May 2026

How Leaders Know Operational Excellence Is Working — And When It Is Not

This is part 3 of a 3-part leadership series on Operational Excellence. By John Ryan After strategy and culture, the question leaders inevitably ask is a simple one: how do I know whether Operational Excellence is actually working? It is a fair question. Most organisations ...

Operational Excellence, Leadership and Culture: Moving Beyond Firefighting

This is part 2 of a 3-part leadership series on Operational Excellence. By John Ryan In the first article, I described Operational Excellence as a strategy delivery mechanism rather than a toolkit. That way of thinking is essential, but it only works if leaders also understand th...

Operational Excellence Is a Strategy Delivery Mechanism – Not a Toolkit

This is part 1 of a 3-part leadership series on Operational Excellence. By John Ryan When leaders talk about Operational Excellence, it is often framed as a set of tools, a training programme or a continuous improvement initiative that sits alongside the day‑to‑day running of...