The Toyota Way
Toyota's 14 management principles, second edition
- Researched profile
- Starting price
- See publisher and retailers
- Free option
- None listed
- Pricing
- Price on request
- Format
- Book
The lean-stack take
Lean practitioners use it as a foundation text on the philosophy behind the Toyota Production System. The second edition adds new material on leadership, scientific thinking and how Toyota uses Hoshin Kanri.
Best for
Leaders and practitioners who want to understand the thinking behind lean as well as the tools.
Watch out for
It is a book on principles, so pair it with hands-on practice and coaching.
About
About The Toyota Way
The Toyota Way, Second Edition, by Jeffrey K. Liker, explains Toyota's 14 management principles. It is published by McGraw Hill.
Written by lean-stack from the publisher's description. This is a summary, not a full review.
Contents
What The Toyota Way covers
14 principles
Toyota's management principles, grouped into philosophy, process, people and problem solving.
Updated data
Revised information on Toyota's approach in a world of mobility and smart technology.
Examples beyond Toyota
Cases from manufacturing and service organizations that applied the Toyota Way.
Leadership models
A fresh approach to leadership in a lean organization.
Scientific thinking
The brain science and skills for learning to think scientifically.
Hoshin Kanri
How Toyota aligns objectives at all levels with business strategy.
Lean techniques supported
The lean practices The Toyota Way is built to support.
Price
Where to buy The Toyota Way
Checked October 3, 2026
Starting price
See publisher and retailers
- Pricing
- Price on request
- Free option
- None listed
How pricing works
Available from McGraw Hill and retailers in print and eBook.
Second edition. ISBNs listed by the publisher include 978-1-260-46851-9 and 978-1-260-46852-6.
See current prices on mheducation.comThe Toyota Way doesn't publish a full plan list, so we show what it does publish. Confirm prices with the vendor.
Strengths and limitations
What stands out, and what to watch
Strengths
- Explains the philosophy behind lean tools
- Second edition updated with new frameworks
- Covers Hoshin Kanri and scientific thinking
- Examples from manufacturing and services
- Author has won multiple Shingo awards, per the publisher
Limitations
- Principles need translating into your own context
- A long read compared with a short guide
- Not a step-by-step toolkit
Based on the publisher's own description, not a full review.
Fit
Is The Toyota Way right for your team?
A good fit if…
- You lead a lean transformation
- You want to understand why Toyota's system works
- You coach others and need a common reference
- You want background on Hoshin Kanri
Look elsewhere if…
- You need a quick how-to for one tool
- You want templates rather than principles
- You need a value stream mapping workbook
Reviews
What The Toyota Way readers say
We haven't found published reviews of The Toyota Way on G2 or Capterra yet. Smaller lean tools often have none, so judge it on the facts above and a trial.
Similar books
Books like The Toyota Way
Learning to See
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Workbook from the Lean Enterprise Institute that teaches value stream mapping through a worked example, from drawing a current state to designing a future state.
The Lean Startup
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Applies lean ideas to new ventures through the build-measure-learn loop, minimum viable products, validated learning, innovation accounting and the decision to pivot or persevere.
| Book | Pricing | Price | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Toyota Way | Price on request | See publisher and retailers | Book |
| Learning to See | Published pricing | $60 (LEI store) | Book |
| The Lean Startup | Published pricing | Hardcover $32.00 (list price) | Book |
From each vendor's published pricing. Check current prices on their sites.
FAQ
The Toyota Way: common questions
Who wrote The Toyota Way?
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Where this comes from
Sources for this page
Facts on this page come from the publisher and the sources listed here. Prices change, so check the retailer before you buy.