Show Notes
From his family’s undertaking business in Tobermore to the "Glass House" in Detroit, Lyle Watters’ journey to the top of Ford Motor Company is a masterclass in resilience. In this episode of Trading Up, Lyle reveals how he navigated an unconventional career path to lead operations across three continents. We dive deep into his toughest assignments: negotiating with Prime Ministers in Romania; managing a 100-day Covid lockdown in China; and turning around a "hopeless" $1 billion loss in South America while under armed guard.
Lyle shares candid insights on the burden of leadership, recounting how he personally addressed staff during painful plant closures to tell them, "This is not your fault".
Packed with actionable lessons on radical transparency, the EV revolution, and why organisations must "stay paranoid" to survive, this is essential listening for aspiring leaders and business strategists.
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