What does Toyota do instead of the usual leadership tactics?

In this insightful podcast episode, we explore how Toyota’s legendary approach to systems, leadership, and culture offers game-changing lessons for leaders at any scale, whether you're running a massive enterprise or a fast-growing startup.

1. Relentless Focus

At the core of Toyota’s philosophy is a relentless focus on effectiveness and efficiency, not through shortcuts, but by maximizing value-creating work and systematically reducing waste. Leaders will appreciate how Toyota improves quality and speed simultaneously, showing that excellence and efficiency are not opposites but partners.

2. Problem-solving

A key highlight of the discussion is Toyota’s deep-rooted problem-solving culture. Every employee is expected to be a problem-solver, and leadership’s main role is to empower and develop people to do just that. For leaders feeling stuck in firefighting mode, this episode reveals how investing in frontline problem-solving creates a smarter, faster, more resilient organization.

3. Strategic Execution

The episode also dives into strategic execution systems like Hoshin Kanri and PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) — powerful frameworks that ensure organizations focus on a few critical priorities while staying agile through continuous improvement. If you’re struggling with scattered efforts or unclear goals, these methods provide a clear blueprint to tighten focus and accelerate progress.

4. Respect

Another profound takeaway is Toyota’s unique interpretation of “Respect for People.” It’s not just about being kind — it’s about genuinely believing every team member has the ability to improve their work and actively creating a culture where they are expected and empowered to do so.

5. Engaging employees

Finally, leadership development gets a bold reframe: at Toyota, "a manager without a problem is a problem." Leaders aren’t judged by how well they maintain the status quo, but by how deeply they engage with work, remove burdens from their teams, and develop people’s capabilities over time.

If you're a leader aiming to build a high-performing, adaptive, and resilient organization, this episode isn’t optional listening — it’s essential.

Learn more about Mark Reich over at

You can get the Magnetic Systems Method (and other systems guides) to find issues before they become expensive problems.

As always, if you have any questions or want to submit an amazing guest for the podcast, just reach out to me on the Systematic Leader website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Systematic Leader podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

Great leaders don’t always have the answers, but they know how to ask the right questions. In this episode, executive coach Dave unpacks his 5 C’s coaching framework and explains how it helps leaders stay focused, flexible, and impactful in every conversation. He also reveals why “curious humility” is the underrated superpower that separates great coaches from average managers.

Highlights from the interview:

1. Five C’s of coaching

Dave explains his 5-part coaching framework that he developed to structure his coaching calls:

1. Capacity
2. Clarity
3. Celebration
4. Conversation
5. Commitments

This framework provides a consistent structure while allowing flexibility to adjust based on the client's needs.

Listen to the 5-Min Systems Segment on my YouTube channel.

2. Avoiding tangents and staying focused

He shares how the framework helps him keep coaching sessions focused on the most important issues, rather than getting sidetracked by clients wanting to just talk about all the positive things happening. The framework allows him to consistently steer the conversation back to the key priorities.

3. Flexibility within the framework

He explains that he calls it a "framework" rather than a "system" to emphasize the flexibility it provides. The structure can be adjusted based on factors like the client's capacity on a given day, allowing more time for certain parts of the framework as needed.

4. Dave's background and path to coaching

He shares how he was always a talkative kid who was told he "talks too much" on his report cards. This led him to study organizational communications in college and eventually get trained as an executive coach, before transitioning to full-time coaching work.

5. Coaching vs. managing

He distinguishes between coaching, which is about asking powerful questions and holding space for the client to discover solutions, versus managing, which is more prescriptive and directive. He explains how leaders need to know when to coach versus when to manage, based on factors like time constraints and the employee's skills.

6. The power of curiosity and humility in leadership

He emphasizes the importance of leaders cultivating "curious humility" - being genuinely curious to understand their team's perspectives, while also being humble enough to admit when they don't have all the answers. This creates an environment where team members feel empowered to provide feedback and dissenting views.

Learn more about Dave Bates over at Paravelle. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn.

You can get the Magnetic Systems Method (and other systems guides) to find issues before they become expensive problems.

As always, if you have any questions or want to submit an amazing guest for the podcast, just reach out to me on the Systematic Leader website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Systematic Leader podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

Join us for a discussion about building a creative team to grow your company. I interviewed Vincent Wanga, a creative executive and author, about building a resilient and healthy team. One of my favorite parts of this interview was how he used chairs to help him get his point across in a workshop.

Highlights from the interview:

1. Creative facilitation for bridging gaps

Vincent discusses how he uses creative facilitation techniques, such as having participants choose chairs that represent their company, to help bridge communication gaps between business stakeholders and creatives. This allows him to get valuable insights and buy-in for branding and marketing projects.

Watch the 5-minute System on YouTube:

2. Balancing vision and execution as a creative leader

He explains the importance of doing extensive research to understand the client's business, then translating that into clear creative objectives for the team. He discusses the balance of providing creative vision while also overseeing the execution to ensure it meets business goals.

3. Onboarding and managing new hires

He outlines his structured 30-60-90 day onboarding process for new hires, which includes checkpoints to ensure they are set up for success. He emphasizes the importance of getting feedback from new employees to identify and address any obstacles.

4. Scaling a business while maintaining sustainability

He shares his personal struggles with scaling a business too quickly, leading to unsustainable growth. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining business fundamentals, being conservative with resources, and leveraging tools like AI to multiply oneself rather than trying to do everything.

5. Influential leaders and their lessons

He discusses several influential leaders who have shaped his approach, including his sister, parents, and business leaders like Jeff Bezos and James Dyson. He highlights lessons around authenticity, developing other leaders, and balancing design with business objectives.

Learn more about Vincent Wanga on his website. You can connect with him on LinkedIn. You can also check out his book, The Art of Direction.

You can get the Magnetic Systems Method (and other systems guides) to find issues before they become expensive problems.

As always, if you have any questions or want to submit an amazing guest for the podcast, just reach out to me on the Systematic Leader website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Systematic Leader podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!