Lean Leadership Learning Tour
Dates
November 14, 2023 - November 16, 2023 ET
Location
Louisville, Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana
Why you should attend
Learn the secrets of lean manufacturing, a journey fraught with challenges, false starts, and stops. Gain insights into proper leadership, commitment, and development required for success.
Cost
$5,500 includes two nights hotel, all meals, and transportation during tour
Go and See, Ask Why, and Show Respect
The Lean Enterprise Institute has joined forces with Toyota to offer an exclusive and private learning experience, taking you behind the scenes at both Toyota Motor Manufacturing and GE Appliances. The aim of this partnership is to provide valuable insights into the world of lean manufacturing and the principles that drive success.
In just three short days, gain insights into:
- The Leadership Role: Understand the critical role of leadership in driving lean success.
- Success and Failure Modes: Learn from both successes and failures to avoid common pitfalls.
- Technical Tools and Management Requirements: Discover the essential tools and management practices for achieving success.
- TPS as a Business Strategy: See how TPS is not just an operational component but an overarching business strategy.
Embark on a Journey with Inspiring Companies
GE Appliances serves as a compelling example of what can be accomplished through such a journey. In a bold move, they invested over $1 billion dollars in new plants, equipment, and technology. Additionally, they took the innovative step of insourcing the manufacturing of many new products and prioritizing employee training. While they undoubtedly encountered numerous hurdles along the way, they successfully overcame them by integrating lean learning into their leadership and fostering a culture of problem solvers.
At Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, you will witness the Toyota Production System (TPS) in action at its finest, right here in America. During this experience, you will not only learn about the challenges the plant faces and the ongoing work to address them, but you will also witness Toyota’s collaboration with its suppliers to ensure the highest possible quality and the shortest lead time.
Who Should Attend
All levels of management from vice-president to continuous improvement and operational excellence managers.
We recommend attending with at least one other person from your organization. With a learning partner, you’ll be able to compare and discuss how the learning-tour companies’ practices might apply to your company.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel your registration for this learning tour four weeks before the tour start date for a full refund. A cancellation occurring within two to four weeks of the tour dates will be subject to 50% of your registration fee. A cancellation occurring after two weeks will not be refunded. To cancel, please call LEI at (617) 871-2900 or email registrar@lean.org.
Agenda
• Meet your coaches and fellow learners
• Get a better understanding of Lean Transformation and what you will be seeing on your journey
• Learn how the company has recommitted to manufacturing American made Appliances
• Walk the gemba and experience first hand the real challenges of a journey still in progress
The Toyota Production System Support Center (TSSC) is a not-for-profit corporation affiliated with Toyota Motor North America, Inc. TSSC helps organizations outside of Toyota learn and implement TPS.
• Get practical learning experience guided by TSSC leaders and instructors
• Facilitated reflection of the learning and roundtable discussion
Gemba Learning Reflection
• Reflect and learn based on the observations at the various companies with your coaches and fellow learners
• Discuss how to apply the learning at your company and create a plan forward

Karen Gaudet
Senior Coach, Lean Enterprise Institute
Karen has over 30 years of experience leading, training, and developing the capability of team members and executives in rapid-growth environments. Most recently, she’s coached clients in various industries as they adopt lean thinking and practices. They include Microsoft (data center construction), Legal Seafood (hospitality); TriMark (distribution); Abiomed (medical research and device manufacturing), and the […]
Read more about Karen Gaudet
Josh Howell
President and Executive Team Leader
Lean Enterprise Institute
Joshua Howell is president and executive team leader at the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI). For over a decade, he has supported individuals and organizations with lean transformations for improved business performance. As a coach, he helps people become lean thinkers and practitioners through experiential learning, believing such an approach can lead to enterprise-wide improvement. Regular e-letters […]
Read more about Josh Howell
Jamie Bonini
Vice President, Toyota, TSSC

James (Jim) Womack, PhD
Founder and Senior Advisor
Lean Enterprise Institute
Widely considered the father of the lean movement, Womack has been talking and publishing about creating value through continuous innovation around deep customer understanding for many years. In the late eighties, he and Dan Jones led MIT’s International Motor Vehicle Research Program (IMVP), which introduced the term “lean” to describe Toyota’s revolutionary management system. Based […]
Read more about James (Jim) Womack, PhDRelated Events
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