Chain of Learning: Leadership Strategies for Continuous Improvement and Transformational Change copertina

Chain of Learning: Leadership Strategies for Continuous Improvement and Transformational Change

Chain of Learning: Leadership Strategies for Continuous Improvement and Transformational Change

Di: Katie Anderson
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A proposito di questo titolo

 Chain of Learning® is the trusted leadership podcast for transformational change leaders, Lean and operational excellence practitioners, and internal change agents who believe that people—not tools—are the foundation of sustainable results. If you’re committed to continuous improvement and continuous learning, and want to build a culture where teams are capable, confident, and empowered to solve problems, innovate, and lead at every level—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 at all levels move from transactional “doing” to a vibrant, engaged culture of learning—where people and process lead to organizational success. Each biweekly episode offers practical insights, reflective questions, and real-world examples to help you: * Build high-performing learning cultures * Strengthen continuous improvement, influence, and Lean leadership capabilities * Lead transformational change with intention * Develop people through problem-solving, coaching, and leadership development * Improve performance while investing in human potential Grounded in human-centered leadership and the principles of the Toyota Way, the podcast features conversations with influential thinkers and practitioners shaping the future of organizational learning, operational excellence, and change leadership. Past guests include Carol Dweck, Michael Bungay Stanier, Jim Womack, Gene Kim, and Larry Culp. Through thoughtful conversations, real-world stories, and practical reflection, you’ll learn how leadership behaviors, learning mindsets, and systems thinking come together to create sustainable impact. Subscribe and follow Chain of Learning® to deepen your impact—and share this podcast with your friends, fellow change leaders, and colleagues so that we can strengthen our Chain of Learning together. Podcast website: ChainOfLearning.com Katie Anderson’s website: KBJAnderson.com Connect with Katie: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson Read Katie's award-winning book: LearningToLeadLeadingToLearn.com Download the KATALYST™ Change Leader Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/Katalyst© 2026 Integrand LLC | Katie Anderson Consulting Economia Gestione e leadership Management
Episodi
  • 65| From Learning to Impact: Turn Insight into Leadership Action

    65| From Learning to Impact: Turn Insight into Leadership Action
    Feb 4 2026
    What if the reason your learning feels productive—but your impact feels stuck—has nothing to do with effort?Many change leaders and improvement practitioners are excellent learners. You’re likely a Learning Enthusiast—like me. You read the books, attend the workshops, listen to podcasts, and gather ideas with genuine enthusiasm.And yet, despite all that effort, learning doesn’t always turn into impact. In fact, it can sometimes lead to overwhelm or paralysis—more ideas, more options, and less clarity about what to actually do.I’ve lived this pattern myself, and I see it again and again in my work with leaders around the world. When learning becomes something we collect rather than something we practice—and bring to fruition through our habits—it stalls our impact.The challenge isn’t gaining more knowledge.It’s learning how to turn insight into behavior—and connect behavior to results.In this episode, I explore a critical shift: moving from the Chain of Learning® to a Chain of Impact.Instead of treating continuous learning as something to acquire, I invite you to see learning as something to harvest—by making the value chain of impact explicit: turning insight into specific behaviors, practicing them deliberately through doing and reflection, and connecting that practice to the impact it creates for people and results.If you care deeply about learning, growth, and people—and want to build the capability to translate learning into action and impact—this episode will help you do exactly that.YOU’LL LEARNHow to recognize when learning feels productive but isn’t changing how you actually show up as a leaderHow to make the connection between learning, behavior, and impact visible—and actionableWhy behaviors—not intentions, traits, or inspiration—are the real bridge between learning and resultsHow treating leadership actions as experiments helps you learn by doing and reflection, not just aiming for a targetWhy harvesting learning means finishing what’s ready—not endlessly adding more ideas or initiativesIMPORTANT LINKS:Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/65 Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.comDownload my free KATALYST™ Change Leader Self-Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/katalyst Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: kbjanderson.com/japantripTIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:00:59 Why doing more is not mean progress02:13 The invisible trap of when we are focused on learning vs. putting it into practice02:27 Harvest - what it means and why it’s a fitting word for 2026 05:04 The difference between learning and behavior in creating impact05:25 How to apply Intention = Heart + Direction® to close the execution gap07:40 Four key practices to take action on learning to impact your work and life 07:48 [ONE] Make the learning itself concrete and specific09:00 [TWO] Focus on specific observable behaviors, not traits that we want to develop10:48 [THREE] Identify the gap you want to close and identify what you expect to happen and the impact when you put the learning into practice11:42 [FOUR] Reflect and adjust for accelerated improvement12:49 Where intention stems from and why intention plus direction is important to see results13:54 How leaders turn into impact through the Immersive Japan Leadership Experience14:52 Three open ended questions for leaders to reflect on to create a clear action plan17:07 Josef’s experience in shifting from being seen as an expert to a trusted partner18:06 Questions to ask to help break the telling habit21:12 How the meaning of “harvest” is focused on collaboration and creating the space for others to grow22:40 Reflection questions to reflect on to make an impact through your behaviorP.S. This episode happens to be released on my birthday 🎉 If Chain of Learning has made a difference for you, a quick rating and review would mean a lot—and helps others discover the show. Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or rating and comments on an episode on Spotify or YouTube. If Chain of Learning has made a difference for you, a quick rating and review would mean a lot—and helps others discover the show. Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or rating and comments on an episode on Spotify or YouTube.
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    25 min
  • 64| Stop Doing Transformation—and Start Enabling It: Redefine Your Role as a Change Leader [with Jill Forrester]

