respect for People' principle important?" "How do we sustain our Lean efforts?"

I am proud that readers rate my books highly and consistently characterize them as highly original, thought-provoking, and practical. And I am truly honored when people buy my books and commit their precious time to reading them. I am certain that readers will learn many new things each time they read one of books.

Check out my Lean Leadership News postings at http://www.bobemiliani.com/lln.html

Thank you,

Bob Emiliani

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WARNING: VERY STRONG MEDICINE: Rich Source of Original Thinking on Lean, July 5, 2009

By 

William C. Zeeb (Geneva Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Practical Lean Leadership: A Strategic Leadership Guide For Executives (Paperback)

From the lean historian and Shingo Prize winning author of Better Thinking, Better Results comes this thought provoking workbook.

Provided the reader can accept the imperfections, "work in process" feel and brutally straightforward tone, this book provided more impactful reflection than from any of the over 100 titles in my lean library.

"I write books to help me understand things so that I can help other people understand things." quote from: REAL LEAN: The Keys to Sustaining Lean Management (Volume Three)

A prolific lean historian and author who admits to writing for discovery, Bob Emiliani offers numerous brilliant insights, amongst the "noise" of his own thinking process. His pioneering work on the role of Respect for People and non Zero Sum thinking strikes us as especially useful.

Summary: Several years ahead of his time, this frank book which challenges why the vast majority of organizations fail in the long run with lean, is a refreshing source of new reflections, especially for those leaders determined to be in the small minority who succeed.

Our team looks forward to testing the efficacy and side effects of this powerful medicine.

Also of interest may be his other works {reviews to follow}, including:
Real Lean: Understanding the Lean Management System (Volume One)
Real Lean: Critical Issues and Opportunities in Lean Management (Volume Two)
REAL LEAN: Learning the Craft of Lean Management (Volume Four)

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting work in progress, January 28, 2008

By 

Mr. Ross Maynard (Glasgow, Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Practical Lean Leadership: A Strategic Leadership Guide For Executives (Paperback)

I have met Bob Emiliani and he is quiet, unassuming and extremely approachable. He is also co-author of one of the essential books on lean - "Better Thinking Better Results". He is passionate that behavioural and cultural issues are at least as important in lean as the tools. "Practical Lean Leadership" expands on thoughts he raised in "Real Lean" and contains some very interesting points. Bob is a pioneer breaking new ground. The problem is that "Practical Lean Leadership" is not really 'practical'. It lacks a compelling flow or concrete process - being more an interesting collection of ideas. For example, there are chapters on standard work for managers, on value stream mapping, on 50 things to avoid in lean, on leadership behaviours and so on. As well as a lack of a clear lean leadership process, some of the chapters also lack a clear structure. In one chapter Mr Emiliani introduces the important concept of lean behaviours. The trouble is that not all of the 'behaviours' he lists are in fact behavioural. For example, 'trust' is not a behaviour but is a core personal value. The distinction is important - you can change behaviours through training and development; core beliefs and values are more fundamental to us and require a much deeper personal change. A leader can change his or her behaviour to walk through the building everyday and greet everyone reasonably easily. If he or she believes that the workers are essentially ignorant and want to do as little work as they can get away with, then changing this belief is a much bigger challenge. Lean leadership is deeper than just changing behaviours.

In a later chapter Emiliani argues that beliefs drive behaviour and that this drives skills and competencies. This is very interesting, but is not linked to the previous chapter on lean behaviours, and, again, not all the competencies presented are, in fact, competencies - some are the outcomes of the behaviours and competencies such as cost reduction and production to customer demand. Additionally, little is done to progress this interesting line of thinking.

The point is that there are many interesting ideas and concepts in this book, but my view is that they are not always thought through fully, nor linked to present a structure for lean leadership development. More work is clearly needed here.

Nevertheless, I would encourage any leader in an organisation moving towards lean to read widely. At about 100 pages, this book is an easy read and provides much food for thought.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great practical guide for our company, March 6, 2008

By 

William J. Torres - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Practical Lean Leadership: A Strategic Leadership Guide For Executives (Paperback)

I am back to buy additional copies of Practical Lean Leadership. I have found it to be an excellent resource for our managers as we continue down the Lean path. As CEO, I am always looking for the best way to help all senior managers of our multi location company learn about Lean. This book is very useful in many regards.

First, I like the writing style and format. The author has a way of directly conveying his message. I also think the setup of the book is excellent. You can easily reference back to important points. The format of the book is very consistent with Lean. It makes the important points very visible.

The second great feature is that this is a true workbook. Anyone going through a Lean transformation knows the importance of getting your people out of their offices and involved in the processes of the business. You learn more about kaizen, for example, by participating in kaizen. The exercises in the book compel you to get involved and think.

There are outstanding chapters on Lean leadership behaviors and beliefs. I know that the author has been a strong advocate of the importance of adding behaviors that consume resources but create no customer value to the list of wastes. His excellent understanding of this issue and how managers can show respect for people really comes through in these chapters.

Another outstanding feature of this book is the Section on Fifty Errors to Avoid. This area really resonates with us. It helps us think about issues that can impede our Lean progress.

I see that one reviewer felt that the book was not practical. That is contrary to my experience. I have found that the book is serving as a great practical guide to help us on our Lean journey.

My copy has become dog-eared and well worn. I think that is the best recommendation I can give any book.