Books & Legacy
George Trachilis has spent decades developing leaders, building Lean enterprises, and teaching structured success systems.
Today, his focus is legacy — helping his students and emerging leaders publish their work, clarify their thinking, and contribute lasting value to industry and future generations.
A New Chapter: Publishing the Next Generation
Leadership is not only about building organizations — it is about building people who can think, write, and teach. George is now actively mentoring professionals and students in transforming their experience into published works.
Latest Book in the Works
A new leadership volume is currently in development — focused on structured personal mastery, disciplined execution, and building a generational impact beyond performance metrics.
Developing Lean Leaders at All Levels
A practical guide to building sustainable leadership capability — translating Lean philosophy into disciplined leadership behaviors that drive measurable, long‑term organizational performance.
Moving beyond tools, this book presents a structured leadership development model built on self‑development, coaching & mentorship, structured problem solving, and a culture of continuous improvement.
Rooted in Toyota’s management system and developed alongside Jeffrey K. Liker, it provides executives, managers, and frontline leaders a disciplined path to embed Lean thinking into daily management and enterprise strategy.
Read More → Purchase Book →Lean Construction Leaders
A Trade Partner’s Guide to Becoming Lean Ready
Designed specifically for subcontractors and trade partners, this book provides a practical system to eliminate waste, improve planning reliability, and prepare teams for successful participation in Lean Construction projects.
With fewer than 5% of trade partners considered Lean Ready today, this guide outlines a clear path to move the industry toward 80% readiness — eliminating the typical six‑month learning curve required on Lean projects.
Featuring the P4 Planning System — Process, Pace, Prepare, Perform — along with the 8 Wastes (DOWNTIME), 5S, and the Last Planner System®, the book equips electricians, plumbers, mechanical contractors, steel erectors, and specialty trades with structured preparation to increase reliability and profitability.
Read More → Purchase Book →Duh! Captain Obvious™
Success is a Skill
A graphic novel introducing Lean thinking, the Harada Method, and the truth that success is not luck — it is a repeatable, disciplined skill.
Through the battle against MudaMan — the villain of distraction, stress, overburden, and waste — Captain Obvious makes clarity powerful. Every time someone says, “Duh! Captain Obvious,” waste loses ground.
The book introduces the 9th Waste — the Lack of Success — and connects directly to the OW64 App (formerly the Harada App), inspired by the exact goal‑setting system Shohei Ohtani used at age 15. What begins as a superhero story becomes a personal system for structured success.
Read More → Purchase Book →OEM Principles of Lean Thinking
Global principles to save time and make money — a practical guide to defining true customer value, eliminating waste, creating flow, and implementing pull systems across any industry.
Unlike tool-focused Lean books, this work emphasizes Lean thinking — integrating philosophy, financial impact, operational discipline, and leadership development into one structured system.
Through value stream mapping, TAKT time, one-piece flow, pull systems, and real-world simulations, leaders learn how to reduce lead time, lower cost, improve cash flow, and build a culture of continuous improvement.
Read More → Purchase Book →Leadership Is Built — Not Inherited
Each book represents a structured system for disciplined growth — whether in enterprise leadership, construction performance, OEM operational excellence, or personal success.
Read deeply. Apply consistently. Build capability that lasts.
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