    64| Stop Doing Transformation—and Start Enabling It: Redefine Your Role as a Change Leader [with Jill Forrester]
    Jan 21 2026
    Apply for the Japan Leadership Experience here:https://kbjanderson.com/japantrip/What if the reason leading your organization’s transformation feels heavy isn’t the work itself—but the role you’ve been playing as a change leader?If you’re a change leader, continuous improvement professional, or internal consultant, this tension may feel familiar. You’re helping. You’re busy. You’re delivering results. And before you realize it, you’re wearing every hat—facilitator, teacher, problem-solver, checker—all at once.That was my experience too as an internal change leader. And it’s a pattern I see again and again in my work with internal change leaders and continuous improvement practitioners: when we’re not clear on our role, we become the doers of transformation—when our real work is to enable others to lead it.In this episode of Chain of Learning, I’m joined by Jill Forrester, Director of Continuous Improvement at 3sHealth, to explore the leadership shift that changed how she and her team show up—and the impact they’re having—by moving from helping to intentionally creating the conditions for learning and ownership.If you’ve ever felt the weight of carrying organizational transformation on your shoulders, this conversation will help you see why—and how redefining your role and how you help can change everything.You’ll LearnWhy internal change leaders often become the default doers—and why that role isn’t sustainableHow lack of role clarity creates confusion, overburden, and dependency for leaders and their internal clientsWhat it really means to create the experience for learning, not just drive improvement outcomesWhy clarifying and labeling your role and intention changes how others engageHow shifting from doing to enabling builds capability, ownership, and sustainable transformationABOUT MY GUEST:Jill Forrester has been a leader in health system transformation since 2012. She has collaboratively guided the development of a comprehensive management system at 3sHealth, encompassing patient and customer engagement, problem-solving and process redesign, strategic visioning and deployment, performance measurement, leadership coaching and development, and employee engagement. Jill is an active member of a strong provincial network of continuous quality improvement leaders dedicated to strengthening Saskatchewan’s health system through learning-centered, people-focused practices.IMPORTANT LINKS:Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/64 Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.comConnect with Jill Forrester: linkedin.com/in/jill-forrester Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjandersonDownload my free KATALYST™ Change Leader Self-Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/katalyst Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: kbjanderson.com/japantripDiscover how to get out of the Doer Trap: kbjanderson.com/doertrap TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:03:27 Jill’s new role director of continuous improvement and when she realized she needed to make a shift05:00 The question, “Are we actually helping”? that changed how Jill viewed her role07:01 Why starting a training with questions makes a bigger impact10:12 Why opening up space for others to learn and contribute can improve engagement13:56 Two shifts Jill and her team made to clarify their roles for better continuous improvement outcomes and build confidence16:07 Labeling your role (even when it feels awkward) to better guide others to transformation22:47 What lead Jill to invest in the Japan Leadership Experience to take her leadership to the next level25:14 Seeing quality as trust and quality as love to reshape how you think about improvement25:44 What good 5S is as something you feel instead of a checklist27:16 An example of 5S in the Japanese culture29:20 The importance of long term thinking to sustain your company for decades30:42 How giving with two hands can be applied to your organization to show respect and support others33:08 The impact of creating space for others to ask questions and learn more quickly35:05 Doing less doing and creating the conditions to increase results and coach more effectively37:15 Reflections to shift from doers to catalysts of change 38:29 Top recommendation for change leaders and continuous improvement practitioners who want to show up in that different space from doing to enabling40:35 Your role as a change leader and creating an experience for others to learn and to lead change themselves42:38 The impact of an intention pause before your next meeting or discussion to help you shift from doing to enabling Apply for the Japan Leadership Experience here:https://kbjanderson.com/japantrip/
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    45 min
  • 63| Close the Execution Gap: How Leaders Turn Sustainability Intent into Action [with Rose Heathcote]

