The Automotive Leaders Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more

In this solo episode, Jan Griffiths opens up about something we all need but often ignore—a break. Reflecting on a conversation with Hadi Awada, President of Axalta Mobility Coatings, Jan explores the guilt and pressure many leaders feel to stay "always on" and why it's vital to step back and recharge.

Jan also shares exciting professional developments, including two new projects: an innovative solution for creating multilingual internal podcasts using a combination of AI and human expertise and the upcoming "AutoCulture 2.0: Leading with Gravitas" online course centered around the 21 Traits of Authentic Leadership.

On a personal note, Jan shares her experience of moving her daughter into a high-rise in Detroit, reflecting on how much the city has evolved over the past 30 years. She openly admits her need for a break and encourages listeners to embrace rest without guilt, leaving them with a teaser for an inspiring upcoming episode.

Stay true to yourself, take that much-needed break, and prepare for more authentic leadership insights on the next episode.

Host: 

Name: Jan Griffiths

Title: President and Founder, Gravitas Detroit 

About: Jan is the architect of cultural change in the automotive industry. As the President and founder of Gravitas Detroit, Jan brings a wealth of expertise and a passion for transforming company cultures. Additionally, she hosts the Automotive Leaders Podcast, where she shares insightful conversations with industry visionaries. Jan is also the author of AutoCulture 2.0, a groundbreaking book that challenges the traditional leadership model prevalent in the automotive world. 

Connect: LinkedIn

Mentioned in this episode:

• Hadi Awada's Journey to Transforming Workplace Culture
• Gravitas Detroit Podcast Services
• Gravitas Detroit Leadership Workshop
• What is AutoCulture 2.0?
• The 21 Traits of Authentic Leadership PDF

This episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more

Watch the full video on YouTube - click here

In this episode of the Automotive Leaders Podcast, Jan Griffiths welcomes Marques McCammon, the president of Karma Automotive, to share his leadership philosophy and journey. 

A proud graduate of North Carolina A&T State University and holding engineering and management roles in Detroit, including Chrysler, before leading Karma Automotive, Marques’ story highlights breaking conventional molds. He emphasizes authentic leadership, being comfortable with oneself, and leading according to one's values. 

Having dared to dream big despite skepticism, he embodies the persistence in challenging the status quo and driving innovation. His leadership lesson focuses on serving the team, listening, making oneself available and vulnerable, and supporting the team to reach their full potential, a sharp contrast to the command-and-control leadership model commonly experienced in Detroit's automotive industry.

Themes discussed in this episode:

• Marques McCammon's approach to leading and transforming a company.
• How Karma Automotive is pushing boundaries in vehicle design and technology.
• Addressing the challenges faced by the company and how they are turning them into opportunities.
• Why evolving leadership styles are crucial for the future of the automotive industry.
• Strategies for developing leadership skills and approaches that will be effective in navigating the future of the automotive industry.
• The critical role of software in driving innovation across various aspects of the automotive industry.
• Marques McCammon’s vision for the future of Karma Automotive and the broader automotive industry.

Featured guest: Marques McCammon

What he does: Marques was named President of Karma Automotive, California’s first and only ultra-luxury automaker, in April 2023. His tasks at Karma Automotive are twofold, equally ambitious, and paramount: to reinvigorate the brand and to implement alternate paths to revenue. His career, which spanned nearly three decades before joining Karma Automotive, showcases his expansive expertise in general management, product development, manufacturing, brand leadership, marketing, and software-focused automotive innovations. His leadership and contributions to the automotive sector have been recognized by Detroit Business, which listed him among the top 40 Young Executives making an impact in Detroit.

On Leadership: "For me, I think that as a leader, my job is to serve my team. And by that, what I mean is there's always a greater number of employees than there are leaders, and we often, as leaders or people in leadership roles, get preoccupied with our notion of the authority that we carry or the title that we carry, and we're supposed to drive the day. But the reality is the work gets done by the team. And our job is to connect with that team, help them to find their potential, and their overlap with the other team members so that the organization can see its fullest potential."

Mentioned in this episode:

• Interview with Kate Vitasek: Transforming UAW Strike Negotiations for a Win-Win Outcome

This episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more

Watch the full book launch speech on YouTube - click here

In this special episode, we'll take you through the electrifying launch event of the book AutoCulture 2.0: Leading with Gravitas, where Jan Griffiths, the visionary force behind Gravitas Detroit, takes center stage.

Jan shares a heartfelt reflection on the significance of the book launch. Surrounded by industry veterans, friends, and supporters, she describes it as the best night of her life, where everything in her career and life converged. 

Jan starts her speech by diving straight into the core issue: the automotive industry's transformation. She highlights the flurry of discussions around technological advancements but questions the neglect of culture in these conversations. Jan challenges the traditional leadership model and advocates for authentic leadership rooted in trust and inspiration, drawing from Stephen M. R. Covey's wisdom.

Jan weaves in stories from influential figures like Sandy Stojkovski, Dr. Andy Palmer, Stefan Krause, and Jessica Robinson, illustrating the essence of authentic leadership. Through their experiences, Jan underscores the urgent need for a cultural revolution in the automotive industry.

