Leanness 

I attended the William J. O'Brien Distinguished Lecture Series at the College of The Holy Cross in Worcester (MA) last Thursday. 

The subject was Leanness, one of four basic values espoused by Bill during his service as CEO of Hanover Insurance Company.  The panel discussion was moderated by Peter Senge, PhD, Senior Lecturer at MIT and author of several books, including The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. It featured Jim Davis, chairman of New Balance; Jake Gosa, chairman, American Woodmark, and Hajime Ohba, president, TSSC, Inc. 

Here is an O'Brien quote on Leanness that appeared in the lecture guidebook. 

"Leanness is a frame of mind that helps a person or an organization grow and prosper in good times and bounce back from bad times.  It is a way of life in which we base our sense of satisfaction on what we achieve, not on what we spend.  A lean organization avoids spending for show because it knows that results and performance speak for themselves.  It feels no compulsion to impress others."