This week, Jan made a call most podcasters won't make. She sat down in the studio with a leader she's wanted on the show for a long time, and the conversation was too strong to rush out in two days. Every episode goes out as both audio and video on YouTube, which takes real production time. So she chose quality over quantity, and the full episode drops next week.
That leader is Tom Lewis, President of Horse Powertrain USA. Tom doesn't accept "that's how we've always done it" from his team, his customers, or this industry. He and Jan take on the rules automotive has followed for decades: slow approvals, OEMs and suppliers keeping each other at arm's length, and the habits we protect because they feel safe even when they cost us. Tom isn't waiting for permission. He's already built a different way of working.
In the meantime, this is a good week to catch up. Start with Jan's solo episode, "We've Had the Tools for 30 Years. Why Didn't We Use Them?" It's built on binders and letters she's kept in her basement since the early '90s, and it's her take on China's speed as an operating model. Then go back to her conversations with Bryce Currie, Chief Manufacturing Officer at Ford, and Jim Voss, CEO of Tenneco. They're two leaders who practice servant leadership every day and aren't afraid to talk about it.
Jan also wants to hear about the leadership challenge sitting on your desk right now. Email her at jan@gravitasdetroit.com, because your challenges shape where this show goes next.
[Transcript]
[00:00:00] Jan Griffiths: This is the Automotive Leaders Podcast. Straight talk from the CEOs and innovators who cut through the noise, create clarity, and drive transformation across this industry. The old command and control playbook is dead. Culture is the operating system. Authentic leadership is the edge. We're rewiring it, starting now. I'm your host, Jan Griffiths, that passionate, rebellious farmer's daughter from Wales and the champion for culture change. Let's dive in.
[00:00:39] Hi, everyone. This is Jan, and this is a quick check-in from the Automotive Leaders Podcast.
[00:00:44] This week, you'd normally be hearing a full episode from me, not this time. I was in the studio today with a leader that I've wanted on the show for quite some time to talk about not only his leadership, but what his company is doing to challenge the way we work in the auto industry.
[00:01:06] The conversation was strong, and it deserves the full treatment, and that doesn't happen in two days.
[00:01:14] Now that we're publishing the audio plus the video on YouTube, and if you're not already subscribed, make sure you check out our YouTube channel, Jan Griffiths - Automotive Leaders. There's a lot of production that has to happen to produce a quality episode.
[00:01:28] So I'm gonna make the call of quality over quantity. No episode this week. I want to give you something that's right next week.
[00:01:38] So we'll be back next week, and you'll hear my conversation with Tom Lewis. Tom is the president of Horse Powertrain USA. Tom doesn't accept that's how we've always done it, not from his team, not from his customers, and not from this industry Horse is challenging the way that we do business in this industry, and it's about time.
[00:02:06] We talk about the rules automotive has followed for decades, the ones that need to be broken, the slow approvals, the way OEMs and suppliers keep each other at arm's length, the habits we protect because they feel safe even when they cost us. Tom's done more than talk about it. He's built a different way of working, and he's not waiting for permission.
[00:02:33] If you're tired of the old playbook in automotive, if you want to understand what we need to do to move this industry forward, this one's for you. Now, if you're new here or if you've fallen behind, this is a good week to catch up.
[00:02:48] Go back to my solo episode, "We've Had the Tools for 30 Years. Why Didn't We Use Them?" And I'll talk about a discovery that I made in my basement. It's my take on China's speed as an operating model, and it's built on binders and letters that I've kept since the early '90s. Then pull up my conversations with Bryce Currie, chief manufacturing officer at Ford, and also Jim Voss, CEO at Tenneco.
[00:03:20] Both of these leaders I find remarkably similar in their approach. They embrace full on servant leadership philosophy, and they're not afraid to talk about it. And believe me, they practice it every day.
[00:03:40] And of course, I cannot leave this episode without a huge call-out and a big thank you to our sponsors, Lockton, Seraph, UHY, and Tradeverifyd.
[00:03:55] Your support keeps this show independent, and I do not take that for granted. So thank you to all of our sponsors.
[00:04:04] Now, I want to hear from you. Tell me the leadership challenge sitting on your desk right now. I'd love to know. You can email me directly at jan@gravitasdetroit.com. Your challenges shape where I take this show.
[00:04:22] And if you haven't already subscribe, so Tom's episode lands in your feed the day it drops. And share the show with your fellow automotive leaders who appreciate straight talk. You can watch every full conversation on the YouTube channel, Jan Griffiths - Automotive Leaders. And remember, stay true to yourself, be you, and lead with Gravitas, the hallmark of authentic leadership.
[00:04:49] See you next week.
[00:04:51] Thank you for listening. You can watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel. Search for Jan Griffiths Automotive Leaders, and download the 21 Traits of Authentic Leadership. It's a free PDF and the link is in the show notes. And remember, stay true to yourself, be you, and lead with Gravitas, the hallmark of authentic leadership
