

Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership
Ron Pereira: Lean Thinker & Co-Founder of Gemba Academy
Improvement Learning, Improved.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 23, 2025 • 38min
GA 603 | The Culture of Calm with Gui Costin
This week’s guest is Gui Costin. Ron and Gui discuss fostering a calm company culture, bringing out the best in people, dealing with different generations and personality types in the workplace, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Gui’s favorite quote (2:49)
His background (4:22)
The concept of continuous improvement culture (5:45)
The definition of kindness (10:46)
Gui’s take on personality types (13:53)
The culture of calm (18:01)
Managing employees of a younger generation (21:04)
Some actionable steps you can take to improve your company’s culture (30:50)
Gui’s final words of wisdom (36:44)
Podcast Resources
Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3
Gui on LinkedIn
The Dakota Way
Gui’s Website
Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy
Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here.
What Do You Think?
How do you deal with generational differences at work?

Oct 16, 2025 • 29min
GA 602 | Clues from the Factory Parking Lot with George Pesansky
This week’s guest is George Pesansky. Ron and George discussed taking gemba walks, what we can learn from factory parking lots, the Kano model, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.
In this episode you’ll learn:
George’s quote (2:51)
His background (4:39)
His take on gemba walks (6:33)
Leadership and setting expectations (9:28)
The idea of failure (11:37)
Clues from the factory parking lot (14:03)
The Kano model (15:43)
How George uses A3s (21:09)
His final words of wisdom (27:18)
Podcast Resources
Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3
George’s Website
“Superperformance” on Amazon
Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy
Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here.
What Do You Think?
How else could the Kano model be used in continuous improvement?

Oct 9, 2025 • 36min
GA 601 | The Power of NLP with Josh Davis and Greg Prosmushkin
This week’s guests are Josh Davis and Greg Prosmushkin. Ron, Josh, and Greg discussed NLP, or Neuro-Linguistic Programming, why it matters, how it can help in difficult situations, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Their favorite quotes (3:07)
Their backgrounds (4:21)
What NLP is and why we should care (7:38)
What a well-formed outcome means (10:47)
Whether or not NLP is manipulative (15:38)
Examples of when NLP has helped others (17:59)
The techniques of NLP (20:27)
How NLP can help in difficult situations (24:17)
What NLP helps (29:29)
Podcast Resources
Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3
The Difference That Makes the Difference
Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy
Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here.
What Do You Think?
Have you heard of NLP before?

Oct 2, 2025 • 26min
GA 600 | Reflecting on Six Hundred Episodes with Ron Pereira
This week we’re celebrating our 600th episode. Our Director of Studios Greg Nickell asked Ron about the company’s growth over the years, the challenges we’ve faced, what we hope the next generation will take away from our videos, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Ron’s favorite quote (1:07)
His background (1:32)
How Gemba Academy began (3:24)
The role of timing in Gemba Academy’s success (7:30)
Some of our early challenges (10:20)
What our library looks like now (12:45)
Our focus on helping people solve problems (14:36)
An anecdocte about a particularly powerful transformation (16:30)
Whether or not Ron practices continuous improvement at home (18:39)
The famous dishwasher video (20:11)
What Ron hopes the next generation will take from Gemba Academy (21:30)
What Ron would tell his younger self (22:47)
About the power of showing up (23:43)
Ron’s words of wisdom (24:55)
Podcast Resources
Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3
Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy
Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here.
What Do You Think?
Do you have a favorite episode or moment from the first 600 episodes of the podcast?

