Engineering Leadership through Continuous Improvement

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼𝘆𝗼𝘁𝗮 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺-𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 "𝘕𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘰𝘺𝘰𝘵𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘗𝘚 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘗𝘚. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘰𝘺𝘰𝘵𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘛𝘗𝘚. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨." -Jeffrey Liker This profound statement reveals the secret behind Toyota's legendary improvement culture—and why it's so different from most organizations' approaches. 𝗧𝗼𝘆𝗼𝘁𝗮'𝘀 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 Principle 1: Leadership as Learning Champions  While many organizations delegate improvement to "experts" and "certified specialists," Toyota leaders do the opposite. They actively engage—going to the gemba, seeing problems firsthand, learning alongside their teams, and modeling continuous improvement. When leaders personally invest in the transformation, employees naturally follow. This creates unstoppable momentum where improvement becomes everyone's responsibility. Principle 2: Everyone as an Improvement Leader  Toyota's genius lies in democratizing improvement. Rather than creating hierarchies of "qualified improvers" through belt systems, they believe that people closest to the work are best positioned to identify and solve problems. This approach unleashes the collective intelligence of the entire organization, turning every employee into a problem-solver. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘆𝗼𝘁𝗮 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 -Universal Capability Building: Every worker learns core Industrial Engineering functions. There's no special class of "improvement people"—improvement is woven into everyone's daily work. -Systematic Long-term Development: Their HR program develops problem-solving capabilities in all employees over 10 years through three structured phases. This isn't about creating a few experts; it's about building organizational DNA for continuous improvement. -Humble Learning Culture: As Liker noted, no one claims to be a "TPS expert." Everyone, from the shop floor to the C-suite, maintains a learner's mindset. This keeps the organization open to discovering better ways. -Leadership as Chief Learning Officers: Toyota leaders don't delegate improvement—they champion it. They model curiosity, embrace problems as learning opportunities, and show that everyone, including themselves, is still learning. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 True lean transformation doesn't need certifications, belts, or designated experts. It needs engaged leadership and a culture where everyone—from the CEO to the newest employee—embraces the mindset: "We're all still learning." The question isn't whether your people have the right credentials. The question is whether your leaders are willing to roll up their sleeves, get uncomfortable, and learn alongside their teams. What direction is your organization heading?

I’ve seen this scene so many times on the gemba floor: A manager rushing between meetings, boards full of targets and KPIs. People running from one issue to another, fixing what’s urgent, putting out the biggest fires... while production keeps rolling. Everyone’s busy, everyone’s trying hard… and yet no one has time to stop and think: “How can we make tomorrow easier than today?” Because there’s always another order, another report, another “quick fix”. Improvement becomes something we’ll do “later”, when things calm down. But they never do. Here’s what really makes a difference: 1) Set aside real, protected time to improve, not just “find a spare minute”. 2) Link improvement to one specific process step: “If we make this change, what will we save?” 3) Let the team test, fail, learn... and don’t wait for “perfect”. 4) Standardise what works, but keep asking: “Can we make it even better?” Creating time for improvement is not a luxury, it’s leadership. Leaders are responsible not only for results, but for creating the conditions where learning and progress can happen. If your team never has time to improve, it’s not their fault. It’s a signal, that it’s time to start leading differently. #lean #leadership #continuousimprovement #respectforpeople

Lean Leadership development Lean Leadership development is about building leaders who don’t just manage results, but actively develop people, improve processes and sustain a culture of continuous improvement. Unlike traditional leadership that focuses on oversight, Lean Leadership emphasizes servant leadership, coaching and respect for people. Here’s a breakdown of its key elements: 1. Core Principles of Lean Leadership Development Lead with Humility: Leaders acknowledge they don’t have all the answers and create an environment where employees feel safe to raise problems. Respect Every Individual: Building trust, listening deeply and engaging employees as problem solvers. Focus on Process, Not People Blame: Leaders look for root causes in systems and processes rather than blaming individuals. Continuous Improvement Mindset: Leaders model kaizen by experimenting, learning and encouraging small, rapid improvements. Create a Vision & Align Goals: Cascading objectives connect strategy (Hoshin Kanri) with frontline work. 2. Development Practices Leader Standard Work (LSW): Daily habits for leaders (gemba walks, coaching, checking visual boards). Gemba Walks: Leaders regularly visit the place of work to observe, listen and support. Coaching Cycles: Using A3 problem-solving and Socratic questioning to develop others’ thinking. Visual Management: Using visual boards to monitor performance and drive dialogue. Daily Management System (DMS): Engaging leaders at all levels in problem solving huddles. 3. Stages of Lean Leader Development Self-Development: Learn Lean principles, reflect and grow mindset. Coach & Develop Others: Teach problem-solving and critical thinking. Align the Organization: Use strategy deployment to ensure everyone works toward common goals. Create a Culture of Kaizen: Build an environment where improvement is part of daily work. Ensure Sustainability: Prevent regression by reinforcing Lean behaviors and rewarding learning. Why It Matters: Without Lean Leadership, Lean tools and methods often fail because culture doesn’t change. Leaders are the key multipliers who create engagement, accountability and sustainable improvement.

