Types of Lean Leaders + How to become Lean or The Lean JOURNEY

From the link: http://www.knowlton.org.uk/index.php?id=23

There are three kinds of leaders:

1. Those that tell you what to do
2. Those that allow you to do what you want
3. and Lean leaders that come down to the workplace and help you figure it out. (John Shook)

The Lean Journey:

Here is a much simplified step by step process aimed to help leaders prepare a route map for their Lean journey

STEP 1
Identify a change agent - This must be a leader who will take personal responsibility for the Lean transformation.

STEP 2
Get the Lean knowledge - It’s important to draw from someone who has had practical experience implementing Lean. The internal change agents must master Lean thinking to the point where it becomes second nature.

STEP 3
Find and publicise a crisis - few if any businesses will take the necessary steps to adopt Lean thinking across the board unless they are facing a crisis.

STEP 4
Map the value streams – start with the current state of how material and information flows now, then drawing a Leaner future state of how they should flow and creating an implementation plan with timetable.

STEP 5
Practice Kaizen - begin as soon as possible with an important and visible activity such as a rapid improvement workshop or Kaizen Blitz.

STEP 6
Develop a Lean enterprise - implement Lean techniques as part of a system, not as isolated programs. As soon as Lean momentum is established, expand the scope. Link improvements in the value streams and move beyond the shop floor to office processes.