Grace Lieblein – President & Managing Director, General Motors de Mexico November 29, 2010ArchivesOff

The top Latina at General Motors tells how she manages life in two countries and how she rose from engineer to president.

By Taylor Mallory

“We talk on the phone every night to stay connected and have periodic plans for travel between Mexico and the U.S. as well.” That’s how Grace Lieblein, the new president and managing director of General Motors de Mexico, manages her family life in the U.S. (where her husband and 17-year-old daughter still live) while she’s now working in Mexico. Balance has ebbed and flowed with her life, she explains. “When I had my daughter, 90 percent of my energy was spent on her, and my job took a backseat. Conversely, when I start a new assignment at work, I get very immersed in the job and spend a lot of time and energy on that. She’s in high school now. Her needs are different, so my balance has changed.”

Lieblein shares the success secrets that took her from engineer to president.

PINK: Can you recall a time in your career when you “failed”? How did you respond?
Grace Lieblein: I have definitely made my share of mistakes. Some have been strategy-related, some personnel-related. In one assignment, I felt one of my team members should be replaced. It was early, so I decided to wait a while and see if he would improve. I waited too long to move him out. I’ve learned to listen to my gut when assessing people, and after giving folks a chance to perform, I make the hard decisions to replace as needed.

PINK: What is the best business advice you’ve ever received?
G.L.: Be confident about taking on new assignments, especially when they are out of your comfort zone. If you don’t believe in yourself, it’s hard to get others to believe in you.

PINK: You credit much of your success to having great mentors along the way. How did you cultivate those relationships?
G.L.: Some of my early mentors were direct supervisors, and others I sought out. My early career was spent in manufacturing, then I moved to product development – a very different experience. There was one other woman director in this group of directors. She was my peer. But I made sure to seek out her input and advice, and she showed me the ropes. Early in my career, there were not many women in leadership positions. Engineering tends to be male-dominated; about 18 to 20 percent [are women], depending on the company and industry. Back then there were fewer. I have a network of other women executives in engineering. But don’t limit yourself to just women mentors. I have a network of men I seek advice from as well, and it’s important to get both perspectives.

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