The combination of southern hospitality and a structured recipe for lean operational success has led me to a passion for continuous improvement. I owe this passion and thinking to many mentors or sensei over the years. From the front porch to the board room, these lessons have translated into something a little bit simple but also a little bit unique. There are four key pillars in which this book has been created. Lessons: translating southern flair into improvement Questions: the best teachers ask the best questions Applications: effective lessons must be practiced to be effective Fun: passion translates to loving what you are doing for the right reasons The key lessons in lean include understanding the language of lean that anyone can understand, learning critical thinking elements that all leaders should know in order to successfully lead people and manage processes, creating system thinking and understanding, and learning tools that you can immediately implement at your company to engage your workforce and instantly uncover waste. This book has been designed to take your team on a structured and sustainable journey of improvement, not only as a team. It will also challenge your personal spirit of leadership. By applying these lessons in a fun way, it will inspire the entire team to take your company to a level of excellence.