How Toyota Became #1: Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car Company

by David Magee

What we can all learn from the strategies that have made Toyota the world’s best car company

Everyone who follows the auto industry knows that Toyota has had an amazing twenty-five-year run, rising from humble Japanese start-up to thriving global giant. But the big puzzle is how Toyota did it while so many other car companies have struggled or failed.

Journalist David Magee dug deeply into Toyota’s past and present, interviewing senior executives who rarely talk to the press, along with many other sources. And he found that the company’s famous mastery of lean production is only part of the story. Magee explains the surprising power of Toyota’s corporate culture, which includes:

• Focusing on the long term: While most companies worry about the next quarter, Toyota is thinking about the next quarter century

• Jumping beyond the current trend: When Ford was still ramping up its gas-guzzling SUVs, Toyota was very quietly taking a huge lead on hybrids

• Making quality everyone’s responsibility: Toyota expects people at every level to think and act like quality-control inspectors

• Managing individual strengths: Toyota is revolutionizing the way people are managed, to maximize their strengths instead of criticizing their weaknesses

The lessons that Magee explains here will be valuable for managers in all disciplines and industries.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Management, History, Leadership

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

David Magee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Dear William: A Father’s Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love and Loss, a Publisher’s Weekly bestseller featured on CBS Mornings, and other books including his forthcoming memoir is A Little Crazy (September, 2024), a sequel to Dear William, about mental health and finding purpose and joy written in his inspirational and vulnerable voice.

He's also host of the new podcast (launching Sept. 10, 2024) A Little Crazy. Learn more at www.alittlecrazy.com.

David is a sought-after speaker in communities, business, schools and universities, about mental health and substance misuse challenges and solutions, and he was involved in creating the William Magee Center and the William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing at the University of Mississippi, named after his late son.

Previously, David was a daily newspaper publisher, a media company president, small business owner, a regular guest on CNBC, and once hosted a national cable TV and radio program (The David Magee Show).

He and his wife Kent, a yoga for addiction teacher, live in Oxford, Mississippi.

Reviews

[Matt McCullough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an interesting book about the carmaker. The author goes into good historical detail about the company's origins which play a huge role in the culture that exists. I appreciate how the author didn't exclude the negative aspects of Toyota's history. If you're into manufacturing I think you would enjoy it. It did not have as many leadership and management concepts as I hoped.

[Paula Kirman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good leadership information for people in business, but I can't help but keep thinking that a corporation is a corporation is a corporation. There is always a dark side.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is certainly beneficial for people who are interested in corporate history and learning about maintaining a positive business model. Toyota’s meteoric rise in contemporary America is worth learning about and the path they went down is one that all major corporations should understand (I.e as they should with companies such as Google, Apple, Uber, or any other industry disruptor). The trouble with this book though was that David Magee said the same thing in different words often. Valuable as the insight was, I found myself taking in the same insight in form of synonyms and changes in phrasing alone. The chapters that stuck out pertained to the history of Toyota, Toyota’s accolades and the risks it took. What Magee kept repeating unnecessarily were the principles of TPS. All in all, a good book with pertinent information, but there are better books that leave a stronger impact out there.

[Kevin R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally learned many business management insights from Toyota and this book. The intricacies of Toyota's concept of Kaizen which highlights its focus on continuous improvement. The company has proven itself as one of the capable car manufacturer in the world throughout the era, and stood the test of time.

The author has explained Toyota's corporate culture and values that it adopts and implement in its working environment really do justice for my business studies back in high school, giving a more in depth case study that is applicable to many business theories and aspects that are taught in school. In this respect, the tone and delivery of the book is also relatively light so i believe that this book is suitable even for a light, inspirational read.

[Mai · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book explains how Toyota thrived to become one of the most successful car manufacturers in the world: the lean manufacturing practice, the efficient supply chain, corporate cultures among many other things. The book mentions that Toyota reaches zero landfill waste in North America, an amazing practice that many other corporations can learn from.

