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THE TOYOTA WAY TO LEAN LEADERSHIP: ACHIEVING AND SUSTAINING EXCELLENCE THROUGH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT By Jeffery K. Liker & Gary L. Convis New York, NY: McGraw-Hill (2012) Hardcover, 280 pages
Reviewed by WENDY KEOUGH
Leaders do not become leaders by accident. They develop into great leaders through intentional training, learning, and doing, especially when they are able to look for a fresh per- spective as they seek solutions for a new problem. The automotive indus- try may seem an unlikely source for methods on Christian leadership; yet, having worked in this industry for some time myself, I feel that it is a worthwhile area of study. Relentless change, intense competition, and cus- tomer expectations shaped by con- stant innovation have forced car com- panies to seek new approaches not only to production, but also to devel- oping the people and leaders who do the producing. Churches have started to notice that, while they are not sell- ing cars, they ignore their changing environment at their own peril.
At first sight, Liker and Convis seem to write only for business lead- ers. They suggest that by incorporat- ing "the Toyota Way," organizations can be strengthened, become more profitable, or even come back to life after a crisis. Toyota's "lean manufac- turing" process is well documented, but what are less apparent are the innovative leadership processes behind the success of Toyota. "Toyota is unique for its combination of deep...