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In this episode of the Automotive Leaders Podcast, Jan Griffiths interviews Collin Shaw, the incoming President of MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers Group. They talk about leadership, transformation, and culture in the automotive industry.

Collin shares his leadership philosophy: enjoying work, showing empathy, and building a solid team. He tells us how his early leadership role taught him the importance of guiding others toward success and how leadership isn't just about the leader but about empowering others to thrive.

Collin identifies focus as the biggest challenge in the auto industry as we wrestle with electrification, software-defined vehicles, and supply chain disruptions. He stresses the need for leaders to provide a clear vision for the future and rally their teams around it to foster unity and direction.

Discussing his new role in MEMA, Collin highlights the stability and strong leadership already in place. He emphasizes the need to understand current trends and member needs without " blowing things up." He aims to adapt and enhance existing foundations to serve members better and foster community engagement.

Collin identifies vulnerability and empathy as crucial authentic leadership traits, especially in a multi-generational workforce. He underscores the importance of leaders admitting their limitations and fostering connections across diverse teams.

On a personal note, Collin shares his passion for music and how it takes him off the stress of business life. Discussing the importance of mindset in setting the tone for the day, he stresses the importance of starting the day with meaningful connections and a sense of purpose, setting the stage for productivity and fulfillment in both personal and professional endeavors.

Themes discussed in this episode:

• The ongoing transformation in the automotive industry
• Leadership philosophy that focuses on enjoying work, empathy towards employees, and team-building
• Personal stories and experiences that shaped ideas of leadership
• Identifying focus as the primary challenge facing the automotive industry amidst various disruptions 
• Building a community within organizations and associations like MEMA 
• How Vulnerability and Accountability contribute to effective leadership 
• The importance of starting the day with a positive mindset, fueled by meaningful interactions with family and a sense of purpose in work

Featured: Collin Shaw 

What he does: Incoming President of the MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers group. He initially joined MEMA as president of the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA) in early 2022. 

On leadership: “The very first thing that I find to be important as a leader is: let's have fun, let's laugh. Now, second to that, I think it's important that you have empathy for those around you; you know, we all bring things to the table when it comes to leadership. We all have baggage, good or bad, and making sure that you're empathetic as a leader is vitally important to the success of your team.”

Mentioned in this episode:

• Julie Fream to Depart MEMA, Collin Shaw Named as Her Successor, Effective April 1, 2024
• Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week 
• Emerging Leadership Council - 2023/2024

Episode Highlights:

[00:02:26 ] Leadership identity: Collin reveals himself as a leader who prioritizes fun, empathy, and team building, finding joy in guiding others to success.

[00:04:05 ] Shaping leadership: Collin shared some experiences that helped him shape his view on leadership.          

[00:11:01 ] Two types of stress: Collin shares his wisdom on stress, distinguishing between negative and positive stress and how it can affect leadership.

[00:12:27 ] Industry challenge: Discussing the biggest challenge facing the auto industry today, sparking a conversation on the need for focus amidst transformation.

[00:16:00 ] Organizational approach: How Collin plans to approach his new role at MEMA, igniting a discussion on adaptability and community building.

[00:19:54 ] Authentic traits: Collin reveals his chosen traits of authentic leadership: vulnerability, fostering trust across generations, and accountability, crucial for team success.

[00:25:30 ] Personal touch: Collin offers a glimpse into his personal life, sharing his passion for music and his desire to relearn guitar playing.

[00:28:24 ] Family & purpose: How the incoming president of MEMA set himself up for a good day.

Top Quotes:

[00:03:29 ] Collin: "We all bring things to the table when it comes to leadership. We all have baggage, good or bad, and making sure you're empathetic as a leader is vitally important to your team's success. And then taking that lesson of being empathetic in building a team."

[00:09:22 ] Collin: "To get to this point, I've screwed up plenty, and I appreciate that people have allowed me to screw up and to make some of those mistakes. And so, you must learn how to sit back and allow people to do that themselves."

[00:13:39 ] Collin: "If we don't create focus, it's going to create confusion. It's going to create doubt. And so, I think a big part of a leader's role is to create focus in the organization around where you're going and what you're working on because it gets distracted if you're doing too many things. And so, I think that is one of the biggest challenges we have as an organization is to be focused on where you're going."

[00:12:37 ] Collin: "The great thing about this is there's not things to blow up. There are no wholesale changes that need to happen. There's an evolution of where we want to go. There are our mech trends, both when it comes to the auto industry and trade associations, that we need to make sure that we invest in properly for the future, but also build a foundation and how we do things. There will be things we look into and maybe new areas we go into, but I think that's a natural evolution of what we need to do as a trade association to meet members where they are."

[00:19:28 ] Collin: "We create an atmosphere of trust, peer-to-peer networking, business development, you know, those are the things that build the community. And that's what's important for us at MEMA: to remember that the content is important; that's how we bring people, but that's not the end result. The end goal is to build a great community and to do that. And really advance the business interests of our members. And that's part of the way that we do."

Mentioned in this episode:

This episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more