Music as a framework to better understand Lean leadership

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain why most senior managers have great difficulty comprehending and correctly practising the Lean management system, thereby handicapping their ability to lead enterprise‐wide Lean transformations; to describe the depth and richness of relationships between the Lean management system and music; to help improve practitioners’ understanding of Lean management and how to learn it; and to help senior managers recognize the need to personally apply Lean principles and practices daily to become capable Lean leaders.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a qualitative examination of various characteristics of the Lean management system and music, based in part on the authors’ experience implementing Lean in manufacturing and service businesses, and also in learning to play music over a nine‐year period.Findings – The Lean management system and music share numerous similarities, including the difficulty most people encounter learning each discipline. The paper ...