Making Lean Stick: It Starts with Leadership

From The Lean Solutions Podcast by Patrick Adams

March 3, 2026 · 25 min · Season 5 · Episode 8

About this episode

The episode discusses the critical role of leadership behaviors in sustaining Lean initiatives and the impact of unintentional actions on Lean efforts.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode : In this episode of the Lean Solutions Podcast, hosts Patrick Adams, Andy Olrich, and guest Steve Riley discuss the importance of leadership behaviors in maintaining Lean initiatives. They highlight how unintentional actions, such as not picking up trash or not following standard work, can undermine Lean efforts. Steve Riley, a manufacturing operations leader with over 30 years of experience, emphasizes the need for consistent leadership presence, protecting standards under pressure, and fostering team-led improvements. They also explore the significance of measuring both leading and lagging indicators to ensure continuous improvement. Additionally, Riley introduces his company's digital shadow board service, which simplifies the creation of tool organization systems. Key Takeaways: Leadership behavior matters more than Lean tools What leaders do in the moment defines credibility Lean breaks when standards are optional Improvement must be part of daily work Links: Lean Solutions 2026 Summit Lean Solutions Website Click Here for Steve Riley's LinkedIn bespoketooltrays@gmail.com Tool Box Foam, 5S Lean, 5 S Lean | BespokeToolTrays.com

People in this episode

Hosts: Patrick Adams, Andy Olrich

Guest: Steve Riley

Topics covered

leadership
Lean initiatives
continuous improvement
manufacturing
team-led improvements

Keywords

Lean
leadership
continuous improvement
manufacturing
team improvements
digital shadow board
standard work

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lean Solutions, BespokeToolTrays.com