Amazon

Continuous Improvement Manager

Area Manager

Site Manager

Junior Site Manager

Syddansk Universitet - University of Southern Denmark

Junior Research Assistant

Kverneland Group Kerteminde A/S

Master Thesis Project

ForeFlight

Data Consultant

Odense University Hospital

Semester Project

Follow for daily posts about Lean, CI & Innovation | Continuous Improvement Manager @ Amazon

Hi!👋 Ivan here

I'm an industrial engineer with 7+ years of experience in Operations Management and Continuous Improvement.

I serve two main groups of people:

	• Business owners and executives who want to turn their broken processes into brilliant ones (and save so much damn money) through Kaizen and Innovation

	• Founders and consulting firm owners within CI, Lean or Innovation who want to promote their businesses and make LinkedIn a legit revenue channel

(DM me for the details) 


I started writing on LinkedIn in October 2023. 

Since then, I have been sharing actionable, educational, and entertaining content to support LinkedIn community members in their continuous improvement journey. This helped me grow my audience from 9,000 to 100,000 followers in a year.

Join my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ddQncJM5

Ivan Carillo

26 Kaizen Leadership Mantras

Here are the 4 principles that I believe are most powerful (and why):

1/ Gemba never lies; go and see for yourself.

I've seen leaders make terrible decisions because they trusted Excel sheets over their own eyes. The problems that cost us millions are often visible on the shopfloor, but nobody bother to look. Reports tell you what people want you to know. Gemba tells you what's actually happening. I think the moment you stop walking the floor is the moment you lose touch with reality. Your operators won't lie to you if you show up regularly, ask good questions, and actually listen to their answers.

2/ Without psychological safety, Kaizen dies.

I've watched brilliant Kaizen programs collapse because people were terrified to speak up. Companies that blame individuals for systemic problems get exactly what they deserve. Silence. Workers hide defects, skip reporting near-misses, and watch waste happen rather than risk looking stupid or getting punished. I think this is why most Kaizen initiatives fail within a year. You can't improve what people won't talk about, and people won't talk about problems in a culture of fear.

3/ The person doing the work knows it best.

I learned this the hard way early in my career when I implemented a Kaizen idea. The operators supported it, then immediately went back to their old method the moment I left. Every time I've ignored frontline expertise, I've wasted time and money solving the wrong problem. I think we underestimate how much knowledge lives in the hands and muscle memory of people who do the same task hundreds of times daily.

4/ Kaizen culture doesn't support strategy. Kaizen culture is strategy.

I spent years thinking CI was something that helped execute our "real" strategy. I was wrong. Companies with a strong Kaizen culture adapt faster, survive disruptions better, and outperform competitors with superior strategic plans. I think this is the principle most executives miss. Your competitors can copy your products in months, but they can't copy a culture where thousands of people solve problems every single day.

P.S. What's your fav one in the list?

Founder of Gemba Walk AI — I help executives cut waste and fix the broken processes costing them millions

Brutal truth: most Kaizen implementations fail within 6 months.

Here's why (and how to fix it):

Common failure pattern..

↓ Launch with great enthusiasm 
↓ Form improvement teams 
↓ Run some workshops 
↓ See initial results 
↓ Get distracted by other priorities 
 ↳ Kaizen activities fade away

The missing ingredient? 
Systems thinking.

Successful Kaizen requires these systems working together:

1/ Total Quality Management

+Customer focus throughout organization
+Process-oriented improvement mindset

2/ Just-In-Time Production

+Elimination of waste in all forms
+Flow-based operations

3/ Total Productive Maintenance

+Equipment reliability and efficiency
+Operator involvement in maintenance

4/ Policy Deployment

+Clear targets cascading from top to bottom
+Aligned improvement efforts

5/ Suggestion Systems

+Employee engagement in daily improvement
+Recognition of participation

6/ Small Group Activities

+Quality circles and improvement teams
+Collaborative problem-solving
 
Most companies try to implement Kaizen 
…without these foundations. 

