Steven J. Spear

Steven J. Spear is an American scientist, engineer, and author of several notable books on Lean principles, leadership, and high performance. He is widely recognized as a global thought leader in applying Lean thinking to operations, organization development, and health care processes.

A native of West Virginia, Spear earned a Bachelor’s degree in engineering and management at West Virginia University and a Master’s degree in engineering at the University of Michigan. He also holds a Master’s degree in Engineering Management and a PhD in Engineering and Policy Analysis from Stanford University.

Spear first made a name for himself in the early 1990s as a member of the MIT Lean Aerospace Initiative, “a group of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who came together to research the application of Lean principles to aircraft production." Spear and his team conducted extensive research on the Toyota Production System, which had grown from the small-scale family segments in Toyota City, Japan (1950s) to become a global enterprise.

In his groundbreaking 2009 book, The High-velocity Edge: How Market Leaders Leverage Operation in the Digital Age, Spear explains how the high-velocity edge is created by applying two key strategies: 1) Lean enterprise organization and 2) Innovative operations. Spear argues that companies can maximize their success by leveraging digital technologies to build a Lean enterprise. He writes, “The cornerstone of Lean enterprise is the transformation of operations from traditional cost management to value-creating activities…This transformation requires a shift in both culture and technology”.

In 2011, Forbes featured Spear in a comprehensive profile of him and his work. Spear’s philosophies and achievements are also documented in a series of Harvard Business School video interviews and in a 2012 case study titled “Spear, Inc. Goes Lean.” In 2019, Spear went on to publish a new book, “Leading Lean: Leadership Transformation for the Global Age”.

Spear has also consulted with a broad range of organizations, from the US Army, Red Cross, and the United Nations, to Fortune 500 companies such as General Electric and Boeing, as well as major health care entities. He has also given numerous lectures and talks during which he introduces his “step-by-step blueprint for building a Lean organization”.

In 2013, Spear was honored with the Deming Medal, the most prestigious award given to recognize quality educators and practitioners who embody the philosophies of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. The award affirmed Spear’s lasting impact on the quality management field.

Today, Steven J. Spear continues to be one of the most prolific innovators in Lean-thinking, cultural transformation, and high-performance. Through his books, lectures and consulting work, he continues to influence and shape the way that companies and society approach quality, operations and efficiency.