Toyota. The name signifies greatness-- world-class cars and
game--changing business thinking. One key to the Toyota Motor Company's
unprecedented success is its famous production system and its
lesser-known product development program. These strategies consider the
end user at every turn and have become the model for the global lean
business movement. All too often, organizations adopting lean miss the
most critical ingredient--lean leadership.
Toyota makes enormous investments in carefully selecting and intensively
developing leaders who fit its unique philosophy and culture. Thanks to
the company's lean leadership approach, explains Toyota Way author
Jeffrey Liker and former Toyota executive Gary Convis, the celebrated
carmaker has set into motion a drive for continuous improvement at all
levels of its business. This has allowed for:
- Constant growth: Toyota increased profitability for 58 consecutive
years--slowing down only in the face of 2008's worldwide financial
difficulties, the recall crisis, and the worst Japanese earthquake of
the century.
- Unstoppable inventiveness: Toyota's approach to innovative thinking
and problem solving has resulted in top industry ratings and incredible
customer satisfaction, while allowing the company to weather these three
crises in rapid succession and to come out stronger.
- Strong branding and respect: Toyota's reputation was instrumental in
the company's ability to withstand the recalls-driven media storm of
And what a storm it was! But what looked to some to be a sinking ship is
once again running under a full head of steam. Perhaps the Toyota
culture had weakened, but lean leadership was the beacon that showed the
way back.
In fact, writes Liker, the company is "as good and perhaps a better
model for lean leadership than it ever has been."
Indeed, Toyota will soon be celebrating 80 years of innovation and
growth. Yet, Industry Week reports that just 2 percent of companies
using lean processes can likewise claim to have had long-term success.
What the other 98 percent lack is unified leadership with a common
method and philosophy.
If you want to get lean, you have to take it to the leadership level.
The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership shows you how.
