January 14, 2008

Book Review - How Toyota Became #1

How Toyota Became #1: Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car Company
David Magee
HD 9701 .J34 T6528 2007

Toyota enjoys a unique position within the automobile manufacturing industry. While some car makers are collapsing or struggling financially, Toyota is thriving. What are they doing so differently to make this happen? This book is filled with lessons, some of them just common sense, that have been implemented at Toyota contributing to its success. Some of these include getting rid of everything that does not add value, learning about the customer and focusing on their wants and needs, learning from past failures, favoring long-term strategies over short-term fixes, and practicing continuous improvement and always evolving.