    63| Close the Execution Gap: How Leaders Turn Sustainability Intent into Action [with Rose Heathcote]
    Jan 7 2026
    Many major transformations, including lean and sustainability—don’t stall because leaders don’t care. They stall because of an execution gap: the gap between what organizations say matters and what actually shows up in daily work, decisions, and priorities.When you hear the word sustainability, what comes to mind first?If it’s recycling, you’re not alone. But sustainability is far bigger—and more complex—than end-point solutions that address the symptoms of deeper problems. As this episode reveals, sustainability efforts—are stuck in the execution gap between intent and action.In this episode of Chain of Learning, I’m joined by Rose Heathcote, sustainability expert, lean adviser, and author, to explore sustainability as a leadership and transformation challenge, not just an environmental one.Together, we discuss why sustainability often lives in strategy decks and slogans, but struggles to take root in everyday work, and how leaders can shift their focus upstream to close that gap: to how work is designed, how problems are framed, and how people learn to see new kinds of waste and impact.This conversation goes beyond sustainability to address a pattern that shows up in any transformation—lean, AI-enabled change, or building a people-first learning organization. If you’re working to close the gap between intention and execution, this episode offers perspective and practical starting points for leading meaningful change that lasts.You’ll Learn:What sustainability really means—and why it’s often treated as an aspiration instead of embedded in daily workWhat the sustainability execution gap is, and why it mirrors lean and culture-change failuresWhy shifting problem-solving upstream—from symptoms to root causes—is critical for creating lasting impactHow lean thinking and problem-solving skills enable sustainability and organizational transformation when paired with influence and change leadership skillsWhy speaking the language of business matters for gaining leadership buy-in—and how AI can be used as a thinking partner to support systems thinking and better decisionsABOUT MY GUEST:Rose Heathcote is a speaker, adviser, and Chartered Environmentalist who works at the intersection of Lean thinking and sustainability. She is the founder of Thinking People and the author of "Green Is the New Gold." With decades of experience supporting organizations across industries and regions, Rose focuses on helping leaders move sustainability from aspiration to everyday practice through systems thinking, problem-solving, and people-centered change.IMPORTANT LINKS:Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/63 Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.comConnect with Rose Heathcote: linkedin.com/in/rose-heathcote Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjandersonDownload my free KATALYST™ Change Leader Self-Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/katalyst Learn more about Rose’s book, “Green is the New Gold”: learn.thinking-people.co.uk/courses/green-is-the-new-gold Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: kbjanderson.com/japantrip TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:01:04 Why the real challenge with sustainability starts with where the conversation begins02:39 A broader definition of sustainability meeting the needs of people, planet, and future generations04:16 Why people mistake sustainability for “recycling”05:54 The execution gap lean leaders keep running into07:43 A real-world example: when “people first” and sustainability don’t show up in the metrics09:58 Important shifts leaders must make to close the execution gap11:26 Seeing waste, energy loss, and impact through a green lens14:06 Using AI as a thinking partner, not a replacement15:16 The skills leaders must develop in an AI-driven world16:41 How multidisciplinary thinking led to a smarter, more sustainable solution19:19 Why sustainability requires systems thinking across the value chain20:23 How to make progress towards big challenges23:05 The meaning of the Japanese concept, “sanpo yori” and “yanpo yori” for goodness in four ways and happiness for the long term view24:33 How the book “Green is the New Gold,” came to be27:10 Three ways to build better products and be more efficient while reducing impacts on the planet29:19 What we are doing well as a global community to make improvements towards sustainability31:31 How to broaden your lens and use what you already know to do more good32:35 Practical first steps lean leaders can take to apply a sustainability lens at work34:29 Why productivity alone doesn’t reduce damage to the environment36:45 A simple reflection on looking upstream to improve sustainability Apply for the Japan Leadership Experience here:https://kbjanderson.com/japantrip/
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    40 min
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