Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership GA 619 | Don’t Walk By a Mess with Chad Bareither
Feb 12, 2026
Chad Bareither, a continuous improvement consultant and founder of Bareither Group, shares stories from manufacturing and Japan. He discusses changing culture by solving real problems, why leaders must model cleaning and follow-up, the limits of tool-first rollouts, and how small visible wins build lasting habits.
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Daily Disciplines Create Real Transformation
- Transformation requires daily disciplines not just big goals.
- Chad Bareither emphasizes practicing problem solving and leader standard work every day rather than expecting immediate culture change from slogans.
Seeing Tools Work Changes Beliefs
- Beliefs and values change after people see tools deliver results in their work.
- Chad explains learning a tool in a classroom rarely shifts values until workers experience faster, easier operation on the shop floor.
Toyota Practices Grew From Culture And Necessity
- Toyota's practices grew from postwar necessity and Japanese cultural norms.
- Chad notes schoolchildren cleaning schools and other cultural behaviors made some TPS practices natural there but not automatic elsewhere.
