CBS Training

Lean Leadership: A Hands-On Approach to Problem Solving and Continuous Improvement

A Proven Leadership Approach to Productivity Improvement & Employee Engagement

In today’s complex, ever changing organizations, lean ways of thinking are are an essential tool of response. For improved efficiency, reduced waste, increased collaboration, adapting to change and continuous improvement, lean principles have stood the test of time for many decades now.

Lean is a way of thinking and acting, enabling success across diverse types of organizations, large and small. Lean is an offering of tools and frameworks, refined, practiced and perfected over decades. Lean is designed to help both leaders and members of teams respond rapidly to a changing world, without compromising reliability.

Success in lean increases stability and responsiveness to change at the same time. Also, it optimizes efficiency, increases innovation and increases team engagement.

So please join us for this one day workshop, focused on concrete, takeaway practice and skills. It equips first-time or experienced leaders, or team members with the fundamental skills needed to learn and practice lean in their real professional lives immediately.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the workshop, you will be able to

  • Understand the most important lean leadership approaches
  • Organize yourself and your teams in new, lean-aligned ways
  • Practice a new skill to measure and improve lean performance
  • Implement key tools and techniques as a lean leader, for greater success
  • Distinguish lean leadership from traditional management
  • Using lean for greater employee engagement
  • Overcome common challenges which arise when embracing the lean way of working
Course Outline
  • Introduction to the lean mindset; case study of success
  • How lean is more about learning/experimenting than about already knowing
  • Why coaching is so important for lean leadership and how anyone can get better at it
  • Why flow is a fundamental measure: what is it, how is it measured, and how does it eliminate waste in the value chain?
  • How assumptions hinder us in traditional management – and what to do about them
  • Why the minimum viable product or service is essential for lean success
  • How to create greater engagement in lean teams, especially when things change or go wrong
  • Why collaboration across the entire value stream is vital for lean success
Who Should Attend

Formal leaders, aspirational leaders, project managers without line manager responsibility and team members. Those who wish to have a deeper understanding of how to apply lean methods in their professional environments. Lean is applicable for government, business, educational or non-profit organizations.

Professionals in the HR or Learning & Development domains who wish to apply lean across their organization by experiencing it for themselves.

Those interested in improving employee engagement. Those who want teams to speak up more with creative suggestions for new opportunities or to resolve long term problems. Those interested in building a culture of continuous improvement.

Testimonials
  • “I had the pleasure of learning hands-on techniques with Ravi last year. I was impressed by his knowledge and commitment. We all knew the basics by the end of the day”
  • “Ravi is clearly familiar with the lean and agile mindsets. He is polished in his delivery of the course. The “hands-on” aspect was exciting for us all – we don’t usually get such practice in workshops”
  • “You inspire all of us to stay curious, be open and keep learning”
  • “Thanks for this wonderful event! Love your passion”
  • “I had no idea that lean was natural and easy to learn. We live our lives this way already and we should be doing much more of this at the company”
About The Trainer

A middle-aged person with short gray hair and glasses, wearing a colorful patterned shirt, smiling at the camera against a white background.

With over 25 years’ experience as a leader, trainer, coach and mentor, Ravi Agarwal is an accomplished expert in developing individual potential and team success. He has led teams as a formal manager, ranging from small groups to large departments.

Previous workshop participants appreciate Ravi’s ability to build team competencies that align with organizational strategy, helping others achieve remarkable results in their careers. His approach is rooted in the belief that the most powerful learning happens when people connect with their own humanity. Through authentic, empathetic engagement, whether one-on-one or in groups, he creates a space where participants can reach new depths of learning and growth.

He specializes in character-centered skills that are essential for effective leadership and performance. His workshops cover topics such as the lean mindset for organizations, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, agile product development, psychological safety and meaning making. Ravi’s facilitation style is innovative and immersive; he not only teaches concepts but embodies them, allowing participants to learn by observing and engaging in real time. He distinguishes himself by only training skills that he is always trying to master, bringing an unusual authenticity to his workshops.