Synopses & Reviews
What we can all learn from the strategies that have made Toyota the worlds best car company Everyone who follows the auto industry knows that Toyota has had an amazing twenty-five-year run, rising from humble Japanese start-up to thriving global giant. But the big puzzle is how Toyota did it while so many other car companies have struggled or failed.
Journalist David Magee dug deeply into Toyotas past and present, interviewing senior executives who rarely talk to the press, along with many other sources. And he found that the companys famous mastery of lean production is only part of the story. Magee explains the surprising power of Toyotas corporate culture, which includes:
Focusing on the long term: While most companies worry about the next quarter, Toyota is thinking about the next quarter century
Jumping beyond the current trend: When Ford was still ramping up its gas-guzzling SUVs, Toyota was very quietly taking a huge lead on hybrids
Making quality everyones responsibility: Toyota expects people at every level to think and act like quality-control inspectors
Managing individual strengths: Toyota is revolutionizing the way people are managed, to maximize their strengths instead of criticizing their weaknesses
The lessons that Magee explains here will be valuable for managers in all disciplines and industries.
Review
From its renowned production system to its unerring sense of customers' tastes, the factors that fueled Toyota's drive to the summit of the auto industry are all well recounted here.
Newsweek
Magee runs through lessons in leadership and strategy, weaving in colorful snippets from Toyota's 70-year history.
Fast Company
David Magee convincingly argues that the spirit of Toyota people, as much as anything, has determined Toyota's success.
BusinessWeek.com
When it comes to Toyotas success, Mr. Magee credits the companys internal realities
.he celebrates Toyotas willingness to acknowledge production problems quickly, to adapt its methods to varying markets (thus defying a stereotype of management rigidity), and to ask for feedback from its workersthereby empowering them
Wall Street Journal
Magee provides an excellent view of a shining business model that encompasses not only Toyotas highly espoused lean production system but also its leadership values and unique corporate culture.
Booklist
This inspirational book is essential reading for both human resource professionals and business executives
Library Journal
About the Author
David Magee is the author of eight books, including Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan