My Love Hate Relationship with Shawn Fain

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In this solo episode of the Automotive Leaders Podcast, Jan Griffiths addresses the ongoing UAW strike, focusing on the president of the UAW, Mr. Shawn Fain. Jan begins by acknowledging the positive aspects of Fain's leadership, including his early communication and his personal connection to build a strong sense of community among union members.

However, the tone of the episode shifts as Jan expresses her concerns about Fain's aggressive negotiation tactics. She criticizes what she sees as a return to old-school power plays and threats. Jan points out that the automotive industry is in a period of transformation, and Fain's tactics risk damaging the industry's future. Jan also cites industry experts Sandy Munro and John McElroy, who offer different perspectives on the situation. Furthermore, Jan underscores Bill Ford's collaborative approach and vision for the industry, opposing Fain's adversarial stance, and stresses the importance of all stakeholders uniting to steer the industry through transformation, expressing her frustration with Fain's "us vs. them" mentality.

In conclusion, Jan calls on Shawn Fain to reconsider his approach, urging him to prioritize the industry's long-term interests, engage in meaningful dialogue, and work towards a mutually beneficial resolution for all parties involved in the automotive industry.

Themes discussed in this episode:

• UAW strike and leadership
• Negotiation tactics
• The need for a more collaborative approach
• The rhetorical use of emotions
• Preparation for industry transformation
• Reaching a mutually beneficial deal

Featured Guest: Jan Griffiths

What she does: Jan is the founder of Gravitas Detroit, an organization dedicated to cultivating authentic leadership in the automotive industry by providing courses, workshops, speaking events, and more. She is also the host of The Automotive Leaders Podcast.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Episode with Kate Vitasek about collaborative negotiations.
• Sandy Munro’s YouTube video
• BYD and VinFast
• Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors
• John McElroy’s YouTube video. "Share the Pain, Fain"
• Episode 100th of Automotive Leaders Podcast with John McElroy

Episode Highlights:

[01:36] Leadership evaluation: The episode comprehensively evaluates Mr. Shawn Fain's leadership style during the UAW strike, highlighting his approach's positive and negative aspects.

[03:54] Critique of negotiation tactics: Fain's tactics are old school, emphasizing the aggressive and adversarial methods used and their potential consequences for the automotive industry.

[07:20] Emotional rhetoric: The discussion explores the emotional language used in the strike, including terms like "corporate greed" and "eat the rich," and how these emotional arguments can distract from the essential issues.

[13:13] Collaborative vision: Bill Ford's collaborative approach and idea for the industry are contrasted with Fain's adversarial stance, emphasizing the importance of unity among all stakeholders to drive the industry's transformation.

[16:08] Jan's call for change: Jan delivers a powerful call for Shawn Fain to reconsider his approach and prioritize the industry's long-term interests. She stresses the need to work towards a mutually beneficial resolution to avoid the industry's potential downfall due to prolonged disputes.