GA 635 | Emotions Are Not the Enemy with D. Earl Johnston

GA 635 | Emotions Are Not the Enemy with D. Earl Johnston

Author: Ron Pereira: Lean Thinker & Co-Founder of Gemba Academy June 4, 2026 Duration: 34:07
Most continuous improvement practitioners are trained to prize logic and treat emotion as noise in the system. D. Earl Johnston spent nine years and thousands of research hours across twelve disciplines discovering that framing is backward. His book, "Choosing Emotions," grew out of a father-daughter moment involving depression, post-it notes, and a single powerful text message. What came out of that work challenges something most leaders have never stopped to question. In this episode you'll learn: What Winston Churchill's 8 words reveal about how emotions work (3:14) How a father-daughter dinner became a 9-year research project on emotions (3:57) The three most common misunderstandings people have about emotions (11:40) Why doom scrolling is an emotionally driven navigation, not a bad habit (16:56) What ego actually is and why most high-performers misunderstand it (19:12) Why trauma persists until you find the words to describe it (22:00) How naming an emotion releases its grip on your behavior (26:11) What neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett says about emotional vocabulary (28:05) How an emotionary differs from an ordinary dictionary (31:13) Why making friends with your emotions makes life easier (32:13) Keep Learning If the idea that naming an emotion is the first step to solving a problem resonates with how you think about coaching and people development, the School of Leadership builds on exactly that kind of human-centered foundation. Podcast Resources "Choosing Emotions" Choosing Emotions Website Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Stay current on new courses, podcast episodes, and continuous improvement resources. Sign up for the Gemba Academy newsletter at gembaacademy.com/news What Do You Think? Where in your work do you see emotional vocabulary, or the lack of it, affecting how problems get solved?

Hosted by Ron Pereira, a lean thinker and co-founder of Gemba Academy, the Gemba Academy Podcast is a deep and practical resource for anyone looking to build a better organization. The conversations here move beyond theory, focusing on the real-world application of methodologies like Lean Six Sigma and Toyota Kata. You’ll hear from practitioners and leaders who share stories from the front lines, detailing how they tackle complex problems, foster genuine productivity, and develop effective teams. Each episode feels like a candid workshop, breaking down concepts into actionable steps you can apply immediately. This isn't about abstract ideals; it's about the tangible work of improvement, from the shop floor to the executive suite. Tune in for a learning experience that challenges conventional wisdom and provides the tools for meaningful change. The Gemba Academy Podcast turns the philosophy of continuous improvement into a clear and accessible path forward for business professionals and educators alike.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership
Podcast Episodes
GA 650 | Train It Before You Trust It with David Osagie-Igiehon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:13
Most continuous improvement practitioners are using AI the same way they use Google, and getting roughly the same quality of results. David Osagie-Igiehon has taken a different approach. He builds custom agents trained o…
GA 649 | Accountability Starts in the Mirror with Michael Caito [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:02
Most organizations have a strategy. Far fewer can actually execute one. Michael Caito built and sold a food delivery business decades before DoorDash existed, then spent years helping other companies close the gap betwee…
GA 648 | Discovering Lean in High School with Ted Pendergrass [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:11
Most lean practitioners spend their careers trying to change the minds of adults who have been doing things the same way for decades. Ted Pendergrass decided to start earlier. Over 20 years coordinating a career technica…
GA 647 | Making Sleep a Priority with Tim Thomas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:20
Most organizations measure productivity, absenteeism, and safety incidents without ever asking what all three have in common. Tim Thomas, a former Australian Special Forces soldier turned sleep specialist, argues the ans…
GA 645 | Why Leadership Is Failing with Keith Wyche [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:18
Trust in leadership has been declining for decades, and Keith Wyche has the research to prove it. A 40-year veteran of AT&T, IBM, and Walmart, Keith opened up to us about a few mistakes he’s made in his career. The real…
GA 644 | Defining Propaganda with Owen Fitzpatrick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:01
Most leaders assume that the right argument, delivered clearly, will change minds. Owen Fitzpatrick has spent 30 years studying why that assumption is wrong. A psychologist who has worked inside some of the world’s most…
GA 643 | Asking Better Questions with Kabrina Ashley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:53
Most organizations say they want high performers, yet quietly punish them for being too valuable to lose. Kabrina Ashley, a coach and behavioral science practitioner based in Nashville, makes the case that the real barri…
GA 642 | The Future of Work with Jonathan David Lewis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:54
Something fundamental has shifted in how people relate to work, and most leaders are still operating from a story that the workforce has already left behind. Jonathan David Lewis, president of brand strategy firm McKee W…
GA 641 | What Makes a Good Teammate with Eric Reveno [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:33
Most organizations spend enormous energy developing leaders and almost none developing teammates. Stanford Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach Eric Reveno has spent 30 years watching what actually determines whether a…