Download Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business AudioBook Free
In 2001, Basic Motors hired Bob Lutz out of pension with a mandate to save lots of the company by causing great automobiles again. He launched a battle against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars, and risk avoidance. After declaring personal bankruptcy during the recession of 2008, GM is again on track thanks to its embrace of Lutz's viewpoint. When Lutz got into the auto business in the early sixties, CEOs recognized that if you captured the public's creativity with great automobiles, the amount of money would follow. The car guys organised sway, and GM dominated with striking, creative control and iconic brands like Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, GMC, and Chevrolet. But GM's leadership started out to put their faith in analysis, driven to eliminate the "waste" and "personality worship" of the bygone creative leaders. Management received too smart because of its own good. With all the bean counters securely in charge, carmakers (and much of American industry) lost their single-minded concentrate on product excellence. Decline followed. Lutz's commonsense lessons (with a good helping of interesting anecdotes) will motivate readers at any business facing the bean counter analysis-paralysis menace.
