Podcast: Gemba Focused Leader: The Second Leadership Characteristic for Lasting Change

What is “gemba”? The Japanese term describes where the action is or where the actual work is performed. In manufacturing, that location is frequently the shop floor, where employees weld, machine, assemble and perform a host of activities that deliver a finished product. It is where value is created.

For leaders engaged in building a culture of team-based continuous improvement, a gemba focus is a critical characteristic, say the hosts of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement. Gemba-focused leaders go to the action and engage with the workforce, learn what the problems are and remove obstacles to resolving those problems.

Not only does going to the gemba lead to better decision-making by leaders, but it shows the workforce they have a voice, says podcast co-host Dr. Mohamed Saleh.

Co-host John Dyer cautions that leaders must pursue a gemba focus with the right mindset. That means it is more than a routine of simply walking around and observing, but it is less than taking over and trying to solve all the problems single-handedly.

This episode is the second in a series on key leadership characteristics to drive lasting change.