Best 20 Lean Business Podcasts in the US

Brion Hurley from Business Performance Improvement shares his takes and thoughts on a variety of topics related to process improvement (specifically Lean and Six Sigma methods), Bursts are rapid improvement activities, so this sounded like a good word to use for these short audio clips. We'll try to keep them under 10 minutes each. Have a question? Use the Spotify app to leave us a voice message, and we might pick your question for our next episode! more

Improvement Learning, Improved.

Baptist Management System (BMS) is an improvement system that focuses on creating a holistic management system built on purpose, people, and process. BMS exist within the overall operating system of Baptist Memorial Health Care. BMS promotes and is based on the following 11 Guiding Principles: Respect, Humility, Trust, Empathy, Perfection, Process Focus, Scientific Thinking, Quality at the Source, Flow and Pull, Constancy of Purpose, Systemic Thinking. As we embed the 11 Guiding Principles into our culture, demonstrated by our ideal principled-based behaviors, we will be passionate about continually improving the experience and outcomes for our customers.The information discussed in the Connecting the Dots podcast are meant as a discussion about the subject of continuous improvement. It might showcase what our best, most motivated users have achieved. Expected outcomes and results may vary. All testimonials are real, may not reflect another user's experience, and are not intended to represent or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results.Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation is accredited by the Mississippi State Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians. BMHCC designates this enduring material for a maximum of .50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. It is the policy of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation (BMHCC) to promote balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all educational activities; to require disclosure of relevant financial relationships from individuals engaged in content development or planning of a CME activity; to identify and resolve conflicts of interest related to those relationships; and to make disclosure information available to the audience prior to the CME activity. Presenters are required to disclose discussions of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentations. None of the hosts or guests have financial interests to disclose. more

Monthly podcast hosted by the Shingo Institute, a program in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, to discuss topics in Lean thinking, research, and continuous improvement culture. Topics are chosen based on the Shingo Guiding Principles. more

Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership Conversations features thoughtful, in-depth discussions with leaders, authors, executives, and practitioners who are applying Lean thinking in the real world. Hosted by Mark Graban—author of Lean Hospitals , Measures of Success , and The Mistakes That Make Us —the podcast explores Lean as a management system, a leadership philosophy, and a people-centered approach to continuous improvement. Episodes span healthcare, manufacturing, startups, technology, and professional services. Guests share candid stories about what actually works—and what doesn't—when organizations try to improve. This is not a podcast about chasing tools, jargon, or 'Lean theater.' Instead, you'll hear honest conversations about leadership behaviors, culture, psychological safety, learning from mistakes, and building systems that help people do their best work. If you believe improvement starts with respect for people—and that better systems beat blaming individuals—this podcast is for you. Find show notes and all episodes at LeanCast.org . Learn more about Mark Graban at MarkGraban.com . more

This podcast offers business solutions to help listeners develop and implement action plans for lean process improvement and implement continuous improvement projects, cost reductions, product quality enhancements, and process effectiveness improvement. Listeners come from many industries in both manufacturing and office applications. more

Scale Differently is the podcast for visionary founders who are ready to reshape the way they think, lead, and scale. Hosted by Crista Grasso, a scaling strategist with more than three decades of experience helping founder-led businesses translate bold visions into measurable and sustainable results, each episode explores the intersection of strategy, leadership, and energetics through conversations with founders, thought leaders, and industry experts. Whether the conversation is about leadership, AI, strategy, or the evolving role of the founder, every episode is designed to help you make intentional decisions that strengthen your business today while expanding what's possible tomorrow so that your business aligns with your vision and the Rich Fulfilled Life™ you're creating. Scaling a business is one thing. Scaling a business that creates the life you want to live is something else entirely. Formerly the Simplify to Scale Show, Scale Differently is for founders who believe the way they scale matters as much as the business they create. more

