Charging Ahead: GM, Mary Barra, and the Reinvention of an American Icon

by David Welch

Mary Barra’s quest to move GM to a manufacturer of electric cars has captured the attention of automobile aficionados, green-business advocates, and leaders of all types who have to admire Mary’s toughness in moving forward despite the overwhelming obstacles in her path.

A decade ago, no one would have guessed that GM would be the company poised to lead America into the future. At a time when business book readers seem endlessly fascinated by soaring tech giants like Amazon and Netflix, and ill-fated startups like WeWork and Theranos, why is it important to put the spotlight back on 112-year-old GM? Because Charlie Wilson’s quip from 1952 is still What’s good for GM is still good for America, and vice versa. America needs to transition to a new era of clean energy and environmentally sustainable transportation. We also need to adapt to a world with far fewer assembly-line jobs, but far more skilled jobs for people who can design, build, and operate robots and other high-tech machines. GM’s attempt to lead those transitions is as important as it is dramatic.

Equally compelling is the story of GM’s CEO, Mary Barra, who against all odds took the reins at GM in 2014. Since that time, she has attempted to reinvent a century-old company and equip it for the biggest change in transportation since the internal combustion engine replaced the horse. In the process, she has been ripping out GM traditions by the roots—and taking flak from all sides. Her plan is to make GM—the company famed for the gas-burning Corvette, hulking Cadillac Escalade, and carbon-spewing Silverado pickup—purely electric and clean by 2035.  

She may not be as wealthy as Jeff Bezos, as brash as Elon Musk, or as powerful as Mark Zuckerberg, but Mary Barra is just as important as any of them. And as one of the most powerful female executives in the world, she is overdue for an in-depth look at her forward-thinking vision, her approach to leadership, and her accomplishments against the odds.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Biography

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2022

Reviews

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

With this being the first book in my MBA reading seminar focused on a woman CEO, I was excited to learn more about Mary Barra — who she is, her strategy, her special sauce. Unfortunately, ‘Charging Ahead’ read to me as largely from a 10,000-foot view of GM, and I didn’t get a very nuanced sense of who Barra is. I also found the writing to be confusing; Welch couldn’t seem to decide if he wanted to take a chronological or thematic approach to organizing the book. My last critique (aside from my own biased lack of interest in the auto industry) is that this was clearly someone trying to make a publishing deadline. For a book ostensibly about GM’s bold EV / AV strategy, it ends by saying, “Well, we don’t really know how it’s gonna go yet… keep an eye out for 2025!” Overall fairly disappointed, though I did update this review from two to three stars after glancing over some notes, and being impressed by the boldness of Barra's leadership.

[Somit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charging Ahead By David Welch, a highly regarded veteran Bloomberg reporter is the story of an automobile giant, a household name's, GM. He describes the journey from where it was and how it navigated towards an 'All Electric Future' under a GM veteran and the first female auto CEO, Mary Barra.

While the book is more about navigating innovation, agility and having the strategic ability, and guts to execute something that might be considered niche for the industry.

For me, there were a few valuable lessons:

1. FOMO coupled with startegic thinking and calculated financial risks can be the right recipe of a business bet.

2. Business is more about the 'Why behind it?' And less about 'What Next?'

3. Ability to stay calm amidst a storm and still doing the right thing is more about character and less about strategy.

4. Inflection points don't wait for anyone. You go big now, or grasp at straws later.

#bookreview #leadership #electricfuture #evs

[Silas Mahner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book covering the history of GM generally and then focuses on Mary Barra and how GM is set for the future. Pretty fair and really nice read tbh.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about how a born and bred engineer of a historical company can bring it back to it’s roots to win and succeed. Mary Barra seems like the type of CEO that all engineers should respect.

[Mila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for project research and understanding the idea behind Zero-Zero-Zero GMs vision, but the writing should be less boring.

[Justyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it and am happy I took the time to read it once. Once is enough. Will never read again.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly readable, but it was basically a very long article for an auto industry trade magazine.