Welcome to the Monthly Newsletter by Amer Kaissi 

Edition #40, March 2023

I came across this well-researched & fascinating book: Charging Ahead: GM, Mary Barra, and the Reinvention of an American Icon by David Welch. The book focuses on on the career & leadership style of Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors (GM). As the daughter of a GM employee and an electrical engineer, Barra was described as “having gasoline running through her veins.” But it was especially her leadership approach that combined empathy and collaboration with decisiveness and ruthlessness that paved her leadership path. In 2013, when she was announced as CEO of GM, she became the first ever female leader of a “Big 3 Automaker.”

Her focus was never on herself or on how she had smashed the glass ceiling. She had only one goal: how to take GM back to greatness, after years of failures and mediocrity. She listened intently and involved others in decisions. But once a decision was made and the plan was set in motion, she had little tolerance for complaints and sniping. Some of the controversial but necessary actions that she took were to get rid of most of GM’s businesses in Europe, India, South Africa and Australia, in order to focus attention and resources on competing in the US. Her most important contribution to GM and the world was the long-term decision to move the company towards electric-powered and driverless cars.

★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★★

Dr. Amer Kaissi is a Top Leadership Keynote Speaker. He speaks about leadership, teams and culture.