Nebraska’s Lean Leadership Collaborative

How often do you meet?

5L huddles meet once per month. We have multiple huddle locations with additional locations opening soon. The huddle locations, dates, and times will stay consistent.

Is there a virtual option to participate?

No, not at this time. Local lean leaders in our community host 5L huddles at their places of work. The huddle host can include a virtual option for their employees or guests.

Who can join?

5L is open to anyone in our community (Nebraska and the surrounding region) interested in learning about Lean Leadership, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence.

Is there a cost to participate?

No, 5L huddles are free. Other activities like annual conferences or special events may include a fee or membership dues.

How do you keep 5L lean leaders informed of meetings and events?

This website has a calendar of events and 5L huddle locations, dates, and times. If you are in our community and want to participate more, please register on our website. Then we can include you in our Slack Group.

Can I see a members list or network with others in 5L?

Yes, by registering on our website as a validated 5L member, our Slack group will add you. There, you can see and meet other participants. We do not publish personal information outside our Slack group.

Is 5L a non-profit?

No, 5L is a Limited Liability Company founded and owned by Jesse DePriest. We established 5L as an LLC to start the collaboration efficiently and effectively - to legally establish the brand, protect the name, and get started. Anyone interested in learning about lean leadership is welcome to our free 5L huddles. We may collect fees or dues for other special events, conferences, etc. We might change the organizational structure to a non-profit as we grow.

Can I bring a friend or my boss to 5L huddles?

YES! Our mission is to invigorate Lean Leadership in our community, companies, and organizations. We are open to all interested in learning.

What does the acronym "5L" stand for?

Inspired by five 'L' words to define our mission, 5L's motto is to LISTEN and LEARN so we can LEAD through LEAN with LOVE.

What is the inspiration behind 5L?

What inspired me to create 5L was to build a collaborative community of Lean leaders. We have many dedicated, Lean leaders in our local community. Nebraska did not have a lean collaborative or consortium for ourselves, so we created a more formal organization of Lean leaders in our community for our community. We have two primary purposes: 1. To create better outcomes for others and improve our places of work. 2. To serve each other through shared knowledge, networks, and resources..

What does Love have to do with Lean Leadership?

Everything! Our traditional "management by objective" models for leadership needs to change. We no longer tolerate fear-driven command and control styles of leadership. Leaders at all levels are to be better at Respect For People (RFP). Leadership is a great privilege and sacred duty. Our success depends on our ability to care for people in our teams. The opposite of love is not hated; it is indifference. In leadership, we must care for our teams to help them learn, grow, and succeed. Through this, we can transform the world.

What is "Serious Joy" ?

#SeriousJoy is the spirit and mindset by which we do our work. It succinctly defines and inspires our values and behaviors of Courage, Candor, Commitment, Consistency, and Contentment. We need to get serious about learning to solve problems and create psychological safety with a spirit of joy and an abundance mindset.