2023 StartingBusiness PTE LTD. All rights reserved. Its not what you might think and its not what most would expect. Transformational theory of leadership Mary Barra has worked at GM her whole life, beginning at 18 Alongside her father, who was a factory worker at GM, Barra started her career at the auto manufacturer when she was 18. Barra has had the benefit of taking on many different roles at GM. Mary Barra is Chair and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors. I. Respectful: Leaders like Mary Barry draw out the best outcomes for the company and saved her company from potential pitfalls by showing respect to her fellow staff. Shahid Khan: I Felt The American Dream In My First 24 Hours Here. By many accounts, Barra attributes her success at GM to keeping the companys interests and not her own career the focus of her attention. One of the new mechanisms in place was encouraging employees to report problems when confronted with issues that may seem incorrect, contradictory to manufacturing specifications, or inferior. She was born into a hard-working blue-collar family in Waterford, Michigan on Christmas Eve 1961. Now, she is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the General Motors Company, a position she . She took charge of GM in January 2014 as the first woman CEO at a top-eight auto manufacturer. Why is Mary Barra important to General Motors? Mary Barra always makes a decision based on each team members input. But how did she accomplish this impressive feat? The leadership of Mary T. Barra has changed the car manufacturing industry. Low-margin fleet sales have been greatly reduced. Apparently, some of the higher-ups at GM knew this and did nothing for years. Indeed, her actions demonstrate that you determine your organisation's culture by leading with behaviours, not slogans or inspirational quotes. In this way, she and her team developed a new set of plans and core values which eventually reflected the companys objectives and interests. Clearly lives have been lost and families are affected, and that is very serious., Barra also has taken steps to correct any and all safety issues forcefully, naming Jeff Boyer vice president in charge of global safety, whose first priority will be to quickly identify and resolve safety issues, the company said in a news release. By ensuring that it remains in the consciousness of the company, Barra believes that everyone will be encouraged to do the right thing and ensure that the companys culture pulls in the right direction. Why did you choose these values? and then just listen. A transformative leader exemplifies the characteristics that they seek in their team. So, find ways to express and verbalize gratitude by acknowledging your team regularly. Demonstrate service and empathy for everyone you interact with. For the next decade, Mary continued to advance in her career, working in a variety of positions in both engineering and manufacturing roles. Under Barra's leadership, GM envisions a world with zero crashes, to save lives; zero emissions, so future generations can inherit a healthier planet; and zero . Her leadership style is an inspiration for industry leaders in every sector. Mary Barra's Leadership Mary Barra is the highest ranking woman in the automotive industry. Either way, she is the consummate fearless brand. What could be next? Since becoming CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra has been one of the world's most-watched executives. Mary Barra certainly recognizes this fact and has made the customer the central focus for all of General Motors. . Forbes named Mary Barra who is the CEO of General Motors (hereafter, GM) as The World's Most Powerful Women in Business 2018 (ranked 4 th) and the The World's Most Powerful People (ranked 53) (Nagl 2018).Understand her leadership style and future strategy required a grasp on her past. Research on gendered leadership has been given increased attention lately due to the number of studies that indicate the efficacy of feminine leadership (Paustian-Underdahl, Walker, & Woehr, 2014). Assume the goodness of others. Mary Barra, the fixer, has worked at GM since the age of 18, and later becoming an engineer with the company. She was described as having masterfully handled the crisis . There are four (4) main characteristics of transformational leadership, and these can be summarized as: 1. Theres just no substitute for quality. On December 2014, nearly a year into her tenure as CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra said GM basically does "one thing": "We build cars, trucks and crossovers." She has spent the years since then . By regularly expressing gratitude, whether its appreciation for an engaged team, a great company to work for or an opportunity to hone your skills, you become primed to notice more things to be grateful for. Barra focused on empowering the workforce to create and innovate with the goal of positioning GM as the industry leader for safer, more environmentally-friendly vehicles. Barra proves her worth and courage by taking the responsibilities and teaching the employees to emphasize their personal accountabilities. She moved through a variety of roles, from Quality Inspector to Director of Human Resources, which gave her the chance to develop a unique skill set. Whether your company is on the Fortune 100 list or local business, place your emphasis on your customer, provide value, exceed their expectations. Team Oriented: Mary Barra always knows that cooperation generates results for the company. She always remained focused on the present and panned as such to run the company on the right path. Surely, Barra has shaken up the GM ranks with her leadership style. What type of leadership style does Mary Barra have? Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, frequently visited stores across the country to connect with and encourage frontline employees. It means working to improve the communities where we live and work by.. It takes courage to be this honest and forthright. She then held several Global Vice President positions including Manufacturing Engineering, Human Resources and Product Development before being namedExecutive Vice President for Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply chain in 2013. This disruption, which has been commonplace throughout GM's history, hit the company's bottom line to the tune of about $3bn in 2019. This is a factHer leadership style involves giving her subordinates and peers the space to express their opinions. View mary barra.docx from BUSINESS 2102 at JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY. Transformational Leadership Example. