Car Guys VS Bean Counters by Bob Lutz When Bob Lutz got into the auto business in the early 1960s, CEOs knew that if you captured the public's imagination with innovative car design and top quality craftsmanship, the money would follow. But then GM's leadership began to put their faith in numbers and spreadsheets. Determined to eliminate the "waste" and "personality worship" of the bygone creative leaders, and maximize profitability, management got too smart for its own good. With the bean counters firmly in charge, car makers, and much of American industry, lost their single-minded focus on product excellence and their competitive advantage. Decline soon followed. As vice chairman, Lutz launched a war against the penny-pinching number-crunchers who ran the company by the bottom line, and reinstated a focus on creativity, design, and cars and trucks that would satisfy GM customers. Lutz's common-sense lessons, combined with a generous helping of fascinating anecdotes, will inspire readers in any industry. -- Bill Mannell Back to Books List ©2011 Chicagoland MG Club, All rights reserved.