It’s a story I’ve heard too many times: An organization spends years, even decades, entrenched in a top-down, command-and-control culture. In this environment, employees are micromanaged, decision-making is reserved for those at the top, and when things go wrong, the finger-pointing begins. “Blame and shame” becomes the norm.

Then someone decides, “We’re going to get lean.”

On the surface, this should be great news. Lean offers proven strategies to improve safety, quality, and employee engagement. But here’s the catch: The organization doesn’t change how it leads. It still clings to the same top-down mentality that has suffocated the workforce for years.

What follows might be described as a superficial lean transformation. It’s probably more of a “lean effort” (or “lean hope”) than any sort of transformation.

Leaders force new lean tools and methodologies onto employees without explaining why these changes are being made or how they’ll benefit. Employees, already battered by years of blame, approach lean with skepticism–and rightfully so. They’ve learned not to trust leadership’s initiatives, especially when past efforts have been purely about cutting costs and increasing pressure instead of making the work easier.

The leaders only cares about cost reduction. Safety? Not a word. Quality improvement? Nope.

The sole focus is on cutting costs, and lean tools are seen as just another means to that end. Leaders push 5S, value stream mapping, and kaizen events with a laser focus on efficiency. There’s no deeper understanding or commitment to the true pillars of lean: respect for people and continuous improvement.

When the workforce doesn’t buy into lean, the leadership is quick to blame them. The employees are labeled as “resistant to change” or “not embracing lean.” What’s missing from this story is that leadership hasn’t changed. They continue to treat lean like a flavor-of-the-month program rather than a fundamental shift in how people should work together to improve the system.

This leads to a frustrating, yet predictable, conclusion: Leadership throws in the towel and declares, “We tried lean, and it didn’t work here.”

The underlying problem: Leadership’s approach to lean

The core issue in this story isn’t lean itself; it’s how leadership approaches it. Too many organizations treat lean as just a toolkit when, in fact, it’s a management philosophy.

Lean isn’t about wielding tools like 5S and kanban in isolation. It’s about cultivating a culture where frontline workers are empowered to continuously improve their processes. This requires a massive cultural shift, not just a mechanical application of tools​​.

Lean will fail if leadership maintains a rigid, top-down approach that disregards the voices of the employees who do the actual work. Lean’s success depends on respect for people, fostering a culture of trust, and removing the fear of making mistakes. Without these foundational elements, organizations end up exactly where they started—frustrated and looking for someone to blame​.

Where top-down leadership goes wrong

Leaders in these organizations often make a few critical mistakes.

Misunderstanding lean: Leaders might not fully grasp what lean truly is. They focus on the tools but overlook the human side of the equation. They see lean as a way to drive short-term cost savings instead of a long-term cultural transformation.

Failing to model lean thinking: Lean is a top-down and bottom-up approach. Leaders must model lean behaviors by engaging in continuous improvement and fostering a culture of problem-solving at all levels. When they don’t, employees see lean as another top-down directive that’s being forced upon them.

Blaming employees: Instead of taking responsibility for their own lack of commitment to cultural change, leaders are quick to point fingers at employees for “resisting” lean. In reality, it’s not resistance to lean–it’s resistance to being treated the same way they’ve always been.

The alternative: Lean leadership

So, what should leaders do differently? First, they must embrace lean as a leadership philosophy, not a quick fix. Lean requires a fundamental shift in how leaders view their roles. Instead of controlling every decision, they need to create an environment where employees feel safe to experiment, learn from mistakes, and suggest improvements.

Second, lean leaders must focus on respect for people. This means actively listening to employees, giving them the tools and autonomy to solve problems, and supporting them when things don’t go as planned.

Lastly, leadership must lead by example. They can’t expect employees to embrace lean if they aren’t willing to embody the principles themselves. Leaders should be at the gemba, asking questions, engaging with employees, and learning from the front line. When leadership commits to true lean thinking, they’ll find that employees aren’t resistant—they’re eager to participate in a system that finally values their input.

Without a foundation of psychological safety, lean won’t work.

In the end, “We tried lean, and it didn’t work here” is often an indictment of leadership, not lean. Lean will work when leaders commit to changing themselves first.

Published Oct. 17, 2024, on The Lean Blog.