'Incremental: The Continuous Improvement Podcast' is a weekly show where business owners share their journey implementing continuous improvement. Explore Lean Mfg, TPS, 5S, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, JIT, Kanban, and more. Gain inspiration, practical advice and join the hosts on their journey of discovery and learning. Experience the benefits of continuous improvement and lean transformation for your business. more

Chain of Learning® is the leadership podcast for leaders and change practitioners who believe that people, not tools, are the foundation of lasting results. If you're working to transform your organization's culture, develop leaders at every level, and build teams that are capable, confident, and empowered to solve problems and innovate, this podcast is for you. Hosted by Katie Anderson, award-winning author of 'Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn' and globally recognized expert in people-centered leadership, Chain of Learning explores how leaders break free from the Doer Trap™, and create the conditions in their organization for success and build a vibrant culture where impact is exponential. Each biweekly episode offers practical insights, reflective questions, and real-world examples to help you: - Develop leaders at scale, not just one at a time - Build high-performing cultures of continuous learning, grounded in psychological safety, trust, and empowerment, that thrive and grow - Lead culture transformation and change leadership with intention - Strengthen coaching culture, problem-solving, and leadership development across your organization - Move from managers who focus on outcomes to leaders who develop people, improve performance, and get results Grounded in human-centered leadership and adult learning practices, and informed by principles of the Toyota Way, Lean thinking, and operational excellence, Chain of Learning features conversations with influential thinkers and leaders shaping the future of leadership at scale and organizational learning. Past guests include Carol Dweck, Michael Bungay Stanier, Rich Sheridan, Barry O'Reilly, Steve Spear, Jim Womack, Gene Kim, and Larry Culp. Subscribe and follow Chain of Learning® to deepen your impact. Share this podcast with your colleagues, fellow change leaders, and friends so we can strengthen our Chain of Learning together. Join the conversation: ChainOfLearning.com Katie Anderson's website: KBJAnderson.com Connect with Katie: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson Read Katie's Shingo Publication Award-winning book: LearningToLeadLeadingToLearn.com Download the KATALYST™ Change Leader Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/Katalyst Popular Episode Topics Include: Leadership Development, Developing Leaders at Scale, The Doer Trap, Coaching Culture, Building a Culture of Learning, Culture Transformation, Change Leadership, Leading Change, Change Readiness, Change Adoption, Stakeholder Engagement, Organizational Change, Lean Leadership, Lean Thinking, Operational Excellence, Toyota Way, Toyota Leadership, People-Centered Leadership, Psychological Safety, Building Trust, Leadership Coaching, Break the Telling Habit, Leader as Coach, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Organizational Learning, Problem-Solving Culture, Developing People, High-Performing Teams, Learning Organization, Executive Leadership, Strategic Alignment, Leading Without Authority, Influence, Leading Through Influence, Leadership Identity, Gemba Leadership, A3 Thinking, PDCA, Growth Mindset, Leader Development, Japan Leadership Experience, Learning to Lead Leading to Learn, Leadership Podcast more

Lean Blog Audio is a short-form podcast featuring audio versions of articles from LeanBlog.org, written, read, and expanded by Mark Graban. Each episode explores practical Lean thinking, psychological safety, continuous improvement, and leadership—through real-world examples from healthcare, manufacturing, startups, and other complex work environments. Topics include learning from mistakes, reducing fear and blame, improving systems, and using data thoughtfully through tools like Process Behavior Charts. Episodes often go beyond the original blog post, adding fresh context and reflections. more

Lean by Design explores how organizations can fix what's predictably broken in their operations — starting with the systems, decisions, and behaviors that shape how work gets done. Hosts Oscar Gonzalez and Lawrence Wong speak with leaders from biopharma and beyond, drawing lessons from industries that share the same pursuit of clarity, efficiency, and sustainable execution. Each episode breaks down real challenges into practical insights that help teams align better, think smarter, and move faster. Produced by Sigma Lab Consulting, Lean by Design helps organizations design for what works—and eliminate what doesn't. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. more