Sep 25, 2025 • 31min
GA 599 | Coaching Different Personalities with Melissa Sherman
This week’s guest is Melissa Sherman. Ron and Melissa discussed misconceptions about continuous improvement, navigating different personalities, the role coaching plays in change management, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.
In this episode you’ll learn:
The quote that inspires Melissa (2:25)
Her background (3:13)
A misconception about continuous improvement (5:35)
Lean being done “to” people (7:27)
The role of communication (8:32)
An anecdote about change management (11:58)
How Melissa coaches different personalities (15:40)
Dealing with “CAVE” people (17:01)
The role of coaching in continuous improvement and change management (24:53)
Melissa’s take on AI (27:52)
Her final words of wisdom (29:17)
Podcast Resources
Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3
Melissa on LinkedIn
Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy
Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here.
What Do You Think?
How do you deal with different personalities?

Sep 18, 2025 • 31min
GA 598 | Making Lean Work with Darren Walsh
This week’s guest is Darren Walsh, an experienced Lean practitioner and author of 'Making Lean Work'. He shares insights on common pitfalls in continuous improvement and effective countermeasures. Darren emphasizes the importance of starting with daily management practices and offers actionable advice like using progress boards. He also discusses five key leadership routines to foster sustainable improvement. The conversation is packed with practical wisdom for transforming organizations through Lean principles.

Sep 11, 2025 • 26min
GA 597 | Practicing Empathy and Empathetic Listening with Robin Hills
This week’s guest is Robin Hills. Robin and Ron discussed emotional intelligence, unconscious bias, the importance of empathy and active listening, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Robin’s quote (2:55)
How Robin defines emotional intelligence (4:43)
How it plays into righteous anger (7:03)
Avoiding manipulative behavior (9:38)
Robin’s thoughts on unconscious bias (10:42)
Practicing empathy (13:42)
The importance of pausing after listening (14:50)
How Robin practices this (17:38)
The future of emotional intelligence (20:03)
Robin’s final words of wisdom (23:31)
Podcast Resources
Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3
GA 554 | Leveraging Emotional Intelligence
Robin on LinkedIn
Robin’s Website
Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy
Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here.
What Do You Think?
How do you practice empathy at work?

Sep 4, 2025 • 31min
GA 596 | Taking Stock of Your Leadership with Grace Gavin
Grace Gavin shares insights on fostering honesty and accountability in the workplace. The conversation explores how company hierarchies impact open communication. It delves into the primal fears that hinder authentic interactions and emphasizes the need for empathetic leadership. Grace also provides practical tips for personal career growth and stresses the importance of building meaningful connections. Overall, the discussion encourages leaders to reflect on their own style and continuously improve for the benefit of their teams.

Aug 28, 2025 • 38min
GA 595 | Dynamic Work Design with Don Kieffer
This week’s guest is Don Kieffer. Ron and Don discussed the concept of dynamic work design, their individual takes on AI, Don’s book, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Don’s quotes (2:13)
His background (5:23)
Why Don wrote his book (9:35)
What a dynamic work design is (13:46)
Don’s process (16:34)
Some example situations (18:45)
What has surprised Don (22:10)
Don’s take on AI (24:59)
Achieving the right balance using dynamic work design (30:02)
How it compares to TWI (32:46)
Don’s final words of wisdom (34:22)
Podcast Resources
Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3
There’s Got to Be a Better Way
The Most Underrated Skill in Management
Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy
Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here.
What Do You Think?
Have you used dynamic work design before?

Aug 21, 2025 • 32min
GA 594 | Common Failures in Modern Leadership with William C. Davis
This week’s guest is William C. Davis. Ron and William discussed some defining moments in William’s impressive career, what leaders are doing wrong nowadays, dealing with tricky and uncomfortable situations, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.
In this episode you’ll learn:
The quotes William likes (2:24)
His background (3:25)
Some of the common failures of modern leadership (8:51)
William’s take on the status quo (13:32)
The most common failures in leadership (15:31)
His outlook on the future (19:40)
Some practical solutions (20:46)
Dealing with difficult situations (25:52)
His final words of wisdom (30:22)
Podcast Resources
Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3
William’s Website
Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy
Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here.
What Do You Think?
What are some other issues you’ve noticed in leadership today?


