Preconditions for Lean: Psychological Safety and Model 1 vs Model 2 Leadership with Thomas Cox and Andre DeMerchant

Preconditions for Lean: Psychological Safety and Model 1 vs Model 2 Leadership with Thomas Cox and Andre DeMerchant

June 24, 2026 · 55 min · Season 1 · Episode 547

About this episode

Thomas Cox and Andre DeMerchant discuss the importance of psychological safety in Lean implementations and the differences between Model 1 and Model 2 leadership.

Thomas Cox and Andre DeMerchant join Mark to examine why Lean implementations so often fail to stick. Using a verbal A3, they argue that psychological safety is a precondition Lean can’t create on its own. The frame is Chris Argyris’s Model 1 (controlling, blame-oriented, closed) versus Model 2 (calm, curious, empathic), and why leaders default to Model 1 under pressure. Includes Andre’s Toyota origin story, the Mulally-Ford ”report red” example, and a candid look at how consultants choose clients.

People in this episode

Host: Mark Graban

Guests: Thomas Cox, Andre DeMerchant

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Toyota, Ford

Books & works: Chris Argyris’s Model 1, Model 2

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