Akio Toyoda's 14-year-long struggle for reforms based on Toyota Production System (TPS)
In a captivating lecture on January 13, 2023, Akio Toyoda, the Chairman of Toyota, shared insights into his life and career, as well as his deep-rooted belief in the Toyota Production System (TPS) as a transformative management and leadership approach.
The event, which was a general meeting of the NPS Management Institute—a research association comprising over 45 companies—took place at Toyota Times. The lecture, titled "00:00 Opening" and "16:13 Who am I? Before my encounter with TPS," was approximately 90 minutes long, including a Q&A session with 200 corporate managers and executives.
Akio Toyoda, often referred to as the "Toyota prince," spoke about TPS not merely as a manufacturing practice but as a holistic management and leadership philosophy. He emphasised its role in eliminating waste, fostering teamwork, and pursuing continuous improvement, not just within factories but across the whole business ecosystem, including sales and customer service areas.
The lecture was divided into several chapters, including "The fight to break Toyota's walls," "Becoming president in a management crisis," "The fight to restore the essence of Toyota," and "In conclusion." Akio Toyoda shared his personal experiences and the legacy of his grandfather, Kiichiro Toyoda, who started the system, to illustrate the selfless and teamwork-oriented leadership mindset that TPS embodies.
Akio Toyoda also highlighted Toyota's use of advanced data-driven tools, which complement the TPS philosophy by enabling real-time quality control and empowering frontline workers to solve problems promptly. This shows his commitment to integrating traditional TPS values with modern technologies.
During the Q&A session, Akio Toyoda addressed questions about his leadership philosophy, future plans for Toyota, and messages for future generations. He also spoke about the future of carmaking at Toyota, reforming dealerships and used cars, falling into the red and public hearings, and not letting Toyota go backwards.
The theme of the speech was "What TPS Means to Me - The Fight to Restore Authority to the Genba." Akio Toyoda found emotional support in his relationship with TPS, viewing it as a living philosophy essential both for operational efficiency and developing people-centered leadership at Toyota.
The NPS Management Institute works to optimise manufacturing based on the Toyota Production System (TPS), and Akio Toyoda's speech underscores the enduring relevance of this philosophy in today's business world. The lecture was not accompanied by the use of words like Kanban, reflecting Akio Toyoda's focus on the broader implications of TPS in leadership and management.
- The lecture by Akio Toyoda, who is often referred to as the "Toyota prince," shed light on his belief that the Toyota Production System (TPS) extends beyond manufacturing and into other sectors, such as finance and business leadership.
- In a discussion on future plans, Akio Toyoda highlighted the importance of integrating traditional TPS values with modern technologies, showing his commitment to leading Toyota into the future while maintaining the essential principles of the system.
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