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. In approaching every GM assignment as if she would be doing it for the rest of her life, she was able to stay focused on the present. From her beginnings as an intern doing quality checks on fenders, through her myriad of executive positions, she has done the work and has excelled. Mary Barra was also in general appreciated for the way she handled the crisis at . Mary Barra is good humored, yet serious in her job. After graduating, Mary began full time employment at GM, working in part, on the Pontiac Fiero. How old was Mary Barra when she started her career? General Motors's For Mary, there was only one course of action. It means creating workplaces where every employee is empowered to contribute to his or her full potential. Besides these, there are few leadership traits which she possesses. This performance is the result of the leadership of a truly fearless brand Mary Barra. . In 1999, she was named General Director, Internal Communications for GM North America. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like A manager who values relationships among co-workers has a ________ leadership style., A manager whose primary goal is to get the job done shows a ________ leadership style, The manager of the ABC company has a monthly birthday celebration for employees. Perhaps she attained that position through hard work and talent. Mary also calls hall meetings to gather various concepts and ideas from different individuals in order to run a project. This is the process of discovering, embracing and delivering their greatest value which allows them to realize greater profit. Her simple goal for GM? Shes keen on political discussions and shares an undying passion for gadgets. At GM, she uses zero crashes, zero emissions message to unite the staff in one direction. Her example of transformational leadership has revolutionized the company from bankruptcy to customer-centered profitability. In many circles, Mary Barra might be known as the first female chief executive of a major global automaker. Principles of Transformational Leadership. . Create a corps of leaders who think newly, act differently and are prepared to lead in the market and the organization by writing new rules for the game. At this moment, Raised during the Great Depression, they taught their children to believe in the American Dream that they could become whatever they put their minds to. Equileaps 2018 Global Report on Gender Equality noted that GM is one of just two global businesses that have pay equality in top, middle and bottom bands as well as overall no gender pay gap across the company. With this communication flair, Barra was able to initiate a communications strategy where communication moved both ways on the hierarchy ladder so that meltdowns could be tackled before they materialized. She has also had to endure one of the biggest headaches of any corporate executive: 48,000 workers going on strike for 40 days. There, she earned an MBA, before returning to work full time at General Motors. Continue ReadingDownload Free PDF. Barra believes that this is the most exciting time in the history of the automobile industry, citing the personal connection customers have with their cars and trucks along with the changes certain to result from new technology. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. On people's relationship with their cars: "There's days when, after a long day of work you get into your car, and you're like, this is fun. Quality was stressed at every level. and more. Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, made headlines in 2013 when she became the first female CEO of an auto company. She demonstrated transactional leader characteristics. In an article by Stanford Alumni, John Calabrese, a coworker of Barra, said that I guess she kind of has a consensus approach, but when its not coming together, she gets concise and shes pretty decisive. Moreover, after being appointed as the new boss for GM, she decided to make all the GM cars safer than before whatever it takes. ( Stanford magazine, September/October 2011) Mary Barra received her MBA from Stanford GSB in 1990. Some of the Popular Transformational Leaders. Intellectual Stimulation. Keywords: Women, Leadership, Transformational *Corresponding Author: Dr. Arthur M. Baldonado, PhD, Columbia Southern University, 21982 University Ln, Orange Beach, AL 36561. . Director ofInfluenceo Global Inc., leadership strategist, speaker & personal mastery expert helping professional womenexcel. This is a BETA experience. In her 38 years at GM, Barra has been an executive assistant, plant manager, product developer, and HR leader, among other roles before she became CEO. Whats more, the receiver also experiences a boost in mood, and anyone who witnesses your act then becomes more likely to offer an act of service to someone else you create ripples of service. Delivering less than the highest quality will ultimately diminish trust in your company and erode your customer base. Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) and Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Southern) have joined Delta's Propel Pilot Career Path Program this year. General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra is an example of a leader who displays confident leadership behaviors. Leaders have additional responsibilities on top of those of a normal corporate citizen and must ensure they understand what behaviors match those responsibilities. Whether it's how to handle a corporate crisis, instil confidence in your brand, or ensure that your business is prepared for the future, Barra offers a case study for business leaders everywhere on how you never let a crisis go to waste and why your people shouldalwaysbe your number one asset. Carrie covers technology, trends, marketing, brands, productivity, and leadership. "I think it's [about] recognising that people are the most important asset in the company. She attributes her success to seven key principles: seeking feedback from staff, simplifying her message . And verbalize gratitude by acknowledging your team regularly demonstrate service and empathy for everyone you interact with Mary received! Express and verbalize gratitude by acknowledging your team regularly peers the space express. Leadership has revolutionized the company might be known as the first woman CEO a... Demonstrate that you determine your organisation 's culture by leading with behaviours, not or... 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