--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you were charged with fixing the U.S…" description: "\"If you were charged with fixing the U.S. auto industry, how would you do it? The guys who run the auto companies are out of touch with their customers ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ken-hendricks-51128_auto-industry_if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s_3159996.png" --- # If you were charged with fixing the U.S. auto industry… ![“If you were charged with fixing the U.S. auto industry, how would you do it? The guys who run the auto companies are out of touch with their customers and their employees. They ride to work in their limousines. They go up in their elevators and lock themselves in their offices. They don't walk out…” quote by Ken Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ken-hendricks-51128_auto-industry_if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s_3159996.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ken-hendricks-51128_auto-industry_if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s_3159996.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ken-hendricks-51128_auto-industry_if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s_3159996.png) > “If you were charged with fixing the U.S. auto industry, how would you do it? The guys who run the auto companies are out of touch with their customers and their employees. They ride to work in their limousines. They go up in their elevators and lock themselves in their offices. They don't walk out into the plants. They wouldn't even drive in the neighborhoods where their employees live. They give themselves big bonuses when the company isn't making any money. I'd make them get involved with the people who are building the cars. They've got to become real people.” [Ken Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hendricks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Industry leaders are disconnected from frontline workers, leading to misaligned incentives and poor decision‑making; they must engage directly with those who build the product. **In simple terms:** Executives need real‑world experience to make better choices. Key Takeaway Encourage leaders to work on the shop floor. Themes leadership industry empathy alignment accountability Mood determined critical Type strategic inspirational When to use this quote - product development - employee relations - policy reform - community building Key Concepts organizational behavior human‑centered design corporate culture Questions to Reflect On - What steps can bridge the gap between executives and workers? - How can incentives be realigned for shared success? A Different Perspective Changing deep corporate culture is difficult and may face resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Auto industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/auto-industry/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Employee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employee/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Neighborhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighborhood/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) ## Related quotes > [“Economist John Kenneth Galbraith in 1978 famously predicted that General Motors so dominated the auto business that other companies would be foolish to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-dimartino-booth/economist-john-kenneth-galbraith-in-1978-famously-predicted-that/) [Danielle DiMartino Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-dimartino-booth/) > [Auto companies need to quickly separate the stuff that will be swallowed by commodity from the brand stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-marchionne/auto-companies-need-to-quickly-separate-the-stuff-that-will-be/) [Sergio Marchionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-marchionne/) > [Investing in auto companies and ensuring a financial collapse didn't lead not from a recession to a great depression may not have been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gibbs/investing-in-auto-companies-and-ensuring-a-financial-collapse-didn-t/) [Robert Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gibbs/) > [The unions and the auto companies have been unable to put a deal together that fundamentally restructures the industry. It needs to get done.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-unions-and-the-auto-companies-have-been-unable-to-put-a-deal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Folks, you're the reason that the automobile industry is back. Whether it was the wage freezes, the plant closures, folks, you sacrificed to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/folks-you-re-the-reason-that-the-automobile-industry-is-back-whether/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [How many of the unicorn companies are really prosaic businesses - like limousine services or renting rooms in your house? The original VC firms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kinsella/how-many-of-the-unicorn-companies-are-really-prosaic-businesses-like/) [Kevin Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kinsella/) > [The world that I inhabit in reality is probably very different world than the one people expect that I would be in. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/the-world-that-i-inhabit-in-reality-is-probably-very-different-world/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [Once, I took a taxi. I hate those limousines. They stink and their drivers have been driving dead people to the cemeteries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/klaus-kinski/once-i-took-a-taxi-i-hate-those-limousines-they-stink-and-their/) [Klaus Kinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/klaus-kinski/) > [The distance between the limousine and the gutter is a short one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/the-distance-between-the-limousine-and-the-gutter-is-a-short-one/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [In New York there is always something to look at, but it is all infinitely more interesting through a window in the backseat of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-godbersen/in-new-york-there-is-always-something-to-look-at-but-it-is-all/) [Anna Godbersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-godbersen/) > [She makes my old pick-up truck feel like a limousine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhett-akins/she-makes-my-old-pick-up-truck-feel-like-a-limousine/) Rhett Akins > [The limousine is the ultimate ego trip, the supreme sign of success. It shouts: Hey, this guy is really and truly Mr Big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-proxmire/the-limousine-is-the-ultimate-ego-trip-the-supreme-sign-of-success-it/) [William Proxmire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-proxmire/) > [The workman cut to the left, still laying on his horn, and roared around the drunkenly weaving limousine. He invited the driver of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-workman-cut-to-the-left-still-laying-on-his-horn-and-roared/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Tell me why the limousine fleet has increased by 42 percent since Barack Obama took office. Why are we spending taxpayers' money on that?