What is the Certified Lean Manager?

The Certified Lean Manager is a globally recognised professional certification by the Global Leadership Institute (GLI), designed to equip professionals with advanced competencies in Leadership & Management.

How long does this certification take?

The programme is 9 Week and can be completed at your own pace through our self-paced online option, or alongside live virtual sessions.

Is this certification globally recognised?

Yes. GLI certifications are internationally recognised and carry CPD credits, making them valuable for career advancement worldwide.

What level is this certification?

This is a Intermediate Level certification, suitable for professionals with relevant experience or background in the field.

You can enrol by emailing info@leadership.rw, contacting us via WhatsApp at +250 788 000 000, or filling the enrolment form below.

Certified Lean Manager (CLEM) | Online Certification

Executive Summary

Certified Lean Manager

Designed for today’s high-impact professionals, the Certified Lean Manager (CLEM) delivers a rigorous Intermediate-level curriculum that equips participants with the knowledge, tools and frameworks needed to excel in strategic leadership, organisational management and business transformation.

This 9 Week programme is structured around recognised global leadership and management competency frameworks, ensuring every graduate applies internationally validated methods to real-world challenges.

GLI’s CLEM holders are recognised by leading organisations across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and the Americas as qualified, results-driven professionals. Whether you are advancing your current career or transitioning into new responsibilities, this certification provides the competitive edge you need in 2026 and beyond.

Programme Overview

Certification at a Glance

Certification

Certified Lean Manager

Acronym

CLEM

Who Should Enrol?

Managers and Team Leaders
Heads of Department and Directors
Senior Executives and Aspiring Leaders
Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

Programme Inclusions

Everything Included in Your Enrolment

All study materials and study guide
Access to GLI online learning portal
Online examination and assessment
Digital certificate and digital badge
Physical certificate (shipped to you)
CPD credits for professional bodies
GLI alumni network membership
Facilitator and tutor support
Resource downloads and reference library
Automatic enrolment confirmation

Certification Benefits

Why This Certification Matters for Your Career

Leadership Capability

Develop the strategic and operational skills to lead complex strategic leadership functions

Career Advancement

Accelerate your career towards executive, director and C-suite leadership roles

Strategic Thinking

Build the strategic thinking, analysis and execution skills of world-class leaders

Organisational Impact

Design and implement strategic leadership systems that drive performance and measurable results

Personal Excellence

Develop emotional intelligence, resilience and authentic executive presence

Global Employability

Qualify for strategic leadership roles across corporates, public institutions, NGOs and enterprises worldwide

Competency Framework

Core Competencies You Will Develop

✦Lean Leadership Principles

✦Waste Identification and Elimination

✦Visual Management

✦Problem-Solving for Lean Managers

✦Employee Engagement in Lean

✦Lean Project Management

Course Curriculum

Programme Modules

The full programme, module by module.

Core CurriculumModules 1–20 · specific to Certified Lean Manager · module 20 is the capstone

1

Lean Management Fundamentals

Quality monitoring and coaching · Service quality and turnaround metrics · Quality, accuracy and error reduction · Quality standards, audit and nonconformance

2

Lean Leadership Principles

Reading the numbers: what financial statements tell a manager · Directing and evaluating AI output as a manager · Reading financial statements as a manager · Customer (employee/manager) satisfaction

3

Lean Organizational Culture

Building an improvement culture · Reporting quality and governance · Operational reporting: numbers managers act on · Quality and delivery metrics

4

Customer Value and Lean Thinking

Defining the problem: charter, scope and customer value · Customer lifetime value and profitability · The value of customer-centricity · Customer lifetime value

5

Waste Identification and Elimination

Flow, waste and the economics of operational excellence · Lean tools in practice: 5S, waste walks and kaizen · Workplace environment: air quality, water, welfare and waste · Scaling service excellence

6

Value Stream Thinking

Value stream analysis and flow · Total cost and value delivered · Driving measurable procurement value · Innovation and value from suppliers

7

Standardized Work

Standardisation: standard work, documentation and the baseline for improvement · Reporting quality and earnings management risks · Recognition, accruals and earnings quality · Data quality and stewardship

8

Visual Management

Data quality, verification and use · Design review and quality · Bias and quality assurance in investigations · Operational planning and execution discipline

9

5S Workplace Organization

Lean, JIT and pull systems · Supplier financial and operational risk · Measuring equipment effectiveness: availability, performance, quality · Project quality, acceptance and deliverable sign-off