Remember:

Success requires patience.

+Start with one system
+Build it thoroughly
+Connect it to others gradually

…and never stop improving!

Founder of Gemba Walk AI • I help executives cut waste and fix the broken processes costing them millions

Most companies create fantastic value stream maps.

Then file them away. (I've seen it dozens of times) 

Video credit to Krish Sengottaiyan. Give him a follow

Teams spend weeks mapping their current state. 

They identify waste. 
They draft the future state

Then ...nothing changes.

You know why?

No one is responsible for the customer experience.

Traditional organizations are function-based.

→ Finance reports to CFO 
→ Operations reports to COO 
→ Sales reports to CRO

Each leader knows their department.
But nobody understands how value flows end-to-end.

No single leader owns value stream performance.

"Everyone" is responsible = No one is responsible

VSM needs an owner with authority. 
One leader who can make decisions across silos.

CEO could, but they operate too high to manage CI.

So it's key to assign executive-level VSM ownership. 

Before you map your next value stream, answer this:

Who owns the complete customer journey?

If you can't name them...
save yourself the effort.

P.S. Does anyone in your organization have E2E accountability for value delivery?

I’ve been partnering with CEOs, Board Members, and Senior Leaders to achieve transformational business results by aligning people strategies and operations with bold organizational goals.

I am an internationally experienced HR executive with a proven track record in leading HR strategy and implementation across complex, multinational organizations.
✔️ Strategic thinker who bridges big-picture vision with hands-on execution.
✔️ Trusted partner to C-suite leaders, known for influence, collaboration, and building lasting credibility.
✔️ Champion of innovation, continuous improvement, and delivering exceptional employee experiences that drive business success.

If you’re a CEO, Founder, or Senior Leader looking to:

- build a thriving culture that fuels performance,
- lead with confidence through uncertainty and change, or
- unlock the full potential of your people to drive business growth,

Let’s connect!.

Let's turn challenges into opportunities and ambition into achievement.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A business thrives when its people thrive. Exceptional execution stems from cultures where employees are empowered to exceed expectations - and where leaders create environments that inspire.

I specialize in guiding leaders and organizations through times of uncertainty and rapid change. Whether as an advisor, coach, or mentor, my greatest impact happens where challenges are complex, stakes are high, and the path forward is unclear.

Transformations are never just technical processes. They’re deeply human. True success requires a delicate balance of employee engagement, leadership excellence, cultural alignment, systems thinking, and purposeful people development.

Throughout my career, I’ve built and led HR functions and teams of up to 50 people at global, regional, and country levels. I’ve spearheaded KPI-driven initiatives that accelerated business growth by focusing on what matters most: PEOPLE.

My international experience spans Germany, Switzerland, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Ghana, and South Africa. These diverse contexts have shaped my ability to navigate cultural nuances, drive impactful change, and deliver results across industries and geographies.

Simon Koerner

Most jobs are not rocket science or brain surgery... give people a chance by choosing attitude over knowledge!

Too many companies overrate skills
and underrate attitude.

They hire for the perfect CV,
then complain about the missing mindset.
They ignore potential,
then wonder why teams don’t grow.

Truth is: most jobs are not rocket science.
Most roles can be learned fast.
But the will to learn?
That can’t be taught.

Here are ten principles that change
how you hire, grow, and trust people:

1️⃣ Hire for hunger, train for skill.
Choose the person who wants it more
than the person who knows it all.

2️⃣ Look for learners, not know-it-alls.
Curiosity beats experience
when the world keeps changing.

3️⃣ Spot character in small moments.
How people treat others
tells you more than any CV.

4️⃣ Give people real responsibility early.
Confidence grows when trust is felt,
not when trust is promised.

5️⃣ Normalize not knowing.
Make learning safe
so mistakes turn into mastery.

