The Leadership Paybook with John Rossman and New Courses for High Achievers.

orion
Jun 30
5 min read

Dear Manager,

I’m excited to share the latest updates with you.

This quarter, I released episode 23 where I interview John Rossman. We speak about The Leadership Playbook: Insights for managers.

John is best known for his pivotal role at Amazon, where he was instrumental in launching and scaling the Amazon Marketplace, one of the company’s most game-changing platforms.

He’s also served as a trusted advisor to global organizations like T-Mobile, helping leaders tackle complex challenges in an increasingly digital world. Beyond consulting, John is a keynote speaker, delivering insights on innovation and transformation to audiences worldwide.

John is the bestselling author of four books, including The Amazon Way, Think Like Amazon, and his latest, Big Bet Leadership, where he lays out a practical playbook for making bold, high-impact decisions in times of change.

In our conversation, John unpacks what it means to lead in today’s hyper digital era—discussing the balance between innovation and operational excellence, the dangers of mediocrity in successful companies, and the mindset future leaders must adopt to thrive.

Get ready for a deep, stimulating dive with one of the sharpest minds in modern business!

This month, we'll delve into the tool called: Communication Plan.

Why Use This Tool?

To ensure all key individuals are informed, involving everyone relevant helps promote collaboration. A well-structured communication plan can reduce resistance and enhance understanding and acceptance of the project's objectives and plans.

When to Use This Tool?

In the define phase, which occurs at the start of each project or initiative.

3 Do’s and 3 Don’ts

Do: Create a communication plan with your Lean Six Sigma project leader.
Do: Treat this point as an essential task, particularly if there may be significant resistance.
Do: Use the communication plan to manage resistance levels and provide stakeholders with project updates.

Don’t: Avoid to assess whether communication should also be shared with non-employees, such as vendors, external providers, and clients.
Don’t: Neglect to create information in a manner that positively represents the project and aligns with the company's vision and mission.
Don’t: Forget to announce the project's completion. Often, projects are closed without final communication being sent.

You can find additional information on how to use this tool in our tool vault. If you’re unable to access the Tool Vault, please consider registering first. Once registered, navigate to the Define phase and select the desired tool.

You’ll also find a 3-minute video where I explain about this tool.

Many of you are familiar with the high-quality courses offered by WAVE, including Lean Six Sigma Champion Training for Managers, Presentation & Communication Skills, Change Management, Lean Six Sigma for Manager Certification (Blue Belt), How to Find Good Projects, Deployment Champion Training, individualized coaching, and more.

Today, I am proud to announce that, as of July 2025, WAVE is collaborating with a new partner, Holinstinct based in Switzerland.

Holinstinct provides complementary courses that align perfectly with WAVE’s offerings. While my team and I focus on equipping you with tools and techniques to enhance your performance as a manager, Holinstinct addresses an equally important aspect: maintaining your well-being.

Many managers I work with possess a high-achiever mindset—a fantastic trait that drives success. However, the downside is that some high achievers push themselves too hard, sustaining the stress response for prolonged periods. This can lead to health challenges and, in some cases, burnout.

At WAVE, our courses empower you to push your limits in achieving business excellence with your team and at Holinstinct, you will gain the knowledge to manage stress and avoid burnout through neuroscience-based and holistic insights.

Click here to learn more about this exciting collaboration and explore how Holinstinct can support you on your journey.

In the Projects section on the WAVE website, my team and I are engaged in 2 compelling long-term long-term projects:

Project: Sustainability for Companies:

If your company is committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reducing its carbon footprint, or enhancing its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, we invite you to explore our Sustainability for Companies project page. My team and I would be delighted to discuss these exciting topics with you. Learn more by visiting: Sustainability for Companies.

Many of you familiar with my courses know that Toyota has played a pivotal role in shaping the Lean methodology. Toyota is also renowned for its Toyota Production System (TPS), a world-class manufacturing philosophy. However, there is often some confusion about the relationship between TPS and Lean.

TPS is Toyota's acclaimed system designed to maximize efficiency, quality, and value while minimizing waste. It is built on two key pillars: Just-In-Time (JIT), which ensures materials arrive exactly when needed, and Jidoka, which empowers machines and operators to detect and address issues immediately. TPS emphasizes continuous improvement (Kaizen), respect for people, and the elimination of the "7 Wastes" (e.g., overproduction, waiting, and defects). While TPS is specific to Toyota, it inspired Lean methodologies, which generalize these principles across various industries.

To summarize: TPS is not Lean itself but serves as the foundational system from which Lean principles were derived. Lean is a broader framework, while TPS is a specific, highly successful application of those principles.

What Does This Have to Do with Sustainability?

Many of my students ask what Toyota is doing today regarding sustainability and whether they use Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methods to achieve their targets. After visiting Nagoya, Japan, and witnessing this firsthand, I can confidently say, “Yes, they do!”

One example is a Lean Six Sigma project Toyota implemented to minimize paint and chemical waste in vehicle assembly lines. This initiative is part of their broader commitment to environmental sustainability under the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, launched in 2015. This challenge includes numerous projects aimed at reducing waste, emissions, and resource consumption.

At WAVE, we teach other companies how to use LSS methods to achieve their environmental sustainability goals without increasing resources—just as Toyota does. The beauty of these methods is their adaptability across sectors, from manufacturing to banking, insurance, IT, and beyond.

If you’re curious about how this works, feel free to reach out to my team at contact@wave-bef.com. We’d be happy to guide you on your sustainability journey!

Internal WAVE Project: Health, Happiness, and Planet:

At WAVE, we're driven not just by the goal of enhancing your business performance, but also by a deep commitment to your overall well-being, happiness, and the health of our planet. That's why we've dedicated a separate project page and a podcast to these essential topics.

Here, you’ll find practical tips and valuable insights on boosting your energy, improving your health, and adopting habits that contribute to a healthier environment.

Below is an overview of the episodes we featured in Q2 of 2025 with again amazing guests!