Lean Leadership: A Study on Lean Leadership Attributes

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the key attributes of Lean leadership that can mitigate barriers faced during the implementation of continuous improvement in the healthcare sector, with a focus on hospitals and clinics. The research is guided by the following question: How can Lean leadership attributes contribute to overcoming barriers in Lean implementation for problem-solving? To address this question, a systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA methodology, covering 54 articles published between 2016 and 2023 in the Science Direct, Emerald, and Scopus databases. The analysis identified 16 Lean leadership attributes: persuasion, communication, analytical vision, adaptability, strategic/objective vision, continuous improvement culture, coaching (training), organizational climate management, resource management, accountability and commitment, self-confidence/self-awareness-based leadership model, resilience, customer focus, empathy-based leadership, ethics/credibility, and delegation and empowerment. Concurrently, 10 major barriers were mapped: resistance to change, organizational culture, limited resources, ineffective communication, process complexity, impatience with delayed results, lack of employee/stakeholder involvement, lack of knowledge and training, lack of planning/conflicting priorities, and lack of top management support/commitment. The attributes were organized into three categories: communication skills, behavioral skills, and decision-making skills. The barriers were also grouped into three types: behavioral, structural, and competency-related. The relationship between these groups resulted in three key premises: (i) Behavioral barriers can be mitigated by communication and decision-making skills; (ii) Structural barriers can be addressed by behavioral and decision-making skills; and (iii) Competency-related barriers can be overcome by communication and behavioral skills. The findings highlight that developing specific Lean leadership competencies is essential to creating an organizational environment conducive to cultural change, team engagement, and the sustainability of Lean practices. Thus, this study provides theoretical and practical insights for training managers capable of leading transformations in complex and dynamic contexts such as healthcare.