Lean Blog Audio: Practical Lean Thinking, Psychological Safety, and Continuous Improvement

Read the blog post “I am never, ever wrong.” That's a statement that should disqualify an applicant from ANY leadership position.True leadership isn't about projecting infallibility–it's about fostering a culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and growth.Leaders who claim they're never wrong create an environment where fear of failure stifles innovation, and team members are less likely to speak up or challenge ideas. This is the opposite of what effective leadership requires.

The blog post Today, I want to share a section from my book, The Mistakes That Make Us. I'm sharing an excerpt here in this post, and I'm also making it available as a podcast episode using an excerpt from the audiobook version. In this book, I explore how mistakes can actually be one of the best ways we learn and grow—whether it’s in business or life in general. The excerpt I’m about to share is from Chapter Three, where I talk about the importance of kindness. Often, we think that being "nice" is enough, but real kindness goes deeper. It’s not just about being pleasant or avoiding conflict; it’s about helping others—and ourselves—grow and improve through constructive action. In this chapter, I also touch on self-kindness, especially after making mistakes. We tend to be our own harshest critics, but kindness towards ourselves is crucial if we want to learn and move forward. If you find this excerpt helpful, I encourage you to check out the rest of the book, The Mistakes That Make Us (including this free sample offer). It’s packed with stories and lessons on how embracing mistakes can lead to greater success. So, let’s get into the reading.

I've blogged about this before, but I'm going back to the problems at Starbucks again with today's post. Starbucks has a new CEO who is talking about how the coffee shop experience is broken. Many aspects of the Starbucks mobile ordering process are broken. Well, the ordering process is fine... it's the fulfillment process that needs improving.

Read the blog post In many organizations, moving away from a culture of punishment when mistakes are made is a significant leap forward. It signals a shift toward understanding, systems thinking, and improvement. But once you've made that change, what's next? Do we need to replace punitive approaches with something better? If so, what? How do you ensure that your new approach leads to meaningful learning and continuous improvement?

Read the blog post A friend of mine–with a long history of Lean and Toyota Production System knowledge practice–recently shared a troubling story about a relative who works at a manufacturing plant. I'll call this factory team member “Guy.” Call me cynical, if you must, but I totally believe this story, so I'm sharing it here. And my friend has zero reason to make this up. Guy's factory has a bonus system in place that's supposed to reward employees for hitting key performance targets each month. That might sound like a good idea on the surface, but here's where it gets dysfunctional: If there are any reported injuries, the entire bonus goes unpaid for the month. I've shared this story verbally with a few people, and they always start smirking or chuckling. They know the answer to this question: What could possibly go wrong?

Read the blog post I've been writing about learning from mistakes for a long time, including my previous books before my latest, The Mistakes That Make Us. This idea isn't new, but it's essential–especially in fields like healthcare, where the stakes are incredibly high. From Lean Hospitals: “Mistakes are a reality in healthcare, and while we strive to prevent them, it's crucial to create an environment where they are identified quickly, addressed effectively, and used as opportunities for learning and improvement.” From The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen: “Leadership in a Kaizen culture means creating an environment where mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn, not as failures.”

Read the full blog post In writing The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, I wanted to challenge the way we think about mistakes, leadership, and organizational culture. Throughout my career, I've seen firsthand how the traditional responses to mistakes–punishment, fear, and blame–can stifle growth and innovation. The ideas I present in the book are meant to provoke thought and, in some cases, to stir debate. Here in this post, I'd like to share and dig into five of the most controversial quotes and concepts from the book, explaining why they're important and how they can transform the way we work.

Read the blog post and more Imagine an NFL team that has been on a decades-long streak of winless seasons. The owner, who has been at the helm for most of that period, always believes that finding the right coach will solve the team's woes. But it doesn't. Every few years (or sometimes more often), the owner blames and fires the coach and hires a new one, but the team continues to lose. In a desperate attempt to turn things around, the owner signs a decent (but inexpensive) free-agent left guard away from the previous Super Bowl champion. This player, hailed for their leadership on and off the field, is expected to be the sole “transformational leader” and bring winning tactics and a winning culture to the struggling team. All. By. Himself. Would you expect that to work? I would not.

The blog post Think about the last time you made a major career decision. I'm thinking of one of mine, in particular. Was it about leaving a job for a new one? Changing directions in your career altogether? Was it a debate about which of the job offers you would accept? How easy was that? How long did it take you? In hindsight, some of my career decisions took too long to play out. Afterward, my wife would ask, "Why didn't you do that sooner?" I'm also thinking of a major decision that was in the news today—it's been drawn out over the past few weeks, and it's a more important decision than one I've ever considered. During my career, one of the most helpful concepts I've learned about is "motivational interviewing." See more blog posts about this approach. This approach has roots in addiction counseling, developed by William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick in the 1980s to help individuals struggling with substance abuse find their own motivations for change. Its principles can be applied far beyond addiction, proving invaluable in leadership and coaching. Lessons from Motivational Interviewing

The full blog post This post draws upon and summarizes content in my book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. Senior leaders must prioritize psychological safety and continuous improvement to foster an environment conducive to learning and innovation. Psychological safety is crucial for enabling employees to speak up about mistakes and ideas without fear of punishment. This executive summary outlines key strategies for cultivating psychological safety and leveraging it to drive continuous improvement. “Psychological safety is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.” Hear my podcast with Amy on these topics. Prof. Amy Edmondson