Surprisingly, a high failure rate of lean initiatives in delivering promised business results calls into question the practicality and fruitfulness of lean as a change methodology. Many lean experts and scholars have tried to reveal the determining factors that affect the chance of success or failure of a lean initiative under different labels such as inhibitors, barriers, obstacles, or key success factors. One prominent concept, which is directly or implicitly mentioned in many of these studies, is profound role of ‘leadership’. This study pursues two objectives in two phases, mainly through conduct of a survey among lean practitioners in different industries. The research objectives are: to investigate the role of leadership in achieving favorable business results, and to formulate a holistic lean leadership model. This model is based on practical and realistic leadership experiences of two iconic lean companies, and also verified, and modified as appropriate, according to the findings of the survey. Ingraining the culture of respect for people, commitment to (leadership) self-development, establishing (lean) overarching and supporting structures, and reinforcing lean in day-to-day management activities, are 4 main layers of the model that enable a leader to reach to the ideal state of a lean organization, which is kaizen (continuous improvement)