Leadership Excellence

Leadership Excellence Podcast Leadership Excellence is a weekly podcast for aspiring and established leaders who want to grow beyond tactics and titles—and develop the habits, mindset, and discipline required for sustained excellence. Hosted by George Trachilis with Dr. Tom Lawless , the podcast explores the human side of leadership —where purpose, identity, self‑development, and performance intersect. Each episode features real conversations, practical insights, and lived experience from leaders, practitioners, and guests who understand that leadership begins from within. Drawing from Lean leadership, the Harada Method, continuous improvement, mental fitness, and values‑based leadership , Leadership Excellence goes beyond goal‑setting to focus on daily practice, self‑reliance, and building people who can lead themselves—and others—through change. Whether you’re leading a team, a business

Leadership Excellence is a business podcast hosted by George Trachilis, with 19 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

George Trachilis hosts Leadership Excellence, a business show with 19 episodes published.

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  Episode #8

  S2E8 - Developing People and Partners

  May 9, 202623 minS2

  <p>Send us Fan Mail</p><p>Leadership Excellence Podcast</p><p>If processes are the delivery mechanism for value…<br/> then people are the engine that makes them improve.</p><p>In Season 2, Episode 8, we explore the third “P” of the Toyota Way: <b>People and Partners</b> — and why development, not training, is the true competitive advantage.</p><p>Most organizations say, “People are our greatest asset.”</p><p>Toyota proves it.</p><p>In this episode, we unpack:</p>✅ Why respect means challenge, not comfort✅ The difference between training hours and real capability✅ Why development happens at the <b>gemba</b>, n...

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  Episode #7

  S2E7 – Integrated Lean Systems

  Apr 16, 202642 minS2

  <p>Send us Fan Mail</p><p>Leadership Excellence Podcast</p><p>What is the true delivery mechanism in your organization?</p><p>In this episode of the <b>Leadership Excellence Podcast</b>, we explore one of the most misunderstood — yet foundational — principles of lean leadership:</p><p><b>Processes are the delivery mechanism for value.</b></p><p>Most organizations are structured vertically — purchasing, engineering, operations, sales — each optimized for its own metrics. But customers don’t experience departments.</p><p>They experience <b>processes.</b></p><p>And when those processes are disconnected, buffered by inventory, or hidden behind sil...

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  Episode #6

  S2E6 - True North Values: Continuous Improvement, Respect for People & Lean Leadership

  Mar 29, 202627 minS2

  <p>Send us Fan Mail</p><p>In this episode, George and Tom explore the meaning of <b>True North Values</b> through the lens of Toyota’s philosophy and Lean leadership.</p><p>At the beginning of the episode, <b>Dr. Jeff Liker</b> shares insights from his in-depth study of Toyota, explaining how its philosophy is built on the two inseparable pillars of <b>Continuous Improvement</b> and <b>Respect for People</b>. He discusses Toyota’s five foundational values—Challenge, Kaizen, Genchi Genbutsu (go and see), Respect, and Teamwork—and clarifies that True North is not a quarterl...

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  Episode #5

  S2E5 - TPS Origins – The Thinking Production System

  Mar 15, 202627 minS2

  <p>Send us Fan Mail</p><p>What if the Toyota Production System was never about efficiency?</p><p>In this episode, George Trachilis and Dr. Tom Lawless explore the true origins of TPS — and challenge one of the biggest misunderstandings in modern Lean thinking.</p><p>Taiichi Ohno didn’t begin with Kanban.<br/> He didn’t begin with standard work.<br/> He didn’t begin with tools.</p><p>He began with people.</p><p>Starting in a simple machine shop cell, Ohno experimented relentlessly. He learned that flexibility required multi-skilled people. That productivity required coaching. That improvement required l...

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  Episode #4

  S2E4 - Problem Solving the Toyoda Way: The Toyota Way & True Lean Leadership

  Mar 4, 20261h 16mS2

  <p>Send us Fan Mail</p><p>🎙 <b>Leadership Excellence with Dr. Liker, Dr. Lawless & George Trachilis</b><br/> <b>Season 2 – Episode 4</b><br/> <b>Lesson #2 of 75</b></p><p>Watch here: 👉 https://youtu.be/6R5fafiT4a4</p><p>In this powerful episode of the <b>Leadership Excellence Podcast</b>, Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Dr. Tom Lawless, and George Trachilis explore the deeper meaning behind The Toyoda Way and what Lean leadership truly represents.</p><p>This is <b>Lesson #2 of 75</b> in our complete Leadership Excellence development series.</p><p>Most leaders think Lean is about waste reduction, tools, and effi...

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