Road to Power

Road to Power is the story of how Mary Barra drove herself to the pinnacle of a company that steers the nation's wealth. Beginning as a rare female electrical engineer and daughter of a General Motors die maker, Barra spent more than thirty years building her career before becoming the first woman to ever lead a global automaker. With $155 billion in sales and 200,000 employees, GM is widely considered to be a proxy for the U.S. economy, making Barra's position arguably the most important corporate role a woman has ever held. This book describes the personal character, choices, and leadership style that enabled her to break through the glass ceiling.

When 52-year-old Mary Barra was named CEO of General Motors in 2013, only people outside of the company were surprised. She had done everything from working on the factory floor to overseeing manufacturing, from improving union relations to paring down bureaucracy, and from running human resources to helping drag the company back from its 2009 bankruptcy. This book details each step of her career, and the lessons she learned along the way.

• Learn how Mary Barra's willingness to take on diverse assignments helped steer her career trajectory
• Examine the fine details of Barra's management style and her ability to relate to colleagues
• Discover the qualities and experiences Barra had that drove her to lead this male-dominated profession
• Study the valuable lessons Barra learned at each stage in her professional life, and why they stuck with her throughout her journey to the top

Barra is most certainly a pioneer for women in business, but she's also a living lesson as to how far the right outlook, skills, and drive can take you in your career. Road to Power explores the talent and the mindset that got her all the way to the top.

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction Dodge’s La Femme: Women and Cars 1

Chapter 1 The Firebird: A Childhood Dream 7

Chapter 2 The Red Chevette: Driving Lessons 15

Chapter 3 The Fiero: Trial by Fire 25

Chapter 4 Chevy Blazer: Groundbreaking Laws 35

Chapter 5 Chevy Malibu: Expanding Vistas 43

Chapter 6 Buick Skylark: A View from the Top 51

Chapter 7 Oldsmobile Intrigue: Hearts and Minds 63

Chapter 8 Buick LeSabre: Fixing Hamtramck 71

Chapter 9 Chevy Avalanche: The Road to Ruin 81

Chapter 10 The Volt: Shocked into Action 87

Chapter 11 Chevy Cruze: “No More Crappy Cars” 97

Chapter 12 Chevy Cobalt: End of the Honeymoon 107

Chapter 13 Cadillac Escalade: Climbing Back 121

Chapter 14 Buick Encore: Finding the Next Mary Barra 135

Afterword 145

Appendix: Barra Biography 149

Bibliography 151

About the Author 153

Index 155

LAURA COLBY is a reporter at large for Bloomberg News in New York, covering women in the global economy and education. Prior to 2013, she was the managing editor of Bloomberg Markets, the monthly global finance magazine. Laura has also worked for The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and the International Herald Tribune.

The daughter of a General Motors die maker, Mary Barra got her first job with the company’s Pontiac division at the age of 18. Road to Power follows Barra’s climb through the automaker’s ranks and reveals how she started on the factory floor and eventually proved herself worthy of the CEO post. This inspiring story showcases the qualities and experiences that enabled Barra to overcome obstacles and reach the top of the largest American automaker.

Just over a year into her tenure, Barra has already faced an enormous crisis over the company’s failure to recall some of its cars for more than a decade. If she can surmount this challenge with the same determination and skill that she has demonstrated throughout her career, Barra may become one of the most important female figures, not just in the auto industry, but in any industry.

In this book, readers get a look behind the scenes at the secrets to Barra’s success, including a surprising look at how GM’s corporate culture helped pave the way to the top, over a period of decades, for talented women. Road to Power will provide insight and encouragement to female engineers, students of business, human resources staff, and anyone who aspires to overcome obstacles and achieve great things.