What if the very thing weighing on you right now is the key to your next level of growth?
Many of us carry more than we realize: unfinished goals, unmet expectations, family pressures, and the constant mental load of what still needs to be done.
In this episode of Chain of Learning, I share a grounding teaching from a Zen priest in Japan after a Zazen guided meditation session that has deeply resonated with me—and with leaders on my Japan Leadership Experience:
“Remove the muda to reveal the buddha.”
In Japanese, muda means waste. And in Lean, muda refers to anything that doesn’t add value.
I’ve been reflecting on this phrase and its deeper meaning as I process my own life experiences, both personally and professionally.
This Zen teaching invites us to look inward: to notice what weighs us down, reflect on what it’s trying to teach us, and transform that weight into wisdom.
As you move forward—whether at the end of a year or in the middle of a busy work period—this episode offers an invitation to slow down, study your experiences, and release what no longer serves you, so that you can lead your life and work with greater intention, clarity, and a continuous learning mindset.
YOU’LL LEARN:
- What Daruma dolls reveal about resilience, focus, and habits rooted in practice, not perfection
- What “Remove the muda to reveal the Buddha” means beyond lean – and how reflection helps turn inner weight into wisdom
- Four additional Zen teachings that apply to effective leadership, helping change leaders move beyond tools to presence, purpose, and a growth mindset
- A simple reflection practice to reframe or release muda so it supports – not burdens – your growth
- The distinction between goals and intentions, and why letting your being guide your doing leads to more meaningful progress
IMPORTANT LINKS:
TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:
01:55 Daruma dolls and what they represent
03:28 How
Zazen meditation can bring you back to inner peace and inner being
04:26 What it means to “Remove the muda to reveal the Buddha”
06:43 The burden Isao Yoshino carried of what he considered was his big failure as a business leader and the shift in perspective to lift the burden, as highlighted in “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn”
08:07 Four Zen teachings and how to apply them as a transformational change leader
12:00 How the burning of daruma dolls each year show reflection in practice
13:05 Your intentional practice to help you remove the muda
13:36 3 examples of how to use this reflection process to adjust or release so to turn waste into wisdom
13:49 Example 1: You’ve been stuck in constant doing
14:16 Example 2: Your plans didn’t unfold as expected
15:07 Example 3: A relationship has shifted
16:38 The distinction between goals vs intentions—being and doing
17:31 How to “Remove the muda to reveal the buddha” to release the weight you carry and move forward
What is Chain of Learning: Empowering Continuous Improvement and Lean Change Leaders?
You’re a leader who knows that people are at the center of an exceptional organizational culture. You're excited to activate a culture of continuous learning – where everyone is capable, confident, and empowered to solve problems and innovate at all levels.
This podcast is all about inspiring and equipping you to do that – through the power of learning and leading.
Chain of Learning® is where the links of leadership and learning unite.
Join your host, Katie Anderson, internationally recognized leadership consultant, award-winning author of “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn”, and fellow learning enthusiast, for a journey that will help you master the skills to lead your organization from a traditional culture of “doing” into a vibrant, high-performing organization of continuous learning.
Chain of Learning® is the trusted source for purpose-driven leaders and continuous improvement, lean, and agile practitioners seeking positive inspiration, innovative ideas, proven best practices, and actionable strategies to lead transformational change.
Tune into each episode to gain the knowledge and skills you need to build a thriving people-centered learning culture, achieve needed business results, and expand your impact, so that you – and your team – can leave a lasting legacy.
Subscribe and follow Chain of Learning® today so you never miss an episode!
Share this podcast with your friends, fellow leaders, and colleagues, and let’s strengthen our Chain of Learning® – together.
Podcast website: ChainOfLearning.com
Katie Anderson’s website: KBJAnderson.com
Connect with Katie Anderson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson/
Read Katie's book: LearningToLeadLeadingToLearn.com