Lean Leadership – Smart Factory Glossary

Lean leadership is a management approach that draws on the principles of lean management and integrates them into the leadership style. The aim is to achieve continuous improvement and respect for employees through sustainable value creation. At its core, lean leadership involves empowering managers to coach their employees and optimize processes to minimize waste and maximize customer value. Lean leaders are role models who actively participate in problem-solving and promote a culture of learning and collaboration.

Lean leadership at work

A good example of lean leadership can be found in the automotive industry, particularly at Toyota, one of the pioneers of lean management. A plant manager could conduct the so-called “Gemba Walk” daily. In doing so, they walk through the production floor and talk directly to employees at their workplaces to better understand the challenges they face and to identify opportunities for improvement. During this workplace tour, the plant manager encourages employees to suggest solutions to problems themselves. The plant manager interacts with the workforce and actively involves them in the improvement process, thereby increasing their commitment. At the same time, long-term optimizations are implemented that make the entire production process more efficient.

• Gemba: Wikipedia, 25.02.2025 [online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemba (as of 06.03.2025).

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