From Maintenance to Leadership at Toyota North Carolina

#MaintenanceMinute : Stop saying “the plant is old, and will break down more often” I have seen some Model T Ford’s still running around, and most run reliably. And some 1972 VW Beetles. Why is that? Surely they should be breaking more often, if the above quote holds true. But it does not, because most of their owners maintain their classic mobiles appropriately for their age and design. It is that simple. If we maintain our plant appropriately for their age and design, it won’t ‘break down more often’. As leaders, we should stop saying, “I know the plant is old and will breakdown more often, but we need to improve our maintenance”, because every time you say this, you give your team the authority to use the same excuse. Every breakdown, instead of owning it and finding a long term solution, they just shrug and say “It’s an old plant, so it will break more often”. As a leader, change the language. Old plants only break more often if they are not properly maintained. Remember the VW Bug! #leaders #language

#MaintenanceMinute : Stop saying “the plant is old, and will break down more often” I have seen some Model T Ford’s still running around, and most run reliably. And some 1972 VW Beetles. Why is that? Surely they should be breaking more often, if the above quote holds true. But it does not, because most of their owners maintain their classic mobiles appropriately for their age and design. It is that simple. If we maintain our plant appropriately for their age and design, it won’t ‘break down more often’. As leaders, we should stop saying, “I know the plant is old and will breakdown more often, but we need to improve our maintenance”, because every time you say this, you give your team the authority to use the same excuse. Every breakdown, instead of owning it and finding a long term solution, they just shrug and say “It’s an old plant, so it will break more often”. As a leader, change the language. Old plants only break more often if they are not properly maintained. Remember the VW Bug! #leaders #language

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗲: 𝗔 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 John Elkann, Chairman of Ferrari, recently made waves with his public comments about the Formula 1 team’s performance. He praised the mechanics and engineers for their improvements, then pivoted to the drivers: “We have drivers who need to focus more and talk less.” That one sentence says a lot about Ferrari’s leadership culture. It shows what not to do as a leader. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 Ferrari has huge resources, world-class facilities, and a driver lineup featuring Lewis Hamilton 🐐 and Charles Leclerc. Yet they have not won a Constructors’ Championship since 2008 or a Drivers’ Championship since 2007. This is not a driver issue. It is a leadership and culture issue. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 • Blame flows downward - Publicly criticizing drivers shifts accountability away from leadership. • Image over improvement - “Talk less” protects the brand instead of enabling honest problem solving. • Silencing feedback - When voices are muted, problems grow. • Politics over performance -Internal dynamics take priority over winning. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗗𝗼 ✓ Own failures ✓ Create psychological safety ✓ Value progress over perfection ✓ Let accountability flow upward In engineering organizations, the same pattern appears. It is easy to point at execution when the real issues sit with strategy, culture, or leadership decisions. I am grateful to work with colleagues and leaders at Northwestern Mutual who build and foster a culture where people thrive. Their example shapes how I try to lead. Sustainable success comes from leaders who empower, listen, and learn. The teams that win championships, in F1 and in technology, are the ones built on trust, accountability, and continuous learning. What leadership anti-patterns have you seen that hold great teams back? #Leadership #EngineeringLeadership #Culture #Formula1 #ContinuousImprovement

Some teams operate like a Formula 1 pit crew — precise, fast, synchronized. Others? They look more like bumper cars, crashing into each other with no rhythm. The difference isn’t talent. It’s rhythm — the cadence of alignment and accountability. 🕒 Step 1: Daily Alignment 10-minute huddles. No rambling, no theory — just pipeline and problems. 📅 Step 2: Weekly Calibration What worked, what broke, and what’s next. 📈 Step 3: Monthly Deep Dives For strategy and skill building. Once your people know the beat of the drum, they don’t need management. They move with rhythm. And rhythm builds momentum. #Leadership #TeamPerformance #OperationalExcellence #CardiffBlueprint #BusinessRhythm #ExecutionMatters #LeadershipSystems

What's really required for a successful automotive launch? A great launch doesn’t just come from timelines and checklists—it comes from aligned leadership, empowered teams, and quality processes that work in the real world. 🎙 In a conversation with Ali Rizwan (ASQ) and Murray Sittsamer (The Luminous Group), Richard Nave shares: ✅ Why Quality leaders must facilitate—not just inspect ✅ How to turn metrics into behaviors ✅ Ways to lead effective cross-functional reviews that uncover risk early If you’re in the middle of—or preparing for—a launch, this is the perspective shift you don’t want to miss. 🎥 Watch the full interview here: https://loom.ly/cu7XnrY #AutomotiveLaunch #QualitySystems #LeadershipInManufacturing #ASQ #LuminousGroup

Ford of Mexico’s 2025 Strategic Planning. A week charged with passion, collaboration, and the shared drive to transform manufacturing. Ahead lies 2026: a horizon of bold challenges and bigger expectations. And we’re ready to build it, one innovation at a time. 💪🔧 #WeAreFord #Leadership #Manufacturing Dimas Corral Mabel Sanchez Alberto Tovar Miguel Mosqueda Jesus Ivan Lara Ordoñez Jaime Villalobos Roberto Salazar Cons Carlos Vázquez

How Toyota Accidentally Taught a Masterclass in Leadership (Steal This) You don’t expect leadership lessons from a car company at 3 a.m. But that’s exactly what happened. Someone posted: “Start a new job tomorrow. Feeling pretty nervous. 😔” And Toyota replied: “You’re going to be great. Stand up straight. Make eye contact. Smile. Remember — you were hired for a reason. You got this. ❤️” No sales pitch. No brand talk. Just humanity. That’s leadership… meeting people where they are, not where your product lives. Why does this matter? Because in a world drowning in content and marketing noise, real connection wins. Toyota didn’t sell a car. They sold confidence. They showed us that leadership isn’t about authority — it’s about empathy. When should you use this? Anytime you see someone wrestling with fear, doubt, or uncertainty. Those moments are gold. That’s when leadership matters most. How can you apply this today? Toyota’s playbook is simple — but powerful: ✅ Meet them where they are. Speak to the feeling, not just the situation. ✅ Keep it simple. Offer one or two micro-actions they can do right now. ✅ Reinforce belief. Remind them why they’re capable. Leadership isn’t about managing people. It’s about helping people believe again. 🔄 Your turn: What’s one small act of leadership that made a big difference for you? ♻️ Share this to remind someone that leadership can show up anywhere. ➕ Follow Will for systems that turn everyday moments into lasting impact.

“𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲” (𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝘁) Crosby’s point: the things that 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 quality are what cost money. The FAA’s production cap on Boeing saga shows how expensive “unquality” becomes when it leaks to the customer and the regulator. Leaders should fund prevention (training, Poka-Yoke, robust PPAP) because it’s cheaper than appraisal and failure. The Play: Tie leadership incentives to Cost of Quality mix—prevention up, failure down. That’s how you accelerate and de-risk. #Crosby #CostOfQuality #ZeroDefects #ExecutiveLeadership #Prevention