The competitive advantage of decisive action
 | | February 2, 2026 | | | In a world that's changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks. — Mary Barra Mary Barra (born 1961) became CEO of General Motors in 2014, the first woman to lead a major global automaker. Starting at GM as an 18-year-old quality inspector, she spent 33 years rising through engineering and manufacturing roles before reaching the top. Barra inherited a company emerging from bankruptcy with a culture of bureaucratic caution and risk aversion. She transformed GM by accelerating decision-making, investing billions in electric vehicles before competitors, and shutting down unprofitable operations others were too afraid to touch. Under her leadership, GM committed to an all-electric future, betting the company on technological transformation while traditional competitors hesitated. Her approach combines engineering precision with entrepreneurial boldness, proving that even century-old organizations can move with startup speed when leaders choose decisiveness over consensus. SUCCESS AND LEADERSHIP RISK-TAKING DECISIVE ACTION | | | | Context Barra spoke these words while leading GM through massive industry disruption as electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and mobility services threatened to obsolete traditional automakers. She observed that GM's historical strength became its liability in fast-moving markets. Processes designed for quality control in manufacturing created decision paralysis in strategic pivots. Committees that ensured consensus prevented the bold bets required for survival. While GM deliberated, Tesla captured market share and mindshare. Barra recognized a brutal truth: in stable environments, caution preserves success; in volatile environments, caution guarantees extinction. The risk of acting becomes smaller than the risk of waiting. She transformed GM's culture by rewarding speed over perfection, accepting that some fast decisions would fail but betting that collective velocity would outperform competitors' careful hesitation. This philosophy applies beyond automotive to any industry facing disruption. When change accelerates, the organizations that thrive aren't those with perfect strategies but those willing to make imperfect bets quickly, learn from results, and adjust course faster than markets shift. | | | |
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