While there are many books on Toyota, they have tended to focus on “Just In Time” and other facets of the company’s famously efficient floor operations and how they might be transposed to American manufacturing, with less attention paid to Toyota’s overall strategic vision. This book corrects that deficit by approaching the company from a more “white collar” angle.
Author Masaaki Sato, Japan’s premier auto-industry expert, brilliantly presents his case that Toyota’s strengths, including efficiency on the floor, cannot be understood or emulated outside the context of tradition—not Japan’s, but Toyota’s own. Inventor and Toyota Group founder Sakichi Toyoda’s “Precepts” have served as the backbone of the carmaker’s executive culture since its inception and, even today, guide decision-making at the top echelons.
A thorough study of the individuals who shaped a once-derided manufacturer into a preeminent worldwide producer, The Toyota Leaders: An Executive Guide is a must-read for anyone in a management role, whether or not in the auto industry.
