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General Motors CEO Mary Barra says leadership isn't about delaying hard conversations.

The moment you know something is wrong, acting fast protects people, trust, and the business, she says.

Less than a month after becoming CEO, Barra was hit with one of the biggest crises in GM's history. Faulty ignition switches in Chevy Cobalts and other vehicles caused cars to stall, shut off power, and disable airbags — sometimes just moments before a crash.

The defect was linked to at least 54 frontal crashes and the deaths of more than a dozen people. As the full scope of the problem became clear, Barra moved quickly.

She describes bringing together a cross-functional team, holding daily meetings to get the facts, and grounding every decision in a few clear principles: be transparent, put customers first, and make sure it never happens again.

Rather than trying to contain the damage, she says she confronted the crisis head-on — communicating openly, taking responsibility, and making tough decisions that helped reset GM's culture around safety and accountability.

During the ignition-switch crisis, Barra says she leaned on facts, open communication, and a clear focus on customers. She credits that approach for setting a new tone at GM — making transparency and accountability part of the culture, not just a crisis response.

For Barra, agility isn't about chasing every new trend — it's about ensuring GM can adapt as the world changes without losing its footing.

She says that meant rethinking how and where the company hires, investing more deeply in software and tech talent, and even expanding its presence in Silicon Valley.

But Barra notes that the most critical shift was operational: building flexible assembly lines capable of producing both gas-powered and electric vehicles.

With government policies, consumer demand, and EV adoption all moving unpredictably — and technology evolving at breakneck speed — Barra says that flexibility gave GM room to adjust without abandoning its long-term direction. Rather than treating GM's 118-year history as a constraint, Barra aimed to turn it into a foundation that can evolve.

Barra says she learned early on that leadership isn't about giving orders and expecting people to fall in line.

Watching how GM's top leaders made decisions showed her that real alignment comes when people understand the reasoning behind the call — not just the instruction itself.

That lesson stuck, and she says it still shapes how she leads today: slow down, explain the intent, and bring people along for the journey.

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that General Motors is 118 years old. An earlier version of this article gave an incorrect figure.