A podcast by 37signals about the better way to work and run your business. The REWORK podcast features the co-founders of 37signals (the makers of Basecamp and HEY), Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson sharing their unique perspective on business and entrepreneurship along with host Kimberly Rhodes. more

A business podcast dedicated to teaching and sharing how the popular business improvement methodologies of Lean and Six Sigma can be applied to environmental impacts (water, air emissions, solid waste, trash, rubbish, hazardous waste, toxins, and energy) and societal issues (homelessness, government agencies, education, healthcare, gender equality, poverty, etc). These techniques and principles can help businesses, nonprofit organizations, NGO's, not-for-profit organizations and local communities save money, engage employees and residents, and become better stewards of the environment. Learn more at LeanSixSigmaForGood.com Keywords: Lean, Six Sigma, Environment, Sustainability, Green, Energy Reduction, Energy Conservation, Carbon Footprint, Triple Bottom Line, Eco-friendly, Environmental Sustainability, Water Conservation, Lean Six Sigma, Business Improvement, Process Efficiency, Zero Waste, Waste Reduction, Efficiency, Poverty, Donations, Homelessness, Healthcare more

Formerly known as 'Lean Whiskey.' Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh share more than just their MIT degrees: they're authors, speakers, and trusted voices in the Lean community... plus they're both serious about their coffee. Each episode offers insightful discussions on essential topics like operational excellence, leadership effectiveness, organizational culture, problem-solving strategies, innovation, and building a thriving Lean culture. Whether you're an experienced executive, an ambitious manager, or someone passionate about elevating organizational performance, Lean Coffee Talk provides practical wisdom you can apply directly to your workplace. They bring expertise without the complexity because Lean doesn't have to be rocket science. Their takes are bold and their insights are fresh. welcome to Lean Coffee Talk... Where Lean wisdom is brewed and served. Mark Graban: http://markgraban.com/ Jamie Flinchbaugh: https://jflinch.com/ Podcast home: https://leancoffeetalk.com/ Note: The first 50 episodes were done under the theme and name of 'Lean Whiskey' more

The official podcast of the Lean Enterprise Institute.

We deliver practical insights and real-world strategies for Lean, Six Sigma, and Operational Excellence. Through lessons from KaiNexus webinars and conversations with customers, improvement leaders, and team members, each episode explores what it takes to build a resilient culture of Continuous Improvement. Learn how organizations engage employees, strengthen problem-solving capability, and sustain meaningful operational results across industries. Whether you're new to CI or leading major transformation, this podcast offers tools and perspectives you can put to work immediately. more

OnlineBound with Elena Mutonono is a podcast for online language teachers and coaches who are tired of cramming more client hours into their day and look for ways to grow their business in a smart, lean and sustainable way.In this podcast we explore the topics of authenticity, sustainability, values, efficiency, resilience and creativity when running an online teaching business in an oversaturated language teaching market.We will broaden our horizons, challenge our mindset and forge our own paths amidst loud and demanding voices of scarcity and pursuit of fast profits at any cost.Together we will build resilience as we journey into the unknown, commitment to the change we seek to make and faith in creating a better world by connecting people across cultures through teaching languages online. more

A Continuous Improvement gabfest where Tracy O'Rourke and Elisabeth Swan share what's new in the world of Lean Six Sigma. more

Industry veterans Mark Martincic, John Whitnell and Keith Ely have watched the dealership world change a lot throughout their decades working in it, and they look forward to commiserating, reminiscing, reflecting and observing on their many cumulative years as consultants, talking about what the future may hold for this industry, discussing 'good reads' as well as providing insight into what is occurring in our current projects. more

Lean Leadership for Ops Managers is a podcast for leaders in Ops Management who've had some targeted success with Lean, but haven't yet built the everybody-everywhere-everyday improvement culture they crave. In each episode, former Fortune 100 Ops Executive and Lean Enthusiast Jamie V. Parker will teach you how to engage your team, develop a Lean culture, and still get your day job done. more