I learned recently of the passing earlier this year of a person I worked with 20 years ago at my last job in manufacturing. Manny S. was a “lesser god,” a term which is meant neither to canonize nor demean him. He wasn’t perfect—not by a long shot—but, boy, could he get things done!

If you asked him to help with a task it would be done before you finished the sentence. While others moved with exasperating deliberation to solve problems, Manny needed only seconds to take action. I wrote a post in 2011 that illustrates his exemplification of the adage “fix problems instantly.” I’ve heard and repeated this adage many times, but Manny lived it. From him I learned the effect of following the adage. But for this short tribute, the lean world would never know who he was. He wasn’t an engineer or a manager or a black belt, and didn’t have a great deal of formal education. He never wrote a book or a white paper, never gave a speech, and never posted a blog. But he taught me something.

 …