ABSTRACT
The role of a Lean Change Agent is not for everyone. A person can know all the tools from the Lean toolbox yet may not be ready to take on the role of a Lean Change Leader. Knowing Lean tools can help a person obtain a certification, but if the person does not have executive presence and is not able to influence those around, the person will fail miserably. This was probably the reason why Tim Noble failed (Chapter 3) in a mortgage company. He did not have the presence and charisma that could influence a set of bankers. This is a big problem today. I have seen individuals who attend courses, do a couple of Lean projects, and claim they have become a Lean Change Leader. What makes a Lean Change Leader is not knowledge of tools but leadership depth. When a Lean Change Leader walks into a meeting room, one can feel his presence. (For ease of reading, gender neutrality is not maintained strictly throughout this work; however, both men and women can be Lean Change Leaders.) The Lean Change Leader guides organizations in their Lean journey and prevents them going astray. The leader’s whole objective is to make Lean deployment self-sustaining.
