Report On Effective Leadership In Times Of Crisis

Demonstrating Effective Leadership in Times of Crisis

For great leaders, the first step in solving a problem is first identifying it. In the case of Toyota, they were able to determine there were problems with the brakes and fuel components in some of their cars. In order to prevent the future occurrence of the same problem, there are three key strategies the company proposed to implement.
The first strategy involves putting safety of the customers above anything else. Toyota understands that no amount of money is equivalent to a single life lost. For this reason, the company plans to have in place a rigorous safety testing process for new cars before releasing them into the market. Although this is a system that has always been there, Toyota decided to put more emphasis on it in order to detect even the slightest of inconsistencies in their cars. The testing would be accompanied by documentation, where cars that show faults are noted down, and the errors fixed.
The second strategy involves communication. Toyota understands that communication is key to avoiding a repeat of what happened in 2010-2012. In this regard, the company plans to carry out a massive customer awareness campaign, communicating about the existence of their shops or allied dealers where customers can take their automobiles for checkup and maintenance. This would ensure that their consumers report any mechanical problems to their nearest dealers, and if any errors were not captured during internal testing, they would be brought to their knowledge and dealt with in time.
The third strategy involves maintaining values. For Toyota, integrity is important and owning up to a mistake is better than covering it up. In this regard, Toyota hopes to inform its clients early enough in case some of their cars do not meet the consistency expected. Transparency would also maintain a long term relationship with both the customers and the shareholders. A culture of trust would also be established.