For more than 60 years, a few organizations have followed what is known as the "Scanlon Plan" for employee engagement. Some early benefits were achieved and employee satisfaction was high in these companies, such as Donnelly Corporation and Herman Miller Office Furniture. Likewise, for more than 30 years now, US and European companies have been studying and adapting the Toyota Production System (TPS), which has been dubbed as "Lean." Again, some long-term benefits have been achieved, but many have not transformed their workplace culture or achieved operational excellence.

The Leadership Roadmap combines the two philosophies of both employee engagement and Lean into one concise and understandable system for leaders to follow. If leaders truly want success like Toyota, they must understand it is the combination of TPS with total employee engagement that made this company a sustaining industry leader. By following the outlined system, leaders will not only make a more successful organization for all stakeholders but will truly enhance their employee satisfaction with their daily work.

This book is not just for CEOs, CFOs, and others at the executive level – it is for employees in human resources or project development, the plant manager or first line supervisor. Essentially, it is for anyone in the organization who shares a strong commitment to the foundational premise of integrating the leadership of people, Lean transformation, and innovation systems. The Leadership Roadmap is a practical resource that will foster a new generation of roving leaders -- committed team members who are willing to step up and fill a void and who lead by asking questions that trigger positive change rather than simply giving orders. These new leaders will understand that while the framework for achieving success is simple, the implementation can be complex and daunting, requiring a firm and enduring dedication to renewal, and a step-by-step guide to show them the way.