Building Independent, Empowered Teams Through 6 Transformational Leadership Habits, with Cheryl Jekiel

My guest for Episode #533 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Cheryl Jekiel, founder of the Lean Leadership Center and a longtime advocate for aligning continuous improvement with people-centered leadership.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more

Cheryl is the author of Lean Human Resources, and her latest book, Let Go to Lead: Six Habits for Happier, More Independent Teams (with Less Stress and More Time for Yourself), offers a practical and deeply human approach to modern leadership. With a background in HR and operations, Cheryl has spent decades helping organizations shift from hierarchical control to empowering, team-driven excellence.

In this episode, Cheryl shares her "Lean origin story," which began with a broken-down Ford and a transformative experience at Sweetheart Cup, where she witnessed firsthand how Lean thinking and redefined leadership roles could enhance both performance and the quality of work life. We discuss the importance of clarity in leadership--why vague directives like "take ownership" or "be proactive" often fail without behavioral specificity--and how shifting from being the problem-solver to being the coach can help leaders reduce stress and build truly independent teams. Cheryl also highlights how many organizations discuss empowerment but lack the necessary structures or shared understanding to actually enable it.

"We keep saying 'empower people,' but most organizations haven't defined what that actually means."

We also explore topics like vulnerability in leadership, the power of peer support communities, and how concepts like motivational interviewing--borrowed from healthcare and addiction counseling--can help leaders foster meaningful behavior change. Cheryl makes a compelling case for leadership as a practiced skill, not a fixed trait, and she encourages organizations to treat leadership development as an ongoing discipline. Whether you're an executive, HR leader, or improvement coach, this conversation offers actionable insight into how leaders can truly "let go to lead."

Questions, Notes, and Highlights:

• What's your Lean origin story, and how did it shape your thinking?
• How did your early experience at Sweetheart Cup influence your views on leadership and improvement?
• Did you start your career in HR, or was that a later shift?
• What led you to write Lean Human Resources and later start the Lean Leadership Center?
• What was the inspiration for your new book, Let Go to Lead?
• Are the six habits in your book rooted in traditional Lean leadership concepts, or do they expand on them?
• Why is clarity such a critical leadership skill, and why do so many leaders struggle with it?
• How do vague directives like "be proactive" or "take ownership" get in the way of effective leadership?
• What role does psychological safety play in helping teams ask clarifying questions?
• What's one of the habits you've found most overlooked or undervalued by leaders?
• Why is community and peer support so essential to leadership development?
• How do you help leaders embrace vulnerability in a culture that doesn't always reward it?
• What's the role of ongoing practice in leadership development, and why isn't it emphasized more?
• How does motivational interviewing relate to Lean leadership and coaching?
• How can leaders avoid the trap of trying to be "right" rather than being helpful?
• Why is "meeting people where they are" such a vital leadership practice?
• What advice would you give to leaders who want to let go of control without abdicati