Lean has a longer and more color ful history than most of us think, with

Decision-making. For the German 

army, decision-making became intuitive 

based on training and experience, which 

made decisions on the battlefield easier 

and faster. Also, decisions were made at 

the lowest levels by tank commanders 

in the field, not lawmakers or generals. 

There was extensive communication 

so that top generals were rapidly made 

aware of developments, but generals 

were there to support the decisions 

made in the field, so long as they were 

in line with the strategy and the mission. 

One of the main reasons Lean is 

failing in some American companies 

is that top management isn’t willing 

to give up decision-making power. It 

takes a high degree of trust. Oftentimes 

leaders can’t bring themselves to trust 

their teams to make the key decisions 

needed for day-to-day action.