10

Kaizen Management

Service KPIs: CSAT, NPS, CES, SLAs · First-contact resolution and efficiency · Continuous improvement in service · Service maturity assessment

11

Problem-Solving for Lean Managers

Structured problem solving: DMAIC and the discipline of definition · Debugging and problem solving · Root-cause analysis and problem solving · Creative problem-solving: divergence, ideation and mental blocks

12

Process Flow Improvement

Organisational maturity, assessment and improvement programmes · Process improvement and automation · Process improvement and HR operating efficiency · Continuous improvement and lean banking

13

Performance Management in Lean

Performance management that is worth the time it takes · Performance management that people use · Root cause analysis frameworks in advisory work · Generative AI as a professional productivity tool

14

Employee Engagement in Lean

Employee engagement and experience · Engagement mechanics: attention, activity design and gamification · Employee experience and engagement · Employee engagement models and drivers

15

Lean Team Management

Value addition and processing decisions · Anaerobic digestion, biogas and waste-to-value · Land-use planning, capability and degradation management · Yield, productivity and profitability metrics

16

Lean Performance Metrics

Designing a service or experience improvement · Queue management and service flow · Root causes of dissatisfaction · Growing value through service

17

Lean Project Management

Metrics, velocity and flow · Continuous improvement in delivery · Continual service improvement · IT financial management and value

18

Sustaining Lean Transformation

Sustaining transformation and benefits · Sustaining transformation and preventing reversion · Site productivity and resource output · Plant layout and material flow in industrial operations

19

Lean Management Challenges

Value-chain and supply-chain finance · Social value: planning and accounting for wider benefit · Business process mapping · Process optimisation and RPA

20

Lean Management Capstone

Waste, effluent and emissions · Resource efficiency and circularity · Disciplinary procedure: fair process before any sanction · Managing poor performance: capability, support and the honest conversation

Professional ElectivesModules 21–30 · common to all GLI certifications · broaden your professional range

21

Strategic Communication and Executive Presentation

Vision, purpose and translating direction into work · Audience-centred communication and message structure · Executive leadership: the board interface and enterprise stewardship · Persuasive structure: framing, evidence and the ask

22

Leadership and Team Effectiveness

Leadership identity, style and the limits of style · Leadership assessment, feedback and continuous self-review · What critical reasoning is and what it is not · Situational and adaptive leadership

23

Analytical Thinking and Evidence-Based Reasoning

Creativity and critical-thinking development · Analytical techniques and bias · Evidence-based improvement · Problem framing: symptoms, definition and scope

24

Professional Decision-Making

Managerial decision-making, bias and decision rights · Escalation and decision-making · Decision support: briefs, options and judgement under pressure · Decision frameworks: criteria, weighting and trade-offs

25

Negotiation, Influence and Stakeholder Management

Negotiation preparation: interests, options and the walk-away · Power, followership and organisational politics · Negotiation: preparation, interests and value creation · Concessions, anchoring and the shape of a bargain

26

Project and Execution Management

Proposals, bids and the business case · Project roles and the project manager · Developing the project business case · Planning, scheduling and personal workflow systems

27

Financial Literacy for Professionals

Financial reporting standards and their application · Financial management for the operating manager · Liquidity, funding and balance sheet management · Management accounting: costing, budgeting and decision support

28

Digital Skills, AI and Technology for Professionals

Digital workplace, collaboration and user support · Productivity, collaboration and workflow tools · Tools for interaction and collaboration · Working with data: quality, interpretation and honest presentation

29

Ethics, Governance and Professional Accountability

Ethical leadership: integrity, tolerated behaviour and moral courage · Ethics, conduct and speaking up · Business development risk, ethics and integrity · AI for managers: adoption, oversight and governance

30

Personal Effectiveness, Productivity and Career Growth

Emotional competence: awareness, regulation and expression · Self-awareness, strengths and the accuracy of self-image · Emotional intelligence and self-regulation · Priority: outcomes, importance and the urgency trap

Every module opens in the learning portal with its full lesson set, worked examples, further reading and video masterclasses. 30 modules · 150 lessons.

