Botswana. A modest auto repair shop and real estate agency called Ngami. A team of employees with little education, few resources, and little faith that things could be different. And one woman who is convinced that Lean isn’t just for Japanese factories or Western multinationals, but for every person, in every organization, anywhere in the world.
Lean Houses for Dragons is the story of Sharon Visser and what happened when she turned that confidence into action.
What will you learn in Lean Houses for Dragons?
Lean Houses for Dragons is a management novel based on a true story. Sharon Visser describes how she led a Lean transformation at Ngami, a company in the automotive and real estate sectors in Botswana, which doubled profits in two years and made it possible to open a new branch in Kasane.
What makes the book special is its context. Ngami is not a high-tech manufacturing company with trained engineers and a Lean staff. It is an organization where employees face personal challenges that most Lean books never mention. And yet, or perhaps precisely because of this, this story reveals what the essence of Lean truly is: respect for people and the belief that everyone, given the space to do so, can be a source of creative ideas and solutions.
You’ll learn how humble leadership can turn resistance into progress, even in the most challenging circumstances. You’ll discover why acknowledging problems—rather than hiding them—is the key to real improvement. And you’ll see that Lean doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated to work.
Why should I read *Lean Houses for Dragons*?
Most Lean books are set in familiar environments: Japanese factories, Western industrial companies, and healthcare institutions in wealthy countries. *Lean Houses for Dragons* completely breaks that mold. It demonstrates that Lean principles—such as customer value, respect for people, and continuous improvement—are universal. Not in theory, but in the practical experience of a very specific organization in a very specific location.
That makes this book both inspiring and sobering. Inspiring because it proves that Lean can work anywhere if you truly believe in it. Sobering because it shows that the real challenge is never the tools, but always the people and the leader who gives them the confidence to grow.
The book is published by the Lean Global Network, the global network of Lean institutes of which the Lean Management Institute is a member.
Who is *Lean Houses for Dragons* written for?
- Managers and leaders looking for inspiration to lead a people-centered Lean transformation
- Lean practitioners and coaches who want to apply Lean in non-Western or unusual contexts
- Anyone who has read the Ballé novels (The Gold Mine, The Lean Manager) and enjoys the management novel genre
- Professionals in the automotive, retail, or service industries who want to see how Lean can work in their sector
What do fellow writers think of this book?
"Sharon Visser proves that Lean isn't a luxury reserved for wealthy organizations. It's a way of thinking that works anywhere, as long as you're willing to listen to your people." — Michael Ballé, author of The Gold Mine and co-founder of Institut Lean France
"This is exactly the kind of story the Lean movement needs: honest, human, and surprising. *Lean Houses for Dragons* shows that respect for people isn't just a slogan, but a daily choice." — Dan Jones, co-author of Lean Thinking and The Machine That Changed the World
Additional Information
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Language
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English
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ISBN
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9780578992723
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Publisher
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Lean Global Network
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Number of pages
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213
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Type
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Paperback
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About the author
Sharon Visser is a Lean practitioner and entrepreneur with years of experience in the automotive and real estate sectors in Botswana. Her company, Ngami, became the unlikely setting for one of the most remarkable Lean transformations in the Lean Global Network. A story so compelling that the Lean Global Network encouraged her to write it down.
Visser is known for her humble yet determined leadership style and her unwavering belief that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things when given the space and trust to tackle problems. Lean Houses for Dragons is her first book.
