Leading Lean for Profitable Growth: CEO Bill Canady on Driving Business Transformation

My guest for Episode #526 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Bill Canady, a seasoned global business executive, U.S. Navy veteran, and current CEO of Arrowhead Engineered Products.

Bill has led over 30 operating companies and thousands of employees across the industrial and consumer products landscape. Formerly CEO of OTC Industrial Technologies, he helped drive impressive growth-boosting revenues by 43% and earnings by 78%.

Bill is also the author of The 80/20 CEO and the upcoming From Panic to Profit, and he's a vocal advocate for using Lean and the 80/20 principle as complementary tools for transformation.

Join Bill for a live Q&A webinar on April 23rd via KaiNexus!

We discuss Bill’s personal Lean journey, which began with Six Sigma and evolved into a deep appreciation for the power of Lean and continuous improvement. He shares how daily management, Kaizen events, and a focus on flow became core to his leadership toolkit—not just on the shop floor but also across the “carpeted” functions like order-to-cash and sales. As CEO, Bill doesn’t just support Lean; he expects it. He talks candidly about making continuous improvement a condition of employment, not through fear, but by creating a culture where people feel safe, engaged, and energized by problem-solving.

You’ll hear Bill’s insights on applying Lean as a strategic enabler for profitable growth—not just a cost-cutting tool. He explains how the 80/20 principle helps companies focus their improvement energy on what really matters and how Lean helps teams sustain those improvements. He also shares real-world lessons on leadership, cultural alignment, and navigating resistance to change—especially among those clinging to old firefighting habits.

Whether you’re a Lean practitioner, an executive, or someone aspiring to lead, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom. Bill offers a compelling blueprint for how to lead with humility, clarity, and purpose—using Lean and the 80/20 mindset to build resilient, high-performing organizations.

Questions, Notes, and Highlights:

• Can you share your origin story with continuous improvement and Lean?
• What was the context in which you were first introduced to these methodologies?
• How did your role evolve from operations into broader P&L responsibility?
• How did your perspective on Lean shift when you became a CEO?
• What role does daily management play in sustaining operational excellence?
• How do you apply Lean principles outside the factory floor—especially in “carpet land”?
• As a CEO, how do you strike the balance between solving problems yourself and enabling others to be problem solvers?
• How do you respond when leaders or team members resist Lean thinking or default to old firefighting habits?
• What does it mean to make Lean a “condition of employment,” and how do you introduce that mindset?
• How do you ensure people understand Lean isn’t about layoffs, but about redeployment and growth?
• How do you connect Lean initiatives with business growth, not just cost reduction?
• Do you have an example of how improving quality or delivery led directly to business growth or profitability?
• What inspired you to write your first book, The 80/20 CEO?
• Why are the first 100 days so critical for a new leader?
• How does the 80/20 principle help leaders prioritize improvement efforts?
• What’s the relationship between 80/20 analysis and Lean execution in your approach?
• What can we do to help more CEOs understand and embrace Lean as a strategic business system?
• How can companies start building momentum with Lean—even if they’re just getting started?
• What’s the focus of your new book From Panic to Profit, and how does it expand on your first?

This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.