{"id":152,"date":"2020-10-11T19:46:12","date_gmt":"2020-10-11T19:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.usnh.edu\/mgmt805\/chapter\/section-13-complementary-examples\/"},"modified":"2023-03-24T15:13:07","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T15:13:07","slug":"section-13-complementary-examples","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.usnh.edu\/mgmt805\/chapter\/section-13-complementary-examples\/","title":{"raw":"Section 13: Complementary Examples","rendered":"Section 13: Complementary Examples"},"content":{"raw":"From Ty Gioacchini (Winter Term, 2021):<\/strong><\/em><\/span>\n\nThe Leader or Organization<\/strong>\n\nMary Barra is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Chairwoman of General Motors\u2019 Board of Directors. She has been leading GM since January 15, 2014. GM is an automotive company based in Detroit which employs over 85,000 people in the United States of America and more than 164,000 around the world. The company makes significant investments to support the communities it serves (GM in the U.S.).\n\nBarra has enjoyed a long career with GM since 1980 when she was a co-op student. Her prior executive experience with GM has included serving as vice president of Global Human Resources, VP of Global Manufacturing, and most recently as VP of Global Product Development (Mary T. Barra, CEO).\n\nThe Leadership Practices<\/strong>\n\nBarra makes a leadership commitment to her employees, customers, and the organization\u2019s relevance in the future. \u201cShe is focused on improving the customer experience and strengthening GM\u2019s core vehicle and services business, while also working to lead the transformation of personal mobility through advanced technologies like connectivity, electrification and autonomous driving\u201d (Mary T. Barra, CEO). By utilizing three key principles, she is able to accomplish this. Bob Rosen (2014) summarizes these nicely:\n\n\u201cKeep it honest and keep it simple\u201d refers to Barra\u2019s candidness and candor. She is direct about what needs to happen and is willing to do what needs to be done.\n\n\u201cMake it about the company and the customer\u201d speaks to how Barra brings the focus of gaining and retaining customers into the daily operations of GM by putting customers at the center of their work, maintaining good and meaningful relationships internally and externally, and by acting with integrity.\n\n\u201cUse kinetic energy to mobilize people\u201d is a reflection of Barra\u2019s approach of viewing challenges as opportunities.\n\nImpact Created<\/strong>\n\nWhen she was leading Product Development, Barra took a stance and gave her folks a goal: \u201cNo more crappy cars\u201d, and she was not willing to let anything get in the way of that. (Rosen, 2014). This is certainly something she has carried forward with her into the CEO role. Last year, in 2020, General Motors was J.D. Power\u2019s top pick for initial quality (GM Ranks as Top Automotive Corporation, 2020). By implementing a vision and being willing to provide the resources teams needed in order to be successful, she was able to help GM accomplish this.\n\nBarra\u2019s focus on the company\u2019s future and relationship with customers has also paid off. She has approached much of her work at GM \u201cas if she would be doing it for the rest of her life\u201d and this enabled her to keep herself at that moment doing good work to lay a solid foundation for the future (Rosen, 2014). By leading a drive toward making better cars and focusing on internal and external relationship building, General Motors has found its way to the top of a 2020 Experian report as having the highest loyalty for an automaker that produced several brands (Henry, 2020).\n\nWith a continued focus in these areas, GM can continue to achieve these titles. Additionally, they can continue to expand their goals, setting their sights on new frontiers where they can find their way to the top. A leader like Mary Barra can help the organization by continuing to see where they can grow and providing the necessary resources for the organization to be successful.\n\nConnection to Course Concepts<\/strong>\n\nMary Barra seems to trust the capabilities of her employees to accomplish tasks and reach goals. This seems to underpin an approach of providing direction and then allowing them to make it happen. In terms of Hersey and Blanchard\u2019s Situational Theory, this aligns with a delegating leadership approach and level M4 follower maturity (Graduate Studies, 2019). Although Barra gives directives, they are not explicit authoritative road maps. She gives employees the space necessary to do their work as experts in their respective fields.\n\nBuilding on this, she is also a leader who aligns with the Path-Goal Theory. This theory states that \u201cit\u2019s the leader\u2019s job to assist followers in attaining their goals and to provide the necessary direction and\/or support to ensure their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the group or organization\u201d (Graduate Studies, 2019). When she states a vision, like making better cars, she is willing to remove hurdles from the equation and support her teams however they need to be supported in order to meet the goals.\n\nFuture Implications<\/strong>\n\nMary Barra can continue to lead General Motors effectively toward the future, and can also continue to be a leader in general. She does not ignore seemingly simple goals, like making better cars, and also does not seem afraid to push toward the unknown, like autonomous and other novel automotive technologies. Other leaders can look at Barra and understand how to set a firm foundation and use that as the springboard for becoming an industry leader. They can also learn the value of removing obstacles for the people making your visions come true. Mary Barra is an excellent example of a leader setting their followers up for success.\n\nReferences<\/strong>\n\nGM in the U.S. United States Operations: By the Numbers. https:\/\/www.gm.com\/our-company\/us.html.\n\nGM Ranks as Top Automotive Corporation in J.D. Power's 2020 Initial Quality Study. (2020, June 24). https:\/\/media.gm.com\/media\/us\/en\/gm\/news.detail.html\/content\/Pages\/news\/us\/en\/2020\/jun\/0624-jdpower.html.\n\nGraduate Studies. (2019, December 11). Organizational Behavior. https:\/\/granite.pressbooks.pub\/mgmt805\/.\n\nHenry, J. (2020, December 31). Tesla No. 1 In Brand Loyalty, Then Subaru; GM Also Scores Well, Experian Says. Forbes. https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jimhenry\/2021\/12\/31\/tesla-no-1-in-brand-loyalty-then-subaru-gm-also-scores-well-experian-says\/?sh=592a3a209ee4.\n\nMary T. Barra, CEO. General Motors. https:\/\/www.gm.com\/our-company\/leadership\/mary-t-barra.html.\n\nRosen, B. (2014, January 1). Leadership Journeys - Mary Barra. IEDP. https:\/\/www.iedp.com\/articles\/leadership-journeys-mary-barra\/.\n\n
\n\n \n\n ","rendered":"