Learning Outcomes

What You Will Achieve

Establish a comprehensive understanding of Certified Lean Manager principles aligned with recognised global leadership and management competency frameworks
Apply evidence-based methods to improve strategic leadership, organisational management and business transformation
Master strategic thinking, vision and direction setting and leading teams, people and high performance
Apply decision-making, problem-solving and execution and emotional intelligence and authentic leadership in real-world settings
Lead risk management, quality and compliance relevant to your field
Design stakeholder engagement and professional communication strategies
Use data-driven decision-making and performance-measurement tools effectively
Apply internationally recognised best practice to advance your career in strategic leadership

Enrolment Process

How to Get Certified

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Step 1: Choose Your Certification

You are viewing Certified Lean Manager — one of GLI's 1,990+ globally recognised professional certifications.

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Step 2: Enrol & Pay Online — Instantly

Click Enrol & Study Online to register and pay securely via Paystack, Visa, Mastercard, M-Pesa or bank transfer. Access is granted the moment payment is confirmed.

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Step 3: Study in the GLI Learning Portal

Work through 15 structured modules and 75 lessons at your own pace, with downloadable resources and expert-designed content — all inside the LMS.

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Step 4: Pass, Get Certified & Verified

Sit your final examination online, earn your certificate instantly, and receive a globally verifiable Certificate ID — plus GLI Alumni Network access.

🎓 Enrol & Study Online — Instant Access

Secure checkout · Instant LMS access · Globally verifiable certificate

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions

What is the CLEM certification?

The Certified Lean Manager is a professional certification awarded by the Global Leadership Institute. It covers 20 core modules specific to Lean Manager, culminating in the capstone “Lean Management Capstone”, plus 10 professional elective modules common to all GLI certifications. Candidates study through the online portal, submit the capstone project and sit a final examination; those who pass receive a verifiable certificate carrying a unique certificate ID.

Who should enrol in the CLEM?

This certification is ideal for Managers and Team Leaders, Heads of Department and Directors, Senior Executives and Aspiring Leaders and Business Owners and Entrepreneurs, and other professionals seeking to formalise their expertise in strategic leadership, organisational management and business transformation with a globally recognised credential.

How long does the CLEM certification take to complete?

The programme is structured over 9 Week and offers flexible learning modes. Self-paced learners can progress at their own schedule, while live virtual participants follow a structured cohort schedule with facilitator-led sessions.

Is the CLEM internationally recognised?

Yes. GLI certifications are recognised across 100+ countries and are aligned with recognised global leadership and management competency frameworks. Graduates receive a digital certificate, a physical certificate and CPD credits recognised by employers worldwide.

What is the cost of the CLEM certification?

The Certified Lean Manager is offered in two formats: Self-Paced at USD 349 and Live Virtual at USD 549. Corporate group rates are available for organisations enrolling 5 or more participants. Contact GLI for a bespoke corporate training quotation.

What does the CLEM certification include?

Enrolment includes all study materials and study guides, access to GLI's online learning portal, online examination, digital certificate and badge, physical certificate (posted), CPD credits, GLI alumni network membership, and ongoing facilitator support.

What is the assessment format for the CLEM?

The Certified Lean Manager is assessed through an online examination consisting of multiple-choice questions, case study analysis, and practical application assignments. The assessment is designed to evaluate real-world competency, not just theoretical recall.

What CPD credits do I earn from the CLEM?

The Certified Lean Manager carries Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits, which can be applied towards professional body requirements including recognised international professional associations.

Can I study the CLEM while working full-time?

Absolutely. The self-paced option is designed for busy working professionals and allows you to study when and where it suits you. Live virtual sessions are typically scheduled in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate professional commitments.

What career outcomes can I expect from the CLEM?

Graduates progress towards executive, director and C-suite leadership roles. The CLEM strengthens your expertise in strategic leadership, organisational management and business transformation and positions you for advancement across corporates, public institutions, NGOs and enterprises.

Graduate Voices

What Our Alumni Say

“

The curriculum was directly applicable to my daily work. I immediately applied what I learned and saw results within weeks of completing the programme.

Managing Director

Private Sector

“

GLI's certification is the most practical professional programme I have attended. The international frameworks gave me credibility with my employer and clients.

Operations Manager

NGO Sector

“

I earned my CLEM while working full-time. The self-paced format made it possible, and the quality of the content is genuinely world-class.

Head of Strategy

Government

Certified Lean Manager

Certified Lean Manager

Certification at a Glance

Who Should Enrol?

Everything Included in Your Enrolment

Why This Certification Matters for Your Career

Core Competencies You Will Develop

Programme Modules

What You Will Achieve

How to Get Certified

Common Questions

What Our Alumni Say

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