An exploration of the leadership attributes and methods associated with successful lean system deployments in acute care hospitals

The lean system has been shown to be a viable and sustainable solution for the growing number of cost, quality, and efficiency issues in the health care industry. While there is a growing body of evidence to support the outcomes that can be achieved as a result of the successful application of the lean system in hospital organizations, there is not a complete understanding of the leadership attributes and methods that are necessary to achieve successful widespread mobilization and sustainment. This study was an exploration of leadership and its relevant association with successful lean system deployments in acute care hospitals. This research employed an exploratory qualitative research design encompassing a research questionnaire and telephonic interviews of 25 health care leaders in 8 hospital organizations across the United States. The results from this study identified the need to have a strong combination of personal characteristics, learned behaviors, strategies, tools, and tactics that evolved into a starting adaptable framework for health care leaders to leverage when starting their own transformational change journeys using the lean system. Health care leaders could utilize the outcomes reported in this study as a conduit to enhance the effective deployment, widespread adoption, and sustainment of the lean system in practice.