From Ty Gioacchini (Winter Term, 2021):<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The Leader or Organization<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mary Barra is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Chairwoman of General Motors\u2019 Board of Directors. She has been leading GM since January 15, 2014. GM is an automotive company based in Detroit which employs over 85,000 people in the United States of America and more than 164,000 around the world. The company makes significant investments to support the communities it serves (GM in the U.S.).<\/p>\n

Barra has enjoyed a long career with GM since 1980 when she was a co-op student. Her prior executive experience with GM has included serving as vice president of Global Human Resources, VP of Global Manufacturing, and most recently as VP of Global Product Development (Mary T. Barra, CEO).<\/p>\n

The Leadership Practices<\/strong><\/p>\n

Barra makes a leadership commitment to her employees, customers, and the organization\u2019s relevance in the future. \u201cShe is focused on improving the customer experience and strengthening GM\u2019s core vehicle and services business, while also working to lead the transformation of personal mobility through advanced technologies like connectivity, electrification and autonomous driving\u201d (Mary T. Barra, CEO). By utilizing three key principles, she is able to accomplish this. Bob Rosen (2014) summarizes these nicely:<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep it honest and keep it simple\u201d refers to Barra\u2019s candidness and candor. She is direct about what needs to happen and is willing to do what needs to be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake it about the company and the customer\u201d speaks to how Barra brings the focus of gaining and retaining customers into the daily operations of GM by putting customers at the center of their work, maintaining good and meaningful relationships internally and externally, and by acting with integrity.<\/p>\n

\u201cUse kinetic energy to mobilize people\u201d is a reflection of Barra\u2019s approach of viewing challenges as opportunities.<\/p>\n

