Lean Blog Interviews - Healthcare, Manufacturing, Business, and Leadership
Mark Graban
575 episodes
5 days ago
Since 2006, the Lean Blog Interviews podcast has featured in-depth, candid conversations with leaders, thinkers, and doers in the world of Lean and continuous improvement. Hosted by Mark Graban—author, consultant, and longtime Lean practitioner—the show explores how Lean principles are being applied across industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, startups, and more.
What sets this podcast apart? We go beyond tools and buzzwords. Our guests share real-world stories of success, struggle, learning, and leadership. Whether you’re a seasoned Lean veteran or just getting started, you’ll gain practical insights and fresh perspectives that you can take back to your own organization.
Topics include:
Lean as a management system and cultural transformation—not just a toolbox
Continuous improvement and problem-solving, at every level
Leadership behaviors that support real change
Psychological safety as a foundation for improvement
Lessons from the Toyota Production System, Lean Startup, and beyond
Candid stories about mistakes—and what we learn from them
We don’t talk much about “Lean Six Sigma” here. But if you believe improvement is about people first—this podcast is for you.
Many episodes feature a special focus on Lean in healthcare, reflecting Mark’s deep work in that field. Hear from leaders working to improve patient safety, reduce waste, and build cultures of respect and learning.
Find all episodes and show notes at www.LeanCast.org.
Learn more about Mark and his work at www.LeanBlog.org.
Questions or feedback? Email mark@leanblog.org
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Since 2006, the Lean Blog Interviews podcast has featured in-depth, candid conversations with leaders, thinkers, and doers in the world of Lean and continuous improvement. Hosted by Mark Graban—author, consultant, and longtime Lean practitioner—the show explores how Lean principles are being applied across industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, startups, and more.
What sets this podcast apart? We go beyond tools and buzzwords. Our guests share real-world stories of success, struggle, learning, and leadership. Whether you’re a seasoned Lean veteran or just getting started, you’ll gain practical insights and fresh perspectives that you can take back to your own organization.
Topics include:
Lean as a management system and cultural transformation—not just a toolbox
Continuous improvement and problem-solving, at every level
Leadership behaviors that support real change
Psychological safety as a foundation for improvement
Lessons from the Toyota Production System, Lean Startup, and beyond
Candid stories about mistakes—and what we learn from them
We don’t talk much about “Lean Six Sigma” here. But if you believe improvement is about people first—this podcast is for you.
Many episodes feature a special focus on Lean in healthcare, reflecting Mark’s deep work in that field. Hear from leaders working to improve patient safety, reduce waste, and build cultures of respect and learning.
Find all episodes and show notes at www.LeanCast.org.
Learn more about Mark and his work at www.LeanBlog.org.
Questions or feedback? Email mark@leanblog.org
Why Care: Building Respectful Lean Cultures with Caroline Greenlee & Chris Butterworth
Lean Blog Interviews - Healthcare, Manufacturing, Business, and Leadership
51 minutes
3 weeks ago
Why Care: Building Respectful Lean Cultures with Caroline Greenlee & Chris Butterworth
My guests for Episode #537 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Caroline Greenlee and Chris Butterworth, two of the three co-authors (with Chris Warner) of the book Why Care: How Thriving Individuals Create Thriving Cultures of Continuous Improvement Within Organizations.
Episode page with transcript and more
In this conversation, we discuss their experiences and lessons on building cultures of continuous improvement that are rooted in respect, caring, and psychological safety.
Caroline brings rich experience as a Lean and continuous improvement coach, having partnered with organizations across different sectors to develop people and improve performance. Her background spans leadership development, organizational behavior, and a Master's degree in human resources management.
Chris is an award-winning author, international speaker, and a certified Shingo Institute Master-level facilitator and faculty fellow. He has more than 20 years of experience coaching executive teams and helping organizations embed sustainable improvement practices, always with a deep respect for people at the center.
In this episode, we explore topics such as:
Practical approaches for leaders who want to build sustainable continuous improvement cultures.
The origin story of Why Care and its message for leaders.
Why caring cultures matter for both performance and people.
Lessons from their Shingo Publication Award recognition.
How psychological safety and respect for people underpin true Lean leadership.
Key Quotes
Caroline Greenlee
"Lean isn't just about tools or methods -- it's about people. If we don't care, we can't expect continuous improvement to last."
"Respect for people means creating an environment where they feel safe, supported, and able to contribute. That's when real improvement happens."
Chris Butterworth
"Sustainable improvement starts with caring -- for people, for culture, and for the impact of our actions. Without that, Lean can't take root."
"Psychological safety isn't soft; it's essential. It's what allows people to speak up, share problems, and drive meaningful change."
Lean Blog Interviews - Healthcare, Manufacturing, Business, and Leadership
Since 2006, the Lean Blog Interviews podcast has featured in-depth, candid conversations with leaders, thinkers, and doers in the world of Lean and continuous improvement. Hosted by Mark Graban—author, consultant, and longtime Lean practitioner—the show explores how Lean principles are being applied across industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, startups, and more.
What sets this podcast apart? We go beyond tools and buzzwords. Our guests share real-world stories of success, struggle, learning, and leadership. Whether you’re a seasoned Lean veteran or just getting started, you’ll gain practical insights and fresh perspectives that you can take back to your own organization.
Topics include:
Lean as a management system and cultural transformation—not just a toolbox
Continuous improvement and problem-solving, at every level
Leadership behaviors that support real change
Psychological safety as a foundation for improvement
Lessons from the Toyota Production System, Lean Startup, and beyond
Candid stories about mistakes—and what we learn from them
We don’t talk much about “Lean Six Sigma” here. But if you believe improvement is about people first—this podcast is for you.
Many episodes feature a special focus on Lean in healthcare, reflecting Mark’s deep work in that field. Hear from leaders working to improve patient safety, reduce waste, and build cultures of respect and learning.
Find all episodes and show notes at www.LeanCast.org.
Learn more about Mark and his work at www.LeanBlog.org.
Questions or feedback? Email mark@leanblog.org
