recommended reading
historical perspective
Lean is not new. Its interesting history dates back to the 1950's financial crisis. And as today's economy proves, history repeats itself. For these reasons, and more, I highly recommend reading history as a means of understanding past, current and future events...
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. Apart from the compelling imagery in The Prince, (the prudent man is like an archer, colonies are keys to an open country, evil brews, etc.), it is the fact that he is so at odds with the orthodoxy of his time that is the real thrill of this Classic. For the reader, trying to apply Lean to a traditional organization, this book offers some thoughtful insights 496 years later...

"...there is nothing more difficult and dangerous, or more doubtful of success than an attempt to introduce any new order of things.For the innovator has for his enemies all those who derived advantages from the old order.while those who expected to be benefitted by the new institutions will be but lukewarm defenders. This indifference arises in part from fear of the adversaries who were favoured by the existing laws, and partly from the incredulity of men who have no faith in anything new that is not the result of well established experience."


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