VW damaged by a culture of fear
L. David Marquet
Former Nuclear Submarine Commander. Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of Turn the Ship Around, Leadership is Language. Creator of Intent-Based Leadership for organizations worldwide.
The trial of Volkswagen’s cheating scandal has exposed a ruthless management culture that bred massive public deception in the name of profit and performance.
The leadership of Porsche family heir Ferdinand K. Pi?ch “was defined by his toughness and willingness to demote or dismiss people who were not performing well,†the New York Times reports. Some said that under his and former chief executive Martin Winterkorn’s management, VW had “become a place where subordinates were fearful of contradicting their superiors and were afraid to admit failure.â€
These are two absolute contradictions to good leadership, and the results: fraud, deception, loss of credibility, recalls and massive fines and legal costs. Employees should not be afraid to have a voice and they certainly shouldn’t be afraid to admit mistakes and leaders are responsible for creating environments where they are invited to speak up. These are basic fundamentals to building a strong organization with integrity.
and...yup, that's me with my brand new VW diesel Passat in September 2015. My wife now calls it the "spew-mobile." #angry
Co-Founder & Executive Chairman at GoCathLab.com, Digital Transformation, Shingo Prize Awarded Author.
9 å¹´This happens when they see their employees as costs, not as assets and investments. How could you build a lean culture with people who have fear of losing their jobs?
MBA | Australian Government | Policy | Strategy
9 å¹´Corporate responsibility fail...and unnecessarily so...
Board Certified Coach | Certified Veteran Development Coach | Founder - dbkAssociates
9 å¹´Oh so true, David. When the numbers become the reason for being, then the beings become numbers and in return their actions are nothing more than self-protection. Ethics, Values and customer care go out the window. VW is an example of leadership failure at every level. Sadly, they aren't alone.
Corrective Action Program Manager at SDS/Empyrean SONGS
9 å¹´If you "lead" by fear and intimidation, the best you get is compliance. The worst you get is malicious compliance.