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-neumann/tell-me-why-the-limousine-fleet-has-increased-by-42-percent-since/) [Mark Neumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-neumann/) > [Our immigration law sucks, and we need to redo the whole thing, comprehensive immigration reform. And what that's gonna be is anybody who wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/our-immigration-law-sucks-and-we-need-to-redo-the-whole-thing/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by Ken Hendricks > [Wrong location? Move it. Wrong people? Replace 'em. Wrong industry? I don't believe it. I've got a company in the machine tools industry, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hendricks/wrong-location-move-it-wrong-people-replace-em-wrong-industry-i-don-t/) [Ken Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hendricks/) > [I would have shared with the banks my long-term vision and got them involved instead of just going to them when I needed money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hendricks/i-would-have-shared-with-the-banks-my-long-term-vision-and-got-them/) [Ken Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hendricks/) > [There are three sayings I live by, and one of them is 'The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hendricks/there-are-three-sayings-i-live-by-and-one-of-them-is-the-tragedy-of/) [Ken Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hendricks/) > [What has been the most rewarding moment in your decades of entrepreneurship? Our last annual managers meeting. I gave my motivational talk and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hendricks/what-has-been-the-most-rewarding-moment-in-your-decades-of/) [Ken Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hendricks/) > [“Think b4 u speak and learn b4 u think! ;)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hendricks/think-b4-u-speak-and-learn-b4-u-think/) [Ken Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hendricks/) > [What is the most overrated skill for an entrepreneur? The most overrated skill is skill. Luck is more important. The entrepreneur gets credit for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hendricks/what-is-the-most-overrated-skill-for-an-entrepreneur-the-most/) [Ken Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hendricks/) [Explore all 7 Ken Hendricks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hendricks/) ## More Auto industry quotes > [ Look at what I am proposing, and we \[wih Bernie Sanders\] have a vigorous agreement here. We both want to reign in the excesses… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/look-at-what-i-am-proposing-and-we-wih-bernie-sanders-have-a-vigorous/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We commend GM for being the first out of the starting gate in the Great Plug-In Car Race of 2007. GM's announcements are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-kramer/we-commend-gm-for-being-the-first-out-of-the-starting-gate-in-the/) Felix Kramer > [If horses had controlled investment decisions, there would have been no auto industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/if-horses-had-controlled-investment-decisions-there-would-have-been/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [With autonomous cars, you're gonna see more consolidation. Once we have transport modules, you order off the phone and brands won't matter anymore. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-lutz/with-autonomous-cars-you-re-gonna-see-more-consolidation-once-we-have/) [Bob Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-lutz/) > [I'm convinced we're going to rebuild not only the auto industry, but the economy better and stronger than before. And at its heart is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-m-convinced-we-re-going-to-rebuild-not-only-the-auto-industry-but/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I do know that all of the Michigan delegation worked very hard as related to the revival of the auto industry. There was really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-upton/i-do-know-that-all-of-the-michigan-delegation-worked-very-hard-as/) [Fred Upton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-upton/) > [The president mentioned the auto industry and that somehow I would be favor of jobs being elsewhere. Nothing could be further from the truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/the-president-mentioned-the-auto-industry-and-that-somehow-i-would-be/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [If it were up to the candidates for president on the Republican side, we would be driving foreign cars. They would have let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-wasserman-schultz/if-it-were-up-to-the-candidates-for-president-on-the-republican-side/) [Debbie Wasserman Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-wasserman-schultz/) > [I’m a capitalist, not a corporatist. I’m not someone who believes we should be bailing out corporations whether their auto industries, or banks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-m-a-capitalist-not-a-corporatist-i-m-not-someone-who-believes-we/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [In the auto industry, there's one thing you can always count on: if a new environmental or safety rule is proposed, executives will prophesy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/in-the-auto-industry-there-s-one-thing-you-can-always-count-on-if-a/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [IT and the entire communications business clearly have the greatest potential for growth. But if you're talking about sheer size, the steel and auto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ratan-tata/it-and-the-entire-communications-business-clearly-have-the-greatest/) [Ratan Tata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ratan-tata/) > [Health care costs blunt the competitive edge of American entrepreneurs, from the auto industry to internet start-ups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-allen/health-care-costs-blunt-the-competitive-edge-of-american/) [Tom Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-allen/) > [The overarching goal of Tesla is to help reduce carbon emissions and that means low cost and high volume. We will also serve as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-overarching-goal-of-tesla-is-to-help-reduce-carbon-emissions-and/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [We hear a lot about rebuilding Detroit, and we just spent $70 billion to bail out the auto industry - well, they need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-alexander/we-hear-a-lot-about-rebuilding-detroit-and-we-just-spent-70-billion/) [Lamar Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-alexander/) > [The auto industry has come roaring back, and housing has begun to rise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-auto-industry-has-come-roaring-back-and-housing-has-begun-to-rise/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Browse all 58 Auto industry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/auto-industry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you were charged with fixing the U.S. auto industry, how would you do it? The guys who run the auto companies are out of touch with their customers and their employees. They ride to work in their limousines. They go up in their elevators and lock themselves in their offices. They don't walk out into the plants. They wouldn't even drive in the neighborhoods where their employees live. They give themselves big bonuses when the company isn't making any money. I'd make them get involved with the people who are building the cars. They've got to become real people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ken Hendricks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hendricks/if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s-auto-industry-how-would-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Auto industry" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hendricks/if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s-auto-industry-how-would-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ken-hendricks-51128_auto-industry_if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s_3159996.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ken-hendricks-51128_auto-industry_if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s_3159996.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ken-hendricks-51128_auto-industry_if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s_3159996.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you were charged with fixing the U.S. auto industry, how would you do it? The guys who run the auto…” — Ken Hendricks", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ken Hendricks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hendricks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you were charged with fixing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hendricks/if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s-auto-industry-how-would-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hendricks/if-you-were-charged-with-fixing-the-u-s-auto-industry-how-would-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```