Great engineering managers write good code. Top 1% leaders build great engineers. The difference between management and leadership is transformation. Managers ensure work gets done. Leaders ensure people grow while doing it. The best technical leaders I've worked with: Don't just assign tasks - they create growth opportunities tailored to each team member's development needs. Don't just fix problems - they teach problem-solving approaches that make their team more independent. Don't just make decisions - they explain their thinking process, turning each choice into a learning moment. Don't just give feedback - they build cultures where continuous improvement is expected and celebrated. Don't just protect their team from politics - they teach them how to navigate complex organizations effectively. True leadership isn't measured by your technical contributions. It's measured by how many people become better engineers because of you. Your legacy isn't the systems you build. It's the engineers you develop.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟳 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. In 27 years at P&G, Danaher, and Johnson Controls, I've learned that continuous improvement fails or succeeds based on one thing: the leader. Here are two types of leadership that don't lead to successful continuous improvement. 𝗔. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄-𝗜𝘁-𝗔𝗹𝗹. They've seen Toyota. They've read the books. They already have all the answers. They "just" need someone to implement ... The problem? • If you already know everything, Gemba has nothing to teach you. • And continuous improvement without learning isn't improvement. • It's ticking the box. 𝗕. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺. Everything is someone else's fault: • The market. • The previous leader. • The team that "just doesn't get it." They don't set targets because then they'd own the gap. They don't go to Gemba because they might have to act on what they see. The problem? If nothing is your responsibility, nothing will change. Both types share the same root cause: 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. The know-it-all protects their ego. The victim protects their comfort. Neither will stand in front of the gap between target and actual. Neither will say: "This is mine to close." Continuous improvement requires three things from a leader: 1. 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 to call the red 2. 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 to admit you're still learning 3. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 to stay on the problem until it's solved The know-it-all is missing #2. The victim is missing #1. Without those, #3 never happens. That's why I screen before I help. Not because I enjoy walking away. Because staying gives everyone false hope. 👉 Continuous improvement doesn't fail because the tools don't work. It fails because the leader won't go first. -- 📌 Want to 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? Sign up for my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/d3Zmay-H Practical insights based on 27 years in Johnson Controls, Danaher, and P&G.

Great engineering leadership isn’t about solving everything. It’s about creating the conditions where your team can. In my early leadership days, I thought I had to walk in with the answers. Over time, I learned something better: Most engineers don’t need hand-holding. They need clarity, context, and trust. Here’s how I lead now (and what’s worked): 1. Present the problem, not a pre-baked solution. → Engineers are problem-solvers. Don’t rob them of that. → Instead of “We need to use Kafka here,” say: “We need async processing at scale. Thoughts?” 2. Share constraints early. → Be open about deadlines, budget, team bandwidth, or tech debt. → Constraints help the team make realistic design choices. 3. Make room for trade-off discussions. → Your job isn’t to rush decisions. It’s to ensure good ones. → Let the team think through latency vs cost, monolith vs microservices, etc. 4. Guide the decision, don’t dictate it. → Ask: “What risks do you see?” or “What’s your fallback plan?” → Step in only when clarity or urgency is needed. 5. Protect builder time. → Cut unnecessary meetings. Shield them from noise. → Innovation dies in a calendar full of status syncs. Leadership is knowing when to speak and when to listen. You don’t earn trust by having all the answers. You earn it by helping your team find better ones.

