The Lean Solutions Podcast

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
In this special Lean Solutions Summit episode, Patrick Adams sits down with keynote speakers Richard Sheridan, Joe Dyer, and Jason Schroeder to discuss the summit theme: Better Together: People Plus Innovation.

The conversation explores the growing role of AI, automation, and technology in today's organizations while emphasizing that sustainable success still depends on people, leadership, and culture. Each guest shares their perspective on innovation, explaining why human-centered leadership, respect for people, and continuous learning remain critical regardless of technological advancements.

You'll hear insights on creating joyful workplace cultures, developing a stewardship mindset, and building organizations rooted in respect and stability. The speakers also discuss the importance of reducing fear during times of change, preparing future leaders, and creating environments where people can thrive alongside innovation.

If you're curious about the future of leadership, Lean thinking, and how organizations can embrace innovation without losing their focus on people, this episode offers a powerful preview of the ideas and conversations that will take center stage at the Lean Solutions Summit.

Key Takeaways:
1. Innovation should enhance people—not replace them
2. Great leadership requires stewardship, humility, and a commitment to developing others
3. Respect, stability, and psychological safety are essential foundations for continuous improvement
4. The future belongs to organizations that successfully combine technology, innovation, and human-centered leadership
Links: 
Lean Solutions Summit
Lean Solutions Website

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
In this episode, Patrick Adams welcomes back Beth Carrington to explore the difference between simply executing action plans and developing true scientific thinking through Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata.

Beth shares her journey from the automotive industry into Lean transformation work and explains how discovering Toyota Kata fundamentally changed her approach to leadership and continuous improvement. The conversation breaks down why organizations often over-rely on rigid action plans and how experimentation creates better long-term learning and adaptability.

You’ll learn how leaders can use simple coaching routines, PDCA cycles, and reflection questions to help teams think more scientifically, solve problems more effectively, and stay focused on outcomes rather than just completing tasks. Beth also explains why AI and emerging technologies make experimentation and scientific thinking even more important in today’s business environment.

If you’ve ever struggled with teams becoming too task-focused or wondered how to build a stronger culture of learning and experimentation, this episode provides practical tools and frameworks to help you get started.

Key Takeaways:
Action plans alone can limit learning and adaptability
Scientific thinking is built through experimentation, reflection, and coaching
Psychological safety is essential for teams to admit uncertainty and learn
AI and emerging technologies increase the need for experimental thinking and continuous learning
Links:
Kata Matters Website
Beth Carrington LinkedIn
Lean Solutions Summit
Lean Solutions Website

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
In this episode, Andy Olrich sits down with returning guest Adam Lawrence to explore why so many improvement efforts fail to stick and what leaders can do to create lasting, sustainable change.
Adam shares the origin story behind his “Wheel of Sustainability” framework and explains why sustainability is ultimately a leadership process, not just a technical one. The conversation dives into the importance of preparation before a Kaizen event, including leadership alignment, clear expectations, strong sponsorship, and creating accountability systems before improvement work even begins.
You’ll also learn practical ways to strengthen sustainability after an event through audits, visuals, standard work, Gemba walks, and leadership engagement. Adam and Andy discuss why culture, trust, and respect for people are just as important as financial results—and how the true test of success is when employees start asking, “When can you come help my area next?”
If you’ve ever struggled with improvements fading over time or leaders failing to stay engaged after an event, this episode provides a practical roadmap for building improvements that last.
Key Takeaways:
Sustainable improvement starts with leadership commitment and preparation
Kaizen events fail when leaders don’t stay visibly engaged before, during, and after the work
Audits, visuals, standard work, and accountability systems help improvements stick
The strongest sign of success is when teams ask for more improvement work in their own areas

Links:
Adam Lawrence LinkedIn
PI Partners
The Wheel of Sustainability

Lean Solutions Summit
Lean Solutions Website

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
In this episode, Shayne Daughenbaugh and Catherine McDonald sit down with leadership strategist and Army veteran Jonathan Pride to explore the SOAR mindset. A leadership framework built around storytelling, ownership, abundance, and resilience.

Jonathan shares how leaders can move beyond compliance-driven management and develop teams through coaching, curiosity, and intentional conversations. The discussion highlights why storytelling is one of the most overlooked leadership tools and how leaders can use their lived experiences to build trust, connection, and influence.

You’ll also learn how practical habits like asking better questions, using the “three whys,” and starting each day with intentional praise can create stronger teams and more empowered problem solvers. The conversation emphasizes that leadership development starts internally through self-awareness, mindset, and personal growth, before it ever impacts others.

If you’ve ever wondered how to become a more authentic, resilient, and people-centered leader, this episode offers a practical framework to help you start.

 

Key Takeaways:
Great leadership starts with owning your story and lived experiences
Coaching and curiosity develop better problem solvers than control and compliance
Small mindset shifts and micro habits can create meaningful leadership growth
Intentional praise helps leaders build resilience, perspective, and an abundance mindset

Links:
Click Here for Jonathan Pride's LinkedIn
The SOAR Mindset Website 
Lean Solutions Summit
Lean Solutions Website

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

In this episode, Patrick Adams, Catherine McDonald, Shayne Daughenbaugh, and Andy Olrich unpack the hidden costs that quietly erode margins, and why most organizations don’t see them coming.

You’ll learn how these costs often live outside traditional financial statements, showing up instead as rework, inefficiencies, poor handoffs, and constant interruptions like “hot jobs.” The team shares real-world examples of how these hidden issues build up over time and significantly impact performance.

The conversation highlights practical ways to uncover these costs, including going to the gemba, mapping processes, making data visible, and engaging teams through consistent one-on-one conversations. They also emphasize the role of leadership in either allowing waste to continue through workarounds or actively eliminating it by creating clarity, standards, and accountability.

If you’ve ever looked at your financials and wondered where the margin is going, this episode gives you a clear and actionable approach to finding and fixing the leaks.

Key Takeaways:
Hidden costs don’t show up on financials—but they directly impact margins
Rework, poor flow, and “hot jobs” are major sources of cost leakage
Visibility through data, process mapping, and GEMBA is key to uncovering issues
Leadership behavior determines whether waste is allowed or eliminated

Links:
Lean Summit | Findleansolutions
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