Jan reflects on Tesla and BYD's remarkable journeys from skepticism to success. She warns against the Blockbuster fate, urging a culture that nurtures innovation instead of stifling it with outdated practices.

With unwavering determination, she calls on the audience to take action and become agents of change in an industry on the verge of a revolution.

Themes discussed in this episode:

• Revolutionizing leadership and workplace culture in the automotive industry
• The essence of authentic leadership and its significance in driving positive change 
• Learning from visionary leaders in the automotive sector
• The importance of creating safe spaces where employees can freely express their ideas without fear of judgment or backlash
• Confronting the common challenges entrenched in traditional corporate cultures
• Transitioning from top-down management to a more people-centered approach
• Cultivating an environment that nurtures innovation
• Elevating the voices and contributions of every employee through inclusive communication and community-building efforts

Your Host

Jan Griffiths is the architect of cultural change in the automotive industry. As the President & Founder of Gravitas Detroit, Jan brings a wealth of expertise and a passion for transforming company cultures. Additionally, she is the host of Automotive Leaders Podcast, where she shares insightful conversations with industry visionaries. Jan is also the author of AutoCulture 2.0, a groundbreaking book that challenges the traditional leadership model prevalent in the automotive world. With her extensive experience and commitment to fostering positive change, Jan is at the forefront of revolutionizing the automotive landscape. Reach out to her at [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

Download the 21 traits of authentic leadership e book

This is a solo episode produced to share my personal authentic leadership journey with you. You'll hear about the origins of Dream it, Brand it, Own it, the power of storytelling, why I wished I started speaking up in meetings - sooner, embracing the gray and the milestone photoshoot with Brad Ziegler.

Dr. Steve Taubman, aka The Anxiety Doc is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and coach. In this episode, you’ll hear how an ex-neurotic, ex-Long Island chiropractor underwent a personal life transformation that led to his helping others discover the keys to their success and, how all of this relates to your authentic leadership journey.

More on Dr. Steve Taubman

2:27     His story

12:16   Experiences as the MTV spring break hypnotist

16:43   Nerves that fire together, wire together

20:27   Making micro corrections

24:29   Fear interrupts the flow

32:08   Clean up your act

40:48   Wash one dish

45:00   Energy

50:25   Advice to your 25 yr. old self

52:32   The legacy

From spacesuits to trucks across multiple timezones, Tim Fiore speaks not only about his craft in the world of the supply chain, but he is also the spokesman for a key economic indicator known as the  Manufacturing Business Survey (PMI®)

Tim makes the case for authentic leadership and is grounded by his humanity, caring, and respect for his people, the business, and all of its stakeholders.

02:03 Janet Yellen can dance!

03:32 Tim’s story

12:41 The evolution of the supply chain

15:20 Lessons from the Pandemic

22:00 Embracing WFH

29:41 The high-performance team

40:29 Innovation

46:28 Transparency

51:36 Respect

55:25 Advice to your 25-year-old self

1:00:59 What is Gravitas?

1:02:07 The Legacy

Clint Bruce is a former Navy Special Warfare Officer, a graduate of the US Naval Academy, decorated athlete, former NFL player, and seasoned entrepreneur. He is dedicated to helping leaders protect, perform, endure, and compete while helping veterans and their families transition successfully from service.In this episode Clint shares lessons from the ballfield, the battlefield, and the boardroom (and the farm)Clint is humble, authentic, inspirational, and REAL – Enjoy!

Check out this link  https://www.clintbruce.com

01:58 – Clint’s story

05:10 – Wisdom from the farm

20:00 – The Todd Ballard connection and “building high ground for hard days”

29:00 – Vulnerability in the Special Ops team

32:00 – Learning and performing at the same time

34:10 – Are you climbing the right ridgeline?

38:00 – Authentic leadership

45:00 - Trust

47:05 – Advice to your 25-year-old self

49:04 – Asking the difficult questions

52:00 – Open door policy – do you really have it?

56:30 – High-performing team, tactical and moral

58:49 - Gravitas

1:00:03 – Starting the day

1:04:00 – The legacy

In this short bonus episode, I'll share with you ideas you can implement immediately to help re-energize your team and prepare for 2021

The leadership journey of the Tennessee boy who thought he’d made it when he became a design & release engineer for General Motors, he was wrong, that was just the beginning. Meet the man who progressed from GM to Maytag to become the Senior Vice President and President for Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Life Sciences Solutions and Laboratory Products business, and in April 2019 appointed as a member of the DuPont Board of Directors and was recently named one of the most influential people in the fight against COVID 19

03:31 – Fred’s story

09:41 – Keeping the edge

14:23 – Do you stay or leave the plant when COVID19 hits?

17:16 –  Creating the high-performance team

20:46 – Tearing down the walls

23:47 – Getting to trust

27:34 – Diversity & inclusion

29:59 - Reverse mentoring

31:25 – The Pandemic – what we’ve learned

34:51 – Speed at scale

39:45 – Gravitas

50:55 – Starting the day

55:09 – Advice to your 25yr old self

59:57 – The board member perspective

1:03:55 – The legacy

Season 2 launches with studio upgrades and a new look.

In this episode, Jan talks about the 21 traits of authentic leadership compiled from Season 1 along with a sneak peek at the guest line up for Season 2