Comments on: Will Changing the CEO Help GM? http://www.leanblog.org/2009/12/will-changing-the-ceo-help-gm/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:59:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Steve Harper http://www.leanblog.org/2009/12/will-changing-the-ceo-help-gm/#comment-5858 Steve Harper Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:50:40 +0000 http://templean5.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/will-changing-the-ceo-help-gm#comment-5858 To quote Built to Last: "At visionary companies, only 4% of CEOs came from the outside." These swapouts seem desparate and ill-conceived. Where is the vision in these choices? This is very sad to watch. If you see the kitchen sink appointed CEO of GM you'll know what's coming next. To quote Built to Last: "At visionary companies, only 4% of CEOs came from the outside." These swapouts seem desparate and ill-conceived. Where is the vision in these choices? This is very sad to watch. If you see the kitchen sink appointed CEO of GM you'll know what's coming next.

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]]> By: Jamie Flinchbaugh http://www.leanblog.org/2009/12/will-changing-the-ceo-help-gm/#comment-5857 Jamie Flinchbaugh Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:34:28 +0000 http://templean5.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/will-changing-the-ceo-help-gm#comment-5857 I think things just got worse for GM. I'm not a big Fritz fan, but Whitacre acts like he's the man. He doesn't really have a great track record, for culture, customer, or cars - the current focus areas for GM. I think fundamentally Whitacre didn't want to let Fritz run it. Fritz figured that out, so he left. Difference between Mulally and Whitacre - proven leadership. Jamie F I think things just got worse for GM. I'm not a big Fritz fan, but Whitacre acts like he's the man. He doesn't really have a great track record, for culture, customer, or cars – the current focus areas for GM. I think fundamentally Whitacre didn't want to let Fritz run it. Fritz figured that out, so he left. Difference between Mulally and Whitacre – proven leadership. Jamie F

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]]> By: curiouscat http://www.leanblog.org/2009/12/will-changing-the-ceo-help-gm/#comment-5856 curiouscat Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:55:37 +0000 http://templean5.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/will-changing-the-ceo-help-gm#comment-5856 Nope. GM can certainly be fixed but it isn't going to be, just because of a CEO. In 2005 I wrote could Toyota fix GM? Yes. http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2005/07/10/could-toyota-fix-gm/ but why would they want to - much easier just to grow themselves. http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2009/02/25/nummi-and-gms-failure-to-manage-effectively/ many different CEOs failed.I have a post coming up next weeks on the overemphasis on CEOs. They matter but not as much as the rest of the organization. Nope. GM can certainly be fixed but it isn't going to be, just because of a CEO. In 2005 I wrote could Toyota fix GM? Yes. http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2005/07/10/could-toyota-fix-gm/ but why would they want to – much easier just to grow themselves. http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2009/02/25/nummi-and-gms-failure-to-manage-effectively/ many different CEOs failed.I have a post coming up next weeks on the overemphasis on CEOs. They matter but not as much as the rest of the organization.

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]]> By: Karen Wilhelm http://www.leanblog.org/2009/12/will-changing-the-ceo-help-gm/#comment-5855 Karen Wilhelm Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:25:31 +0000 http://templean5.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/will-changing-the-ceo-help-gm#comment-5855 What I heard from a Toyota insider at the October AME conference is that Akio Toyoda has been deeply concerned both about quality problems and the way Toyota had expanded well beyond its ability to inculcate managers into the Toyota Way. Mr. Watanabe was treated with all respect and is now in a position where his experience and knowledge are more useful.Besides changing CEOs, Toyota has changed over most of its other top executives. Is that so different from what other companies do then they change leaders? Not really, except for Akio Toyoda's feelings of family responsibility for the company. I doubt that replacing Henderson with another guy from a typically American style CEO will affect the culture at all. Mulally was a better bet, and has done some interesting things, but it will take a long time for the lean culture in the plants to penetrate the layers of clay above and around them no matter who's at the top. What I heard from a Toyota insider at the October AME conference is that Akio Toyoda has been deeply concerned both about quality problems and the way Toyota had expanded well beyond its ability to inculcate managers into the Toyota Way. Mr. Watanabe was treated with all respect and is now in a position where his experience and knowledge are more useful.Besides changing CEOs, Toyota has changed over most of its other top executives. Is that so different from what other companies do then they change leaders? Not really, except for Akio Toyoda's feelings of family responsibility for the company. I doubt that replacing Henderson with another guy from a typically American style CEO will affect the culture at all. Mulally was a better bet, and has done some interesting things, but it will take a long time for the lean culture in the plants to penetrate the layers of clay above and around them no matter who's at the top.

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