Part I — The story
The story
Mary Barra became CEO of General Motors in 2014 — the first woman to lead a major global automaker — having started at the company as a teenager inspecting fenders, the daughter of a GM die-maker. Her deep operational roots gave her credibility as she steered the legacy giant through one of the most disruptive periods in the industry's history.
Barra took over just as a massive ignition-switch safety crisis broke, and won respect for confronting it directly. She then committed GM to a bold long-term vision — an all-electric, zero-emissions future — investing heavily to transform a century-old combustion-engine company for the age of electric and autonomous vehicles, a wrenching but necessary strategic pivot.
Barra's leadership is a study in transforming a legacy incumbent — confronting crisis honestly, then making the hard, capital-intensive bets required to remain relevant as the ground shifts beneath an entire industry.
Part II — The playbook
The playbook
Confront crisis directly
Barra faced the safety crisis head-on rather than minimising it.
Commit to a bold long-term vision
She staked GM's future on going all-electric.
Lead from deep operational roots
Her factory-floor credibility helped drive change.
In their words
Do every job you're in like you're going to do it for the rest of your life.
Problems don't age well.
If we win the hearts and minds of employees, we're going to have better business success.
What to read next
- (business press profiles of Mary Barra) —
Why this matters
The thinking behind these decisions connects to models you can study directly:
Frequently asked questions
Who is Mary Barra?
The chair and CEO of General Motors since 2014 — the first woman to lead a major global automaker — who started at GM as a teenager and rose through operational roles.
What is Barra's biggest strategic bet?
Committing GM to an all-electric, zero-emissions future, investing heavily to transform a century-old combustion-engine company for the age of electric and autonomous vehicles.