6️⃣ Reward effort, not ego.
People rise faster
when appreciation is louder than fear.

7️⃣ Build teams with diverse strengths.
Knowledge overlaps,
but attitude multiplies.

8️⃣ Remove the perfection test.
Potential hides behind pressure.
Lower the fear, raise the growth.

9️⃣ Coach with clarity and patience.
People grow faster
when guidance feels like support.

🔟 Choose kindness as your baseline.
Humans learn best
where they feel respected.


When you bet on attitude,
you’re betting on possibility.
You’re betting on someone becoming
more than their résumé ever captured.

Companies don’t scale through experts.
They scale through humans
who show up with grit, humility,
and the fire to get better each day.

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People Leader. Business Partner. Change Enthusiast.

A great boss wants you to outgrow them…
and that’s why so many never become great.

They fear being replaced.
They fear being outshined.

I had one leader
who changed everything.
She never raised her voice.
Never flexed her title.
She simply said,
“I want you to be better
than me one day.”

And she proved it.
She gave me space.
She gave me chances.
She gave me room
to make a mess
and still learn from it.

It felt strange -
almost uncomfortable -
to be supported
without hidden strings.

That’s when I learned,
what great bosses do:
 
➡️ They lift, not limit
- They want your wings to work.
- Do this: ask your people what they want to master.

➡️ They give real chances
- Growth needs risk, not safety.
- Do this: hand over one task you guard too closely.

➡️ They don’t compete downwards
- Your success doesn’t shrink them.
- Do this: celebrate a colleague’s achievement louder.

➡️ They share their playbook
- Knowledge hoarding is insecurity.
- Do this: teach something you once had to learn alone.

➡️ They confront with care
- Honesty helps you rise.
- Do this: give feedback without softening the truth.

➡️ They push your edges
- Potential grows in stretch zones.
- Do this: set one goal that feels “slightly scary.”

➡️ They protect your back
- Safety builds bravery.
- Do this: stand up for someone not in the room.

➡️ They want your win
- That’s the whole point.
- Do this: tell someone you believe in their next step.

If you’ve ever had
a boss like this,
you know it changes you.
If you’ve ever BEEN
a boss like this,
you know it changes
everyone around you.

Who was the leader
that gave you the gift?

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A bad manager breaks your confidence.
A good one rebuilds it - brick by brick.
But here’s the twist…

The real damage isn’t what bad managers
do to your work.
It’s what they make you believe
about yourself.

We grow up thinking confidence is
self-made.
Built from grit.
Discipline.
Hard work.
But that’s only half the truth.
Confidence is shaped by the people
who lead you.
Bad managers shrink your world.
Good managers expand it.

Here is what good managers do differently:

❌️Bad managers critique identity.
✅️Good ones critique behavior:
➡️Shift to what happened, not
who you are.


❌️Bad managers hoard power.
✅️Good ones share context:
➡️Explain the “why” today.


❌️Bad managers create fear.
✅️Good ones create clarity:
➡️State expectations simply.


❌️Bad managers judge quickly.
✅️Good ones listen first:
➡️Hold your reaction 10 seconds.


❌️Bad managers take credit.
✅️Good ones give it away.
➡️Name someone’s contribution.


❌️Bad managers push harder.
✅️Good ones remove blockers.
➡️Ask: “What’s in your way?”


❌️Bad managers hide feedback.
✅️Good ones make it normal.
➡️Offer one small insight weekly.


❌️Bad managers fix people.
✅️Good ones grow them.
➡️Spot one strength and amplify it.


❌️Bad managers demand loyalty.
✅️Good ones earn it.
➡️Show consistency, not slogans.


Remember:
If a bad manager makes you doubt
yourself,
a great one hands you back the truth -
that you were capable all along.

------------------------------------

Thanks to Justin Wright 

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Ivan Carillo

Simon Koerner

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The Battle

Ivan Carillo

Simon Koerner

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ivan Carillo's LinkedIn Performance

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