Situational Background

Mary Barra, GM’s CEO since 2014 (chair since 2016), is known for safety-first leadership, straightforward communication, and steady transformation. She builds trust with clear promises, operational discipline, and partnership across suppliers, employees, and regulators. Barra makes complex change legible and humane. Distinctive for combining resolve with respect, she models responsibility and reliability—universally valuable traits.

Practical Leadership Principles

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1) Safety and ethics before speed.

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Protect people and trust; everything else follows.
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Behaviours to model:

• Start reviews with safety and quality.
• Empower “stop-the-line” authority.
• Thank those who surface issues early.

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2) Partnership mindset.

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Win with, not against, stakeholders.
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Behaviours to model:

• Hold regular forums with key partners.
• Share plans early; invite input.
• Commit to actions with dates.

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3) Make change understandable.

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Clarity reduces fear and resistance.
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Behaviours to model:

• Translate strategy into three outcomes customers feel.
• Provide timelines and owners.
• Report progress openly—warts and all.

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Call to action

Pick one safety improvement, one partner relationship to deepen, and one change to explain clearly. Communicate owners and dates in a short note.

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