O papel da liderança Lean e seus impactos na inovação e na melhoria contínua

Abstract

How Can Lean Leadership Contribute to Innovation and Continuous Improvement in Organizations. Lean leadership can play a significant role in the effective implementation of continuous improvement and innovation practices in organizations. This approach goes beyond merely managing processes, emphasizing leaders who inspire and empower their teams to continuously seek improvements and innovations. The Lean philosophy, including practices such as Kaizen, provides indispensable tools to foster cultural and operational transformations that underpin organizational success. The aim of this study is to investigate, through a literature review, how different leadership styles influence innovation and the implementation of continuous improvement within organizations that adopt the Lean Production System. For this purpose, the Scopus and Web of Science databases were used to search and select the scientific articles analyzed. The relevance of this study is evident both for society, by considering the impact on workers, and for the survival and competitiveness of organizations practicing Lean, as innovation and continuous improvement are pillars of sustainable success. This work highlights the role of leadership in productive systems, with an emphasis on how creativity, innovation, and continuous process improvements are enabled by strategic and adaptive leaders. These elements are essential to enhance the competitive performance and sustainability of organizations. The systematic literature review evaluates the impact of these approaches on the adoption and outcomes of Lean, underscoring leadership as a central factor in facilitating organizational changes and promoting continuous improvement. Finally, the study provides significant insights into the strategic role of leadership in integrating innovation, creativity, and continuous enhancement into organizational processes. The results reinforce the importance of skilled leaders in aligning Lean practices with organizational goals, ensuring the competitiveness and longevity of companies in increasingly challenging markets.