This is an article inspired by the glut of recent football weekends. Lou Holtz, the legendary college and pro football coach, offers the following advice to coaches everywhere: “I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions.”

Top managers often lament their employees’ reluctance to embrace change and adopt better ways to work. But after 30 years of lean implementations, few executives have genuinely accepted their roles as change leaders. To lead a lean transformation, there are so many things for top managers to learn—and unlearn— that it’s hard to know where to start. Perhaps Holtz has the best idea for starting: Stop talking. At first glance, top manager silence may seem a little incongruous, but here’s why it’s a good place to start.

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