Lean management and Lean Six Sigma are powerful methods to increase value and performance in business processes. Any sector and any organization can benefit from continuous improvement with Lean. But applying tools in process management is not enough. Success requires a Lean mindset and leadership skills to facilitate sustainable long term growth. We believe that people who are driving change are Lean heroes. These tips will help you not only to become a successful Lean leader but a Lean hero who changes performance of operations in your organization.

1. 10 TIPS FOR LEAN HEROES.
HOW TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN YOUR LEAN INITIATIVE.
10 TIPS FOR LEAN HEROES.
SUCCESSFUL LEAN LEADERSHIP.

2. 10 TIPS FOR LEAN LEADERS.
#1: LEAN TRANSFORMATION IS LIKE A JOURNEY.
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Even the longest journey starts with a single
step. Start your Lean initiative small.
You will never finish if you just don’t start.
Begin your Lean journey with a core team.
There is no way to make the same journey twice.
Even best practices need to be adapted.
If you are the train driver don’t forget to take
the passengers with you.
You can learn from others, but experience
lies ahead on your way. Be ready to learn.

3. 10 TIPS FOR LEAN LEADERS.
#2: PROVIDE VISION AND DIRECTION.
Managing change is a challenge. Providing
a vision and a structured approach is crucial.
Chaos and disorder is hard to bear for most
people, thus improve structures step by step.
Identify key areas were improvement is most
needed and the impact is most significant.
Improving value and quality of products and
services requires clear goals and objectives.
First improve effectiveness through clear
goals, then improve efficiency of operations.
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4. 10 TIPS FOR LEAN LEADERS.
#3: ENSURE BOARD AND PEOPLE ARE ON BOARD.
You need top-management attention to
navigate towards organizational goals.
You need to team up with people on working
level to identify targeted improvements.
To avoid getting shipwrecked look to the goal
ahead and beyond the surface of problems.
The goal of improvement must be focused all
the time, even in bad weather conditions.
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Lean management is a top-down and bottom-up
approach. Get support of both levels.

5. 10 TIPS FOR LEAN LEADERS.
#4: LEAN FACILITATES SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.
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Establishing Lean in your organization is
investing in sustainable long-term growth.
Productivity has higher impact on growth
than maximizing input or cost-cutting.
Optimal resource allocation realizes
growth with minimal waste.
Grow
value
by waste
reduction
and process
improvements
that save your
resources.

6. 10 TIPS FOR LEAN LEADERS.
#5: FOCUS ON VALUE TO REDUCE WASTE.
To provide value you need to know
customer requirements and demands.
Symptoms:
Obvious outcomes/
results of the problem.
Problems:
Gaps between goal,
objectives and reality.
Root Cause:
System under the
surface that is the
„root“ of the problem.
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Your offer is valuable for customers if
quality and benefits outweigh expenses.
Value attributes require adjustment as
customer demands change over time.
Improving value means finding the root
cause for insufficient performance.
Target-actual analysis shows problems,
but dig deeper to find the root cause.

7. 10 TIPS FOR LEAN LEADERS.
#6: CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT STEP BY STEP.
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As your mission is to provide value and
quality, your organizational processes shall
provide the structure to achieve this goal.
Processes represent objectives, input-output
relations, responsibilities and skills.
Like machines processes need maintenance
to perform their function of value production.
Processes need alignment towards goals and
are improved step by step not all at once.
Processes that were once functioning may
now be cluttered with non-value activities.

8. 10 TIPS FOR LEAN LEADERS.
#7: LEAD BY POLICY NOT BY CONTROL.
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Effective organizations are led by consistently
deployed policies based on value goals.
Efficiency is based on integrated structures,
objectives and transfer of lessons learned.
Micromanagement is the death for a team’s
motivation, innovation and efficiency.
Efficiency and productivity need leadership and
objectives, not excessive managerial control.
In an effective organization everybody knows
his/ her function and responsibility.

9. You as a leader should focus on structure,
objectives, timelines and resources.
Only 5% of the activities add value. Find
ways with your team to create more value.
Games are won by doing the right things at
the right time, not by doing everything right.
Strive for excellence not for perfection.
There is enough room for improvement.
There is no place for a substitute bench.
Every team member should be expert in his
field of work and know his role and responsibility.
10 TIPS FOR LEAN LEADERS.
#8: LEAD YOUR TEAM TO EXCELLENCE.
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10. 10 TIPS FOR LEAN LEADERS.
#9: THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
Within a value chain every function supplies and
receives outcomes that build customer value.
Value customer feedback. Every function
should be aware of customer requirements.
For organizational improvement get external
help from customers, experts, coaches etc.
Try to think like the customer and try to think like
your colleagues, both expect valuable outcomes.
Every organization has customers, people who
rely on and pay for the outcomes of your work.
© LEAN Train/ www.leantrain.com

11. 10 TIPS FOR LEAN LEADERS.
#10: MAKE PROGRESS AND SUCCESS VISIBLE.
People want and need to be informed about the
direction of change and about their role in it.
Making progress visible is the best way to get
people involved and motivated for change.
Ensure that people are informed, trained and
supported to realize improvements.
Ensure that top management knows about the
results and next steps of your Lean initiative.
Communication is key for success in any
organizational change project.
© LEAN Train/ www.leantrain.com

12. HOW WE CAN ASSIST YOU…
Thomas S. Regnet
Founder of
“OUR MISSION:
TO ASSIST LEAN HEROES”
We believe that people who take the
challenge of improvement are LEAN
heroes. You can become one of them!
Visit us on…
LEAN/ SIX SIGMA KNOW-HOW
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
ONLINE/ IN-HOUSE TRAINING
Learn more about LEAN on:
http://leantrain.com/en/blog
IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
COMMUNICATION FOR CHANGE
10 Tips for Lean Heroes.
Check out: http://leantrain.com
Thomas S. Regnet
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@leantraincom