Ask the CEO: Bill Canady on Profitable Growth, 80/20 Leadership & Lean Culture

In this special episode, I'm joined by Bill Canady, CEO of Arrowhead Engineered Products and Chairman of OTC Industrial Technologies. Bill has spent over 30 years leading companies to profitable growth, building what he calls the “Profitable Growth Operating System.” He’s also the author of The 80/20 CEO, with a second book, From Panic to Profit, on the way soon.

We recorded this live as part of the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement webinar series. Bill shares hard-earned lessons on strategy, execution, and what it really takes to align a company around a few critical priorities.

We talk about:

• How to apply the 80/20 principle as a business operating system

• Why many improvement efforts fail from lack of strategic alignment

• The CEO’s role in creating a culture of continuous improvement

• Lean as a condition of employment—and what that actually means

• Daily management, small wins, and sustaining momentum

• Using Lean outside the factory—in sales, engineering, and the office

• The future of improvement, from AI tools to leadership mindset shifts

• What CI leaders should understand about a CEO’s perspective

Bill also discusses how he balances empathy and execution, shares thoughts on transforming healthcare through Lean, and offers advice for CI professionals who want to move into broader operational leadership roles.

Links:

• Bill’s books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bill-Canady/

• KaiNexus Webinars: https://www.kainexus.com/webinars

Thanks again to Bill for sharing his time, his insights, and his candor.