Most teams talk about continuous improvement. Only a few live it. Here’s what a real improvement culture looks like. A culture of continuous improvement is when... 1. Leaders ask “What did we learn?” before “What did it cost?” 2. "We’ve always done it this way" is a red flag, not a defense. 3. Respect for people means fix the work, not the worker. 4. The standard is a baseline for change, not a handcuff. 5. Value is defined by customers, not conference rooms. 6. Problems are treated as gold mines, not land mines. 7. Anyone can stop the line, and no one fears doing it. 8. Process owners improve systems, not protect turf. 9. Fire prevention is rewarded more than firefighting. 10. Customers pay for the product, not for our waste. 11. Meetings end with experiments, not action items. 12. Simplify first, use tech second, complexify never. 13. Kaizen is the daily habit, not the annual event. 14. Bad processes are blamed, not good people. 15. Problems surface fast and get solved faster. 16. Leaders clear barriers, not just set targets. 17. Red on the board triggers help, not blame. 18. Ego is identified as the 8th form of waste. 19. Kaizen is real work, so it gets scheduled. 20. Walking the floor beats reading reports. 21. There is no finish line. *** 🔖 Save this post for later. ♻️ Share to help others build real improvement cultures ➕ Follow Sergio D’Amico for more on continuous improvement. P.S. Copy this list. Paste it on your wall. Or better ... live it.

Over the years in manufacturing and team leadership, I’ve realized that true growth isn’t just about better machines or metrics — it’s about better mindsets. Here are the principles I live by and encourage my teams to practice every day 👇 Turn Problems into Possibilities Every breakdown or rejection teaches something valuable. Fix the root cause and move forward stronger. Experiment with Purpose Progress comes from trials. Try, learn, refine — and repeat with discipline. Treat Feedback as Guidance Feedback isn’t criticism; it’s a compass that keeps us aligned. Value Progress Over Perfection Small daily wins create lasting transformation. Create a Zone of Trust When people feel safe to share ideas and mistakes, innovation follows naturally. Keep Learning — Always Technology changes fast. People must evolve faster. Ask, Don’t Assume Good questions uncover better answers and strengthen collaboration. Welcome Different Viewpoints Diverse thoughts lead to powerful solutions. Listen deeply. Use Failures as Feedback Loops Every defect or miss is data — study it, learn, and close the loop. Stay Composed Under Pressure Leadership is tested most when things go wrong. Stay calm and guide the team through it. Appreciate Effort, Not Just Outcomes Recognize learning and initiative — they build long-term excellence. Empower Ownership When people own outcomes, accountability and quality naturally rise. Balance Technology with Human Touch Let automation empower people, not replace them. Lead with Clarity and Compassion A clear vision, communicated with empathy, moves mountains. Be Disciplined in Growth Learning is only half the story. Applying it every day defines true progress. 💬it’s about being better than yesterday. 🙏 I’m proud that many of my former team members continue to follow these principles — today, they’re leading teams across top EMS industries, driving excellence in their own ways. #Leadership #GrowthMindset #ContinuousImprovement #ManufacturingExcellence #TeamDevelopment #Industry40 #Mentorship

A lot of Drilling Engineers wait for a title change before they start demonstrating leadership. The problem is, promotions usually go to the people who already show leadership in their current role. You don’t need “Lead” or “Supervisor” in your title to stand out. Here’s how to show leadership in a way that hiring managers and recruiters notice. ➤ Take ownership of one performance improvement Leadership shows up in your ability to make things better, not just run the plan. Example: If connections are slow or weight to weight time is dragging, lead a small improvement effort with the rig team. Track the before and after. Even a 5 percent gain proves capability. ➤ Be the person who closes the loop Leaders follow through. If you identify a problem, make sure it gets resolved and documented. Then share the lesson learned with the next rig, the next pad, or the next drilling engineer. People remember the person who doesn’t let things die in email. ➤ Build strong working relationships with the rig Leadership in drilling starts with respect on location. If the rig crew will call you first when something feels off, that’s leadership. It shows you communicate well, listen, and act fast. Titles won’t fix weak field relationships. ➤ Help early career engineers or interns grow If you’re guiding others, you’re already leading. Example: Walk a junior engineer through the morning call prep, show them how to think about performance, or let them lead part of the after-action review. Helping people level up is leadership at any stage. ➤ Think beyond your well Leaders think systemwide, not one well at a time. If you fixed something on Well 4, apply it to Wells 5, 6, and 7. Then share that improvement with another asset. This is how decision makers start seeing you as someone who can lead programs, not just wells. Showing leadership before you get the title puts you ahead of the pack. Most people wait. The ones who step into it early get tapped for bigger roles. #oilgas #oilandgas #oilandgasindustry #energy #careers #drilling #leadership