Hey Reader,
Let me tell you a story about my favorite methodology…
In 1940s Japan, as the world emerged from war, a small team at Toyota began refining a philosophy that would quietly go on to shape how companies around the world build, scale, and operate.
They called it Lean…
Born from necessity, Lean was Toyota’s answer to a resource-strapped reality. The company couldn’t afford to waste money, time, materials, or human effort, so they looked inward. They studied every step of their production line. They questioned why things were done the way they were. They stripped away anything that didn’t add value. And most importantly - they empowered frontline workers to be part of the system, not just cogs in it.
What emerged wasn’t just a method for building cars. It was a mindset. Lean became the DNA of Toyota’s Toyota Production System, centered around continuous improvement (kaizen), respect for people, and ruthless focus on customer value. It prioritized flow over speed, quality over volume, and small, smart changes over massive overhauls. By the 1980s, as Western manufacturers watched Toyota outperform them with half the resources, the world started paying attention.
Today, Lean is used everywhere - from tech startups to hospitals, logistics firms to governments. But at its core, it still comes back to that post-war factory floor: How do we build better systems, with less waste, by trusting the people who use them every day? It’s not flashy. It’s not trending. And it works.
What Is Lean Thinking?
Lean Thinking is a mindset that centers around one idea:
“How can we create more value with less waste?”
In practice, it means designing systems that focus on clarity, flow, and customer value - while removing everything that creates friction, duplication, or confusion. It's a common misconception that lean is doing more will less people. I've worked with founders that fired almost a whole team, left one person to work and labeled that as "lean thinking" and "leaning out the team". That is not lean at all, it's bad management. Lean is actually about doing better with what you already have.
Why It Matters in Fast-Growing Businesses
I work with scaling startups and SMEs. And the pattern is almost always the same:
💬 Everyone is busy.
💡 Everyone cares.
📉 But momentum is inconsistent.
Here’s the kicker: the problem isn’t usually the people. It’s the system they’re trying to work inside.
When roles are fuzzy, processes undocumented, and tools stack up with no real logic, there is no place for growth. Lean helps you fix that before burnout kicks in. Not by working harder. Not by hiring faster. But by slowing down just enough to redesign the system that everyone’s running in.
Lean thinking asks:
→ What’s truly essential to deliver value?
→ What are we doing just because “we’ve always done it this way”?
→ Where are smart people wasting time on things that don’t move the business forward?
It’s not about stripping things to the bone or making your team robotic. It’s about creating clarity so people can spend their energy on what matters instead of navigating chaos.
How Founders Can Start Thinking Lean
You don’t need to adopt a full framework or hire a consultant to “go Lean.” You can start with one simple shift:
Start asking: “What’s getting in our way?”
Try this 10-minute reflection with your team:
1. Where are people constantly waiting or following up?
2. What are we doing that no one is really using or benefiting from?
3. What small fix could remove a recurring blocker?
The companies that scale well don’t just move fast, they move intentionally and build systems to prevent the fires. Lean isn’t just a tool for efficiency. It’s how you turn chaos into clarity without losing momentum or your mind.
So, if this sounds like the kind of support you want more of, you’re in the right place.
Need support creating more breathing room and structure in how you work?
I offer a Monthly Consulting Package for founders and executives who want to run their businesses more effectively - without taking on full-time ops help.
You’ll get a tailored operational audit, weekly coaching calls, and guidance on simplifying how your team works - so you can scale without burning out or slowing down.
If that sounds helpful, feel free to Book a Discovery Call today.
Until next time,
Best,