Impact Created<\/strong><\/p>\n

When she was leading Product Development, Barra took a stance and gave her folks a goal: \u201cNo more crappy cars\u201d, and she was not willing to let anything get in the way of that. (Rosen, 2014). This is certainly something she has carried forward with her into the CEO role. Last year, in 2020, General Motors was J.D. Power\u2019s top pick for initial quality (GM Ranks as Top Automotive Corporation, 2020). By implementing a vision and being willing to provide the resources teams needed in order to be successful, she was able to help GM accomplish this.<\/p>\n

Barra\u2019s focus on the company\u2019s future and relationship with customers has also paid off. She has approached much of her work at GM \u201cas if she would be doing it for the rest of her life\u201d and this enabled her to keep herself at that moment doing good work to lay a solid foundation for the future (Rosen, 2014). By leading a drive toward making better cars and focusing on internal and external relationship building, General Motors has found its way to the top of a 2020 Experian report as having the highest loyalty for an automaker that produced several brands (Henry, 2020).<\/p>\n

With a continued focus in these areas, GM can continue to achieve these titles. Additionally, they can continue to expand their goals, setting their sights on new frontiers where they can find their way to the top. A leader like Mary Barra can help the organization by continuing to see where they can grow and providing the necessary resources for the organization to be successful.<\/p>\n

Connection to Course Concepts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mary Barra seems to trust the capabilities of her employees to accomplish tasks and reach goals. This seems to underpin an approach of providing direction and then allowing them to make it happen. In terms of Hersey and Blanchard\u2019s Situational Theory, this aligns with a delegating leadership approach and level M4 follower maturity (Graduate Studies, 2019). Although Barra gives directives, they are not explicit authoritative road maps. She gives employees the space necessary to do their work as experts in their respective fields.<\/p>\n

Building on this, she is also a leader who aligns with the Path-Goal Theory. This theory states that \u201cit\u2019s the leader\u2019s job to assist followers in attaining their goals and to provide the necessary direction and\/or support to ensure their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the group or organization\u201d (Graduate Studies, 2019). When she states a vision, like making better cars, she is willing to remove hurdles from the equation and support her teams however they need to be supported in order to meet the goals.<\/p>\n

Future Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mary Barra can continue to lead General Motors effectively toward the future, and can also continue to be a leader in general. She does not ignore seemingly simple goals, like making better cars, and also does not seem afraid to push toward the unknown, like autonomous and other novel automotive technologies. Other leaders can look at Barra and understand how to set a firm foundation and use that as the springboard for becoming an industry leader. They can also learn the value of removing obstacles for the people making your visions come true. Mary Barra is an excellent example of a leader setting their followers up for success.<\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

GM in the U.S. United States Operations: By the Numbers. https:\/\/www.gm.com\/our-company\/us.html.<\/p>\n

GM Ranks as Top Automotive Corporation in J.D. Power’s 2020 Initial Quality Study. (2020, June 24). https:\/\/media.gm.com\/media\/us\/en\/gm\/news.detail.html\/content\/Pages\/news\/us\/en\/2020\/jun\/0624-jdpower.html.<\/p>\n

Graduate Studies. (2019, December 11). Organizational Behavior. https:\/\/granite.pressbooks.pub\/mgmt805\/.<\/p>\n

Henry, J. (2020, December 31). Tesla No. 1 In Brand Loyalty, Then Subaru; GM Also Scores Well, Experian Says. Forbes. https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jimhenry\/2021\/12\/31\/tesla-no-1-in-brand-loyalty-then-subaru-gm-also-scores-well-experian-says\/?sh=592a3a209ee4.<\/p>\n

Mary T. Barra, CEO. General Motors. https:\/\/www.gm.com\/our-company\/leadership\/mary-t-barra.html.<\/p>\n

Rosen, B. (2014, January 1). Leadership Journeys – Mary Barra. IEDP. https:\/\/www.iedp.com\/articles\/leadership-journeys-mary-barra\/.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

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