Definition
A lean leadership method centered on Leader Standard Work (LSW), in which leaders routinely go to the Gemba to check, coach, and sustain Kaizen results (from third-party corporate training materials, not a Danaher document).
In detail
Lean Leadership is centered on Leader Standard Work (LSW), requiring leaders to regularly go to Gemba to check, coach, and sustain Kaizen results. It addresses the problem of improvement activities being difficult to sustain and insufficient leadership support. Unlike Lean Conversion Fundamentals, Lean Leadership focuses on leaders' daily behaviors rather than the tools themselves. Its outputs are leaders' Standard Work checklists, Gemba walk plans, and coaching records, ensuring lean principles are embedded in daily management.
Example in practice
When improvement activity results gradually degrade, lean leadership can be promoted. For example, after completing a 5S improvement, an electronics factory's management finds that the workplace becomes messy again after a few months. They implement leader standard work, requiring each manager to spend 15 minutes daily on the floor, checking 5S conditions, talking with employees, and recording issues. Through sustained leadership attention, employees develop maintenance habits, and improvement results are sustained.