If there’s one leadership skill that’s quietly shaped every success I’ve had, it’s flexibility. Not intelligence. Not experience. The ability to adapt and lead change is what matters most.
That mindset has carried me from blue-collar beginnings in Michigan to manufacturing plants in Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, and now Tennessee. I’m honored to lead GM Spring Hill Manufacturing — the only General Motors facility in the United States building both internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs) on the same assembly line.
When people visit our facility, they are fascinated to see how it all works. Two completely different propulsion systems — one line, one team. That kind of complexity doesn’t just require engineering ingenuity. It demands flexible thinking, real-time problem solving, and leadership that meets people where they are — not where we wish they were.
This approach is incredibly important right now while the auto industry is in a period of enormous transition. Market forces are shifting, customer expectations are evolving, and the road ahead is anything but straight. In moments like this, leadership isn’t about holding the wheel tighter — it’s about learning to steer differently: something I’ve had to practice a lot.
Throughout my career, I’ve been dropped into unfamiliar cultures, different regions, and brand-new challenges. What worked in Flint, Michigan didn’t work on Oklahoma ranches. What made sense in Pennsylvania steel country didn’t translate in the festive environment of Ramos, Mexico. I had to grow, listen, and shift my approach.
My grandfather modeled this for me long before I ever had a job title. He was a self-taught tool and die maker, who treated everyone with dignity. He saw character before credentials. In his machine shop, I learned how to tinker, how to build — and how to see people for who they are. Watching my grandfather adjust his style and process based on different people or projects, I learned how beneficial it was to be flexible, curious, and open-minded.
Today, I’ve seen repeatedly that real leadership means building teams that can flex with the moment. It means creating a culture where people feel empowered to change course when needed. It means knowing that the best ideas might come from someone who sees the world differently than you do.
In the auto industry, and in any industry — and especially in leadership — change isn’t the challenge. Rigidity is. Adaptability is how we thrive. Flexibility is how we drive change.
