Automotive leaders facing acute challenges, warns report
A new report has exposed the challenges automotive leaders are facing during a period of rapid transition.
Torque & Truth, published by Ennis & Co, has revealed that while automotive leaders understand where the industry is going they are struggling to keep pace with transformation which is impacting every aspect of business.
The report questioned 52 automotive leaders, who described a landscape defined by shifting expectations, sustained pressure, and the constant tension between ambition and organisational reality.
It highlighted a widening gap between what they want to achieve and what they feel able to achieve.
It found six common themes among respondents:
- Delivery: 98% of leaders are clear on strategic direction, but governance, talent depth, decision‑making speed and organisational structure are real barriers to progress
- Speed: speed rather than strategy has been identified as the key differentiator between businesses
- Cost: cost has become a structural condition shaping all decision-making
- AI: competing priorities and a leadership skills gap mean AI is often supported in principle but not fully leveraged
- Skills: leadership roles have changed and traditional career paths are not providing the necessary skills
- Partnerships: collaboration is vital but difficult to execute due to misaligned priorities and incompatible working practices.
Evolution
Lynda Ennis, founder and CEO of Ennis & Co Group, said: “Torque & Truth is the start of a conversation about the reality of leading automotive organisations through evolution at unprecedented speed. From R&D through the supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, retail and fleet the pressures on today’s leaders are consistent in both theme and impact.
‘This report brings together the day-to-day experience of leaders navigating extraordinary complexity. It highlights where the industry is going and what it takes to lead by exploring six key topics raised by leaders and how they are tackling them.
“The data and insight within Torque & Truth provide a starting point for automotive industry leaders across the sector to identify how their organisations must evolve to deliver on their ambitions.”
