Insightful Books on Leadership in Ann Arbor, MI

Icons and Idiots: Straight Talk on Leadership

From enduring the sadism of a Marine Corps drill instructor, to working with a washed-up alcoholic, to taking over the reins from a convicted felon, he reflects on the complexities of all-too-human leaders. No textbook or business school course can fully capture their idiosyncrasies, foibles, and weaknesses - which can make or break companies in the real world.

Lutz shows that we can learn just as much from the most stubborn, stupid, and corrupt leadership as we can from the inspiring geniuses. He offers fascinating profiles of icons and idiots, such as... Eberhard von Kuenheim. The famed CEO of BMW was an aristocrat-cum-street fighter who ruled with secrecy, fear, and deft maneuvering. Harold A. "Red" Poling A Ford CEO and the ultimate bean counter. If it couldn't be quantified, he didn't want to know about it. Lee Iacocca The legendary Chrysler CEO appeared to be brilliant and bold but was often vulnerable and insecure behind the scenes of his leadership. G. Richard "Rick" Wagoner The perfect peacetime CEO whose superior intelligence couldn't save GM from steep decline and a government bailout. As Lutz writes:

"We'll examine bosses who were profane, insensitive, totally politically incorrect, and who "appropriated" insignificant items from hotels or the company. We'll visit the mind of a leader who did little but sit in his office. We'll look at another boss who could analyze a highly complex profit-and-loss statement or a balance sheet at a glance, yet who, at times, failed to grasp the simplest financial mechanisms--how things actually worked in practice to "create" the numbers in the real world."

The result is a powerful and entertaining guide for any aspiring leader.

Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business

When Bob Lutz got into the auto business in the early 1960s, CEOs knew that if you captured the public’s imagination with innovative car design and top quality craftsmanship, the money would follow. The “car guys” held sway, and GM dominated with bold, creative leadership and iconic brands like Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, GMC, and Chevrolet.
 
But then GM’s leadership began to put their faith in numbers and spreadsheets. Determined to eliminate the “waste” and “personality worship” of the bygone creative leadership and maximize profitability, the management got too smart for its own good. With the bean counters firmly in charge, carmakers, and much of American industry, lost their single-minded focus on product excellence and their competitive advantage. Decline soon followed.
 
In 2001, General Motors hired Lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. During his leadership as Vice Chairman, he launched a war against the penny-pinching number-crunchers who ran the company by the bottom line and reinstated a focus on creativity, design, and cars and trucks that would satisfy GM customers.
 
After emerging from bankruptcy in 2009, GM is finally back on track thanks in part to its embrace of Lutz’s philosophy and leadership with acclaimed new models like the Chevrolet Volt, Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Equinox, and Buick LaCrosse.

Lutz’s common-sense lessons, combined with a generous helping of fascinating anecdotes, will inspire readers in any industry. As he writes:
 
“It applies in any business. Shoemakers should be run by shoe guys, and software firms by software guys, and supermarkets by supermarket guys. With the advice and support of their bean counters, absolutely, but with the final word going to those who live and breathe the customer experience. Passion and drive for excellence will win over the computer-like, dispassionate, analysis-driven philosophy every time.”

"Car Guys vs. Bean Counters contains all the pearls of wisdom I would expect to see from Bob Lutz. An illuminating read by a true car guy and an excellent business leader." - Kent Kresa, chairman emeritus, Northrup Grumman

"This book is a true insider's look at the auto industry... Reading this book is like having a couple beers with this crusty old guy who has done things we haven't ever dreamed possible- and he's a fantastic storyteller to boot. Enjoy and learn." - Jack Covert, 800CEORead

"This is exactly what you'd expect from Bob Lutz; no holds barred, no punches pulled, and no stone left unturned. It's a true insider's perspectrive and a gread read." - Stephen J. Girsky, Vice Chairman of GM

Guts: 8 Laws of Business from One of the Most Innovative Business Leaders of Our Time

What do you do with a book that’s filled with controversial, counterintuitive, and downright contrarian statements that stand conventional wisdom on its ear and claim, lightheartedly, to be immutable "laws of business?" If the author is Robert Lutz, you read the book very carefully, probably several times, learn all of the "laws" by heart, and follow them to the letter every chance you get. You also find yourself laughing out loud, shaking your head in wonder, and nodding in agreement.

Revised and updated, this is a maverick’s primer on the business philosophy that revolutionized Chrysler and is now powering dramatic new product development at General Motors. In it, Lutz reexamines his iconoclastic maxims to see how they have withstood the test of time. With hard evidence, hilarious anecdotes, and his characteristic frankness, the high-flying chairman of GM North America challenges his own contention that businesses should deliberately construct a "schizophrenic" corporate culture that combines rock-solid financial controls with a highly creative, no-holds-barred product development process.

Concluding that his laws and business philosophy have served him well and are generally reliable in any business situation and any industry, he goes on to explain why:

• The customer isn’t always right
• The primary purpose of business isn’t "to make money"
• When everybody else is doing it, don’t
• Too much quality can ruin you
• Financial controls are bad
• Disruptive people are an asset
• Teamwork isn’t always good

If Lutz’s first seven laws aren’t provocative enough for you, wait until you read the new one that he formulated for executives charged with managing mergers and takeovers or rehabilitating failing companies throughout their leadership. Suffice it to say, it involves the use of a flamethrower.

Enriched by Lutz’s deep store of business wisdom acquired over three-plus decades in the automobile industry, Guts combines a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at some of the most important events in the industry’s history, with an outside-the-box view on the nature of leadership and success. This insightful, unorthodox, and thoroughly enjoyable discourse will change the way you think about product development and marketing, financial management, strategy, and managing people. It will redefine the way you think about success–and make you all the more eager and likely to achieve it.

"This book is a refreshing collection of straightforward thoughts and observations about business and leadership from one of the most seasoned, creative, colorful, and highly successful executives of our time." - Matthew Dodd

"This book presents the 8-plus rules on how to run a successful business (and life) from a former GM Vice Chairman of Product Development. Robert Lutz presents a highly autobiographical, hypercritical, look at his career and how these laws he developed for himself can apply to anyone."- J.C. Payne