Everyone, even within Toyota, has to work at developing and sustaining their kaizen mindset. Over four decades, Nate Furuta has supported and led some of the most important initiatives in Toyota’s history – from the establishment of the NUMMI joint venture with General Motors to the launch of the company’s first wholly owned manufacturing operation outside Japan in Georgetown, Kentucky – at the time when the carmaker was going global.

This book sheds a light on the pivotal role that human- resource management has played in the history of Toyota, providing a deep dive into the way senior leaders devise and execute the company’s strategy while developing capabilities. Key to this is creating the awareness, attitude, capability, and practice of identifying problems as the company strives to reach its goals – which becomes a self-reinforcing loop propelling it toward meeting its purpose.

Author Furuta reveals Toyota’s general management systems and describes, with stories and real-life examples, the attitude, behaviors, and systems needed to successfully initiate and lead a true lean operation.