School districts face financial and operational challenges including funding disparities, rising costs, declining enrollment, labor shortages, and the need to adapt to changing student needs and technological advancements. Lean principles can significantly benefit school district finance and operations by optimizing processes, reducing waste, and improving efficiency, ultimately enhancing resource allocation and service delivery.

Through interviews with the superintendent of finance and operations of a public school district, this book relates the journey of learning and growth as shared through storytelling, reflecting, and releasing tested wisdom. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, this Great Lean Leader unfolds the truths for how her department got to sustainable success—and continues the relentless pursuit of value creation.

As part of the Great Lean Leaders series, this book is designed to provide several reference points for reading and learning about the what’s, why’s and how’s of Lean Leadership. The chapters are realistic and represent stories shared with authenticity and transparency based on two interviews of the Lean Leader. Each chapter has four sections: an overview of the interview, a referenced section of three Lean Leadership strategies and tactics and three benefits, a summary of observed Lean Leadership competencies, and links to the interviews and transcripts of the interviews. A final summary chapter is based on a group panel session and contains a detailed summary of intensive interviews, along with a set of detailed teaching lessons. A description of lean and lean tools is scattered throughout the book to add relevance and expand the readers knowledge of lean methodologies.