What are the core values of the Toyota Way?
The core values are two pillars—Long-term philosophy and the right process to deliver the right results—supported by 14 guiding principles that emphasize continuous improvement (kaizen) and respect for people.
The two pillars of the Toyota Way
At the heart of Toyota’s management philosophy are two foundational pillars. They shape decisions, leadership, and daily operations across the company and its extended network.
- Long-term philosophy
- The right process to deliver the right results
These pillars are intended to balance ambition with discipline: decisions should look beyond immediate gains, while processes should be robust enough to sustain high quality and steady improvement over time.
The 14 guiding principles
To operationalize the two pillars, Toyota codifies 14 principles that guide how the company plans, produces, and grows its people and partnerships. The list below summarizes each principle in practical terms.
- Base decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals.
- Create a continuous process flow to reveal problems and opportunities for improvement.
- Use pull systems to avoid overproduction and reduce waste.
- Level the workload and production schedule to smooth out peaks and valleys (heijunka).
- Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, so quality is ensured from the start.
- Standardize tasks and processes to enable reliable, repeatable results.
- Use visual controls so problems are immediately apparent to everyone involved.
- Rely on reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves people and processes.
- Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others.
- Develop exceptional people and teams who follow the company’s philosophy.
- Respect the extended network of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve.
- Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation (Genchi Genbutsu).
- Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering options; then execute quickly.
- Become a learning organization through relentless reflection and continuous improvement (kaizen).
These principles collectively encourage long-term thinking, disciplined processes, leadership development, and collaborative relationships—everyday practices that Toyota argues lead to consistent quality and sustainable performance.
How these values show up in practice
In manufacturing and beyond, Toyota’s approach translates to disciplined problem-solving, standardized workflows, and a culture where leaders mentor workers, suppliers are invited to improve, and learning never stops. The model has influenced lean management practices across industries worldwide, reinforcing the idea that process discipline and people development are mutually reinforcing.
Impact and relevance today
Despite changes in markets and technology, the Toyota Way’s emphasis on long-term thinking, process integrity, and respectful collaboration remains a reference point for organizations pursuing high quality, resilience, and continuous improvement.
Summary
In essence, the Toyota Way centers on two foundational pillars—Long-term philosophy and the right process to produce the right results—supported by 14 guiding principles. These principles foster kaizen, standardization, flow, leadership development, and strong partnerships, all aimed at delivering sustained, high-quality performance.
What are Toyota's core values?
Toyota's core values are centered on the philosophy of the Toyota Way, which includes challenge, kaizen (continuous improvement), genchi genbutsu (go and see), respect, and teamwork. These values guide the company's operations and culture, emphasizing a long-term vision, creativity, problem-solving through factual observation, building mutual trust, and working together to maximize performance.
The Toyota Way core values
- Challenge: Meeting challenges with courage and creativity to achieve a long-term vision.
- Kaizen: A philosophy of continuous improvement to enhance quality, eliminate waste, and increase efficiency.
- Genchi Genbutsu: "Go and see" to find facts firsthand, enabling better problem-solving and decision-making.
- Respect: Building mutual trust by respecting others, accepting responsibility, and striving to understand different perspectives.
- Teamwork: Fostering growth and maximizing performance by sharing opportunities and working together to achieve company goals.
Other guiding principles and values
- Honesty and integrity: Acting with honesty and integrity in all dealings.
- Customer satisfaction: Exceeding customer expectations through quality and innovation.
- Social responsibility: Contributing to economic and social development and working to make the earth a better place.
- Global vision: Fostering growth through harmony with the global community.
- Partnership: Working with business partners to achieve mutual benefit and long-term growth.
What are the 4 P's of the Toyota Way?
Let's dive into the 4Ps of Toyota's lean management principles: Philosophy, Process, People & Partners, and Problem Solving.
What are the 5 values of the Toyota Way?
The 5 values of the Toyota Way represent the essence of these precepts.
- Challenge. To maintain a long-term vision and meet all challenges with the courage and creativity needed to realise that vision.
- Kaizen. Continuous improvement.
- Genchi Genbutsu.
- Respect.
- Teamwork.
What are the main pillars of Toyota Way?
The two pillars of the Toyota Way are respect for people and continuous improvement. Jeffrey K. Liker popularized the philosophy in his 2004 book, The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer.
