Lean 911

What if the Lean lessons that helped shape one of the world’s most respected business systems could be made available to everyone in your organization—anytime, anywhere, and in virtually any language?

In this episode of Lean911, we introduce Lean Horizons Academy, a new approach to building practical Lean capability across the enterprise.

Lean Horizons Academy is inspired by the original teachings of the Toyota Production System and shaped by the lessons and practices that helped build the Danaher Business System. It transforms decades of real-world Lean experience into an accessible e-learning platform designed not simply to teach Lean concepts, but to help people apply them where the work actually happens.

We explore how the Academy helps organizations move beyond traditional, consultant-dependent training by creating a common Lean language and giving employees ongoing access to practical knowledge, tools, and methods. The goal is speed to value—getting proven Lean thinking into the hands of more people, faster, so they can begin solving problems, improving processes, and delivering measurable results.

The episode also explores the role of live monthly sessions with Mark, where participants can ask questions, present their real-world challenges, and learn directly from four decades of successful Lean transformations across six continents and dozens of industries.

Most importantly, Lean Horizons Academy addresses one of the persistent challenges of Lean transformation: training that shouldn't end when the consultant leaves. The Academy is designed to create a sustainable internal capability that continues developing people long after a workshop, kaizen event, or consulting engagement is over.

In this episode, you'll discover:

How the teachings of Toyota influenced the development of the Danaher Business System

How those lessons have been translated into practical Lean e-learning

Why enterprise-wide access can dramatically accelerate Lean capability building

How organizations can establish a common Lean language across functions, locations, and countries

Why combining on-demand learning with live access to an experienced Lean practitioner creates a powerful development model

How Lean Horizons Academy can help organizations move from Lean training to lasting Lean capability

Inspired by Toyota. Shaped by the lessons that built the Danaher Business System. Now available to your enterprise.

If you're responsible for Lean, Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, or enterprise transformation—and you're looking for a faster, more scalable way to develop problem solvers throughout your organization—this episode is for you.

When you build something that stands the test of time, it's tempting to believe you'd do it the same way all over again. But experience has a way of changing your perspective.

In this episode, I look back at the creation of the Danaher Business System and share 12 things I would do differently if I were building it today. From placing greater emphasis on management systems over individual tools, to developing stronger problem-solving leaders, eliminating performance reviews, focusing on upstream process improvement, and leading with leading indicators instead of lagging metrics, these are lessons earned through decades of applying and refining DBS.

This isn't about second-guessing a successful system—it's about recognizing that even the best operating systems can evolve. If you're building a business system, leading a transformation, or trying to create a culture of continuous improvement, these reflections may help you avoid mistakes I only recognized in hindsight.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why management systems matter more than individual improvement tools.

The importance of developing leaders who can coach and teach problem-solving.

How performance management and organizational structure can either accelerate or hinder improvement.

Why upstream thinking, engineering excellence, and leading indicators deserve more attention.

Twelve practical lessons I'd apply if I were building the Danaher Business System again.

Whether you're a CEO, operating executive, private equity leader, or continuous improvement practitioner, this episode offers a candid look at what experience teaches us after the work is done—and what I'd do differently if I had the opportunity to start over.

What if the biggest transformation in your life begins with a simple shift in perspective—not from believing life is happening to you, but realizing it is happening through you?

In this episode, we explore Be The Magic: 4 Phases to Transform Your Life by Manish Chauhan, a practical and deeply reflective guide that blends timeless spiritual wisdom with modern psychology, neuroscience, and real-life coaching. Together, we'll unpack the book's four transformative phases—Victimhood, Intention, Inspiration, and Awakening—and discover how each stage offers an opportunity to move toward greater clarity, purpose, and inner freedom.

We'll also dive into the book's MAGICx framework, which combines Meditation, Affirmation, Gratitude, Inspiration, Compassion, and eXercise into an actionable daily practice. Along the way, we'll explore ideas inspired by vision boards, present-moment awareness, The Work of Byron Katie, the Silva Method, minimalism, surrender, and other powerful approaches to personal growth—all woven together into an accessible roadmap for lasting transformation.

Whether you're seeking greater fulfillment in your relationships, career, health, finances, or spiritual life, this conversation will leave you with practical insights, thought-provoking questions, and simple practices you can begin using today.

If you're ready to stop waiting for life to change and start becoming the source of that change, this episode is for you. It's time to stop chasing magic—and start being it.

As Lean Horizons celebrates its 25th anniversary, founder Mark DeLuzio reflects on a quarter century of transformation work across six continents and dozens of industries. In this special episode, Mark examines the evolution—and in some cases, the dilution—of Lean thinking since the early days of the Toyota Production System's global expansion.

How did a management system built on scientific thinking, respect for people, and leadership development become, in many organizations, a collection of tools, certifications, events, and visual displays? When did Lean transformation give way to Lean Theater?

Mark explores the "telephone game" effect that has altered Lean's original meaning over multiple generations of practitioners, consultants, academics, trainers, and certification programs. He discusses the rise of credentialism, the commercialization of Lean, the shortage of experienced transformation leaders, and the growing gap between performing Lean activities and achieving real business transformation.

Drawing on 25 years of hands-on experience, this episode challenges leaders to ask a difficult question:

Are we practicing Lean—or merely performing it?

Whether you're a Lean practitioner, executive, consultant, or student of organizational excellence, this candid reflection offers valuable lessons on what has been lost, what still works, and what the future of Lean must look like if it is to remain relevant for the next generation.

In This Episode:

The evolution of Lean over the last 25 years

How TPS principles became diluted through the "telephone game" effect

The difference between Lean transformation and Lean Theater

Why certifications don't equal capability

The commercialization of Lean and its unintended consequences

The shortage of experienced transformation leaders

Lessons learned from organizations across six continents

Why the fundamentals of Lean still matter more than ever

The future of Lean doesn't require new tools. It requires rediscovering the principles that made Lean powerful in the first place.

A CNC machine crashed on the shop floor. Nathan Corliss walked out as a young supervisor, angry and ready to blame the operator.

What happened next became one of the most important leadership lessons of his career.

Mark DeLuzio and Nathan talk about the moment that forced Nathan to confront his own behavior as a leader, and how the scars on his knuckles became a permanent reminder to pause, reflect, and lead differently. The conversation centers on hansei, the Lean practice of honest self-reflection, and why it matters when pressure is high, mistakes are visible, and people are watching how leaders respond.

You'll hear how one shop floor incident connects to emotional intelligence, respect for people, Kaizen report-outs, after-action reviews, standard work, compliance, and the danger of fear-based leadership.

For Lean leaders, CI managers, plant managers, and executives, this episode is a practical reminder that culture is shaped in the moments when things go wrong. The real test is not whether leaders know the right Lean language. It is whether they can own their mistakes, protect trust, and help people improve without shutting them down.