Developing Lean Leaders to Drive Sustainable Productivity Improvement

Sustained productivity improvement doesn’t happen by chance. It requires leaders who understand how to identify waste, solve problems, support their teams and build better ways of working. The Lean Leader Programme develops that capability.

Designed specifically for manufacturing environments, it equips leaders with the tools, behaviours and confidence to drive continuous improvement and support long-term operational excellence.

Why Lean Leaders Matter

Lean isn’t a set of tools — it’s a way of thinking and working. Lean leaders play a critical role in shaping that environment. They:

• Support teams to improve processes, not work around them

• Provide clarity, structure and accountability

• Help teams understand and eliminate waste

• Build engagement by involving people in problem solving

• Strengthen day-to-day stability and flowWithout trained lean leaders, improvement becomes inconsistent, reactive and difficult to sustain.

What the Lean Leader Programme Covers

The programme strengthens both technical and behavioural capability. Key areas include:

• Lean principles and how they apply to manufacturing

• Understanding value and identifying waste

• Process mapping and flow improvement

• Standard work and visual management

• Structured problem solving and root cause analysis

• Using data to support decision-making

• Coaching, facilitation and leading improvement activityThe content is practical, hands-on and built around real operational scenarios.

A Practical, Applied Learning Experience

The programme combines theory with live application to ensure learning sticks. It includes:

• Interactive workshops

• Simulations that mirror real manufacturing problems

• Analysis of current processes and performance data

• Practical assignments that apply tools back on site

• Coaching and support between modules

• Peer learning to strengthen collaboration and confidenceLeaders develop skills by using them, not just learning about them.

Why It Strengthens Productivity Deployment

During Step 3 of the Productivity Partnership - Productivity Deployment - organisations need people who can turn the plan into action.Lean leaders are central to this because they:

• Support delivery of improvement actions in the 12-month plan

• Help teams maintain new standards and embed routines

• Provide structure to daily problem solving and escalation

• Strengthen governance with clear insights and data

• Coach others to build capability and sustain progressThey are the link between planning and execution and a critical factor in long-term success.

Practical Outcomes You Can Expect

By completing the programme, leaders will be able to:

• Confidently apply lean tools to improve flow and reduce waste

• Facilitate structured problem solving with their teams

• Use visual management and standard work effectively

• Lead improvement activity with clarity and ownership

• Improve communication, engagement and team performanceFor the organisation, this leads to faster issue resolution, better flow, more stable performance and measurable productivity gains.

Conclusion

Lean leadership is a cornerstone of high-performing manufacturing organisations. When leaders understand how to improve processes, support people and apply lean thinking, productivity improves and stays improved.

The Lean Leader Programme builds this capability, ensuring your teams have the skills, confidence and mindset needed to deliver meaningful, sustainable change.Lean leadership strengthens your productivity journey and builds a culture where improvement becomes part of everyday work.