Steel Toes and Stilettos

Product Description
The authors professionally joined forces when Kathy hired Shannon to be a part of her divisional leadership team -- responsible for a $75m operation with hundreds of team members at four locations in two countries. This book is about the journey they went on to transform a traditionally run batch operation to a Lean enterprise -- characterized by authentic leadership, an inclusive culture, and excellent business results.
The book not only outlines the steps of the transformational journey but emphasizes the softer sides of the implementation process. It will highlight some of the challenges and triumphs along the way, and how they overcame them. Kathy and Shannon share the fun and emotion of the three years and the endearing friendship that was formed along the way from each of their perspectives. Kathy’s perspective is from an executive position with P&L responsibility, while Shannon’s is from the Lean leader responsible for the transformation.
Kathy and Shannon share anecdotes from their personal lives during the transformation to show relatability with how real life still happens and requires attention while working hard to get effective business results. In addition, they detail experiences of being women working in a male-dominated industry, what that meant to them, and how they handled this environment.
This story will inspire women who are on that journey -- it provides an example of how high-performing women can thrive in an intense and fast-paced world where you are judged to be as good as the performance of your organization 30 days at a time. Kathy and Shannon strive to be role models for those who are juggling dual-career marriages, raising families, and intense and fulfilling careers. All readers benefit from the adoption of the strategies and tools they used to facilitate this business transformation.
Essentially, this book can be read as a narrative account or used an implementation guide for a Lean transformation. It shares some of the organizational and cultural roadblocks that arise during the implementation and how the authors overcame them. It focuses on their journeys both professionally and personally and shows the reader how women can work together to drive positive culture and business change in an organization.
Review
This book is about meaningful culture change, individual and organizational learning, leadership humanity and resilience, and organizational excellence. It documents a long, challenging, but totally inspirational account of multiple plants’ transformations, but also provides a unique window into a boss-subordinate relationship that is textured, real, and uplifting. Women in leadership (way beyond manufacturing) will be interested in this account of gifted, yet humble leadership. I am challenged to convey how much I loved the content and style of this book.
-- Jane Dutton, Professor of Business Administration and Psychology at the University of Michigan Cofounder of the Center for Positive Organizations\nKathy and Shannon are systems-based thinkers which makes their Lean Enterprise implementation successful and sustainable. Understanding their journey and challenges makes this book a must read for both new lean thinkers and seasoned lean professionals.\n-- Rick Harris, President of Harris Lean Systems, Inc.\nKathy and Shannon offer a glimpse of the struggles and barriers they have faced on their road to a successful Lean transformation. It would behoove all leaders to truly understand these obstacles and perspectives through their eyes so that the unique traits of both genders meld into synergistic, winning organizations. This breakthrough publication is required reading if one is serious about building a diverse, world-class organization.
-- Mark DeLuzio, President & CEO Lean Horizons Consulting, Shingo Prize Academy Inductee, author of Flatlined and Turn Waste into Wealth\nKathy and Shannon’s management principles go beyond the manufacturi