What I find annoying about this book is that the author constantly puts Toyota’s rivals down. As I read further, it became clear to me that the author was overly biased with Toyota. I am sure GM, Ford, Audi and other car manufacturers have also achieved great things, but the book only portrays negative images on them.

[Thiên Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an interesting and useful book for who want to know more about business. It has been filled with lots of real stories of one of the most famous automobile around the world which you will find it really helpful.

[Angel Valenzuela · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was short which is nice but wasn’t as intriguing as “Driving Honda”

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inside look at Toyota’s continuous improvement philosophy

David Magee does a great job of explaining the values that shape Toyota’s corporate culture. However, he portrays American auto companies as being a bit too venal and stupid, and depicts Toyota as being a bit too righteous. Still, Toyota is a great company and its American competitors do suffer, in part, due to the traits he describes. Magee keeps things going by introducing you to Toyota’s major players past and present, as well as talking about big names in the U.S. auto industry. Many books describe Toyota’s production system or the Toyota approach. getAbstract appreciates Magee’s singular efforts to dig further into the company’s core values and to explain how these values manifest throughout the company’s operations.

[Taylor Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts out on a great foot. It gives relevant and interesting information on the founder of Toyota (Toyoda) including his character, how he entered the industrial world and his method at studying and acquiring before building his business. The novel continues going over TPS and the fundamentals of everyone within the company working towards the same common good. Than it repeats the same basic information over and over and over again for another 200 pages. Although, overall, it was a good read and gave a great snapshot of Toyota. I'm sure, with the many book out there, that there is a much better written one on the subject of Toyota and their legendary TPS system.

[Paul, · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book about a solid company. Most important point for Americans, long term planning wins out, every time. Second most important point: success teaches you nothing, but every failure is an opportunity to learn.

[Borbala Hidegh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many interesting ideas, and good examples. Some of the comparisons suggested quite a negative image about the competitors, as only Toyota would have the best practices. Positive practices of competitors were mostly ignored, while in the Toyota case the success stories were in front.

[Christine Tran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad that I read this book as a college student! Many of the introductory business textbooks have mentioned about the pushing/pulling systems, and it is absolutely fascinating. Although I also do wonder if other students understand this.

[Blake Kanewischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes a couple hundred pages to say what might easily have been said in 50. I'm sure there was a lot of thought and research that went into the book, but it doesn't come through as depth. It comes through as repetitive and not prescriptive enough.

[Ferdi Kurniawan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfect for you to read not-that-so-thick-yet-enjoyable inspirational book.
The writer brings you several facts that is never told by most people about Toyota.
The most interesting part of this book is about the working culture that is conducted in Toyota.

[Sreejith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author David Magee, through this book, has shown how to build and lead a global giant (like the Toyodas and the successors have done with Toyota) with humility and deep-rooted values. A great read on management!

[albert mulei ndeto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Good insights into the engine room of Toyota business. An evolving discussion of how this great businesses earned its current success. Very well narrated with sufficient insights and business learning applicable in most industries

[Shawn Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to what has worked for Toyota. If you're into lean at all, this is a good book to give to your friends to read as an introduction to why we are obsessed with Toyota.

[Laura]

This was a very interesting view into the progress of Toyota and what it is that keeps them continually moving towards the top.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great guide to the successes of Toyota among their competition and relations with their customers.

[Robert Stadnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to admire Toyota and this book provides an in depth look at the company. Toyota executives should read this to get that company back on track.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 4 out of 5]

1178th - 2011

Satu lagi buku Toyota dalam koleksi...

[Vidya Karanth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really inspired by the book and now I am curious to read more on lean methodology, principles and the Toyota way :-)

[Krishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very easy to read and proof that success lies in steadfastly following the basic values of man.

[Zeke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes me want to work for Toyota. Their innovation in design and engineering is exciting.

[Andreas Sekeris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great.