The Lean Leader’s Playbook
Practical lessons in leading people, developing capability, and making continuous improvement part of everyday operations. Learn how Lean tools and people-centered leadership work together.
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About Pete Maher
Pete Maher is an author, former Vice President of Operations, and certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt whose career spans more than four decades in manufacturing, aerospace, operations leadership, and continuous improvement.
Pete began his career in 1985 as an hourly assembler and progressed through technical, management, and executive leadership roles. He earned a degree in Manufacturing Technology and Management from the Illinois Institute of Technology. His professional background includes extensive training and experience in the Toyota Production System, Danaher Business System, Lean Manufacturing, Lean Six Sigma, and project management. He holds a project management certification and was previously an ASE-certified automotive mechanic.
His leadership philosophy grew from experience on both sides of the workplace: performing the work and later leading the people who do it. He believes sustainable improvement requires practical methods, clear expectations, trust, coaching, and respect for the knowledge of employees closest to the process.
The Lean Leader’s Playbook combines practical continuous improvement tools with people-centered leadership principles. In Houston, We Have a Solution!, Pete recounts how keeping his 1968 Cadillac running helped shape the problem-solving approach he later applied to flight-critical camera drives on NASA’s Space Shuttle.
A lifelong automotive and aviation enthusiast and former amateur pilot, Pete enjoys hands-on mechanical projects. He shares leadership stories and learning guides through The Ascent to Leadership, offers Lean tools and customization through Sensei Solutions Group, and works on father-and-son restoration projects through Half-Assed Restorations.
Books by Pete Maher
Houston, We Have a Solution!
A true story connecting hands-on problem solving learned while keeping a 1968 Cadillac running with a later engineering challenge involving flight-critical Space Shuttle camera drives.
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Leadership Education And Real-World Stories
The Ascent to Leadership shares practical leadership stories and learning guides drawn from decades in manufacturing operations — covering coaching, employee development, safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Empathy in action. Improvement in motion.
Lean Tools And Consulting
Through Sensei Solutions Group, Pete offers practical resources, templates, and customization services that help teams apply continuous improvement methods to their own operations.
Engineering, Restoration, And Problem Solving
Pete also shares hands-on mechanical projects through Half-Assed Restorations. These experiences reflect a common theme across his career and books: understanding a problem, learning from evidence, and making thoughtful improvements.
Connect With Pete
For leadership education, book inquiries, speaking opportunities, or Lean tools and customization, visit Sensei Solutions Group or the Ascent website.