International Motors Advances Leader Development Through Leadership Fundamentals
Through its Leadership Fundamentals program, International Motors is creating a common leadership language, strengthening leader effectiveness, and helping leaders drive business performance across manufacturing operations in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Résultats avec DDI
-
22–23% Increase
in overall leadership skills
-
21–28% Improvement
in effective leadership behaviors
-
85% Increase
in team productivity
Alimenter la croissance du leadership
Découvrez les solutions DDI qui correspondent le mieux à vos priorités.
Demander une démoLe besoin
Aligning Leaders Across a Complex Manufacturing Organization
As International Motors, LLC (International) continued to evolve its business and expand alignment across North America, leaders faced increasing demands. Managers and directors were expected to lead diverse teams, support employee performance, navigate operational pressures, and deliver results in environments where safety, quality, and productivity are critical. At the same time, the organization had introduced a common set of leadership principles and behavioral expectations designed to create greater consistency across the enterprise.
The challenge was not simply defining those expectations, but also helping leaders across locations, functions, and countries bring them to life in their daily work. The organization needed a scalable approach that could translate leadership expectations into consistent leadership behaviors.
International needed a leadership development strategy that could create a shared leadership language, strengthen leader effectiveness, and connect leadership behaviors directly to business outcomes.
La solution
To address those needs, International partnered with DDI to create the Leadership Fundamentals program. Rather than relying solely on classroom instruction, the company designed a yearlong experience that combines research-based leadership development with immersive business experiences unique to International.
The program is structured around three interconnected learning themes that mirror how International operates as a business:
- People: strengthening interpersonal leadership skills and leadership behaviors
- Systems: building understanding of operations, manufacturing processes, and execution
- Vision: connecting leadership actions to strategy, innovation, and long-term business success
Participants complete approximately 100 hours of development over the course of a year through in-person learning, virtual reinforcement, manager involvement, and experiential opportunities.
One of the program's most distinctive features is its direct connection to the business. During the Systems learning loop, participants travel to International's San Antonio manufacturing plant and Advanced Technology Center in Texas, where they experience firsthand how the business operates. Through immersive operational experiences, manufacturing simulations, and strategy sessions with senior leaders, participants connect leadership behaviors directly to execution, innovation, and business performance.
This blend of DDI's research-based content and customized business experiences creates a development journey that is both evidence-based and highly relevant to the realities of manufacturing leadership.
Le résultat
Stronger Leaders, Stronger Teams
Since its launch in 2023, Leadership Fundamentals has expanded across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, helping create a common leadership language across locations, functions, and business units. Today, the program supports more than 120 leaders annually, creating a growing network of leaders equipped to drive performance and strengthen culture across the organization.
The program has delivered measurable improvements in both leadership capability and workplace impact:
- Overall leadership skills increased by 22–23%
- Effective leadership behaviors improved by 21–28%
- 85% of participants reported increased team productivity
- The program achieved a net promoter score (NPS) of 83
Beyond individual development, the program's influence extends across the organization. Participants collectively lead teams representing more than 1,000 direct reports, amplifying the impact of improved leadership behaviors throughout the business. The organization has also successfully scaled the program through a network of certified internal facilitators and fully replicated the experience in Spanish to support leaders in Mexico.
By combining a consistent leadership framework with locally relevant delivery, International has created a scalable model that supports leadership development across functions, geographies, and business units while maintaining alignment with organizational values and expectations.
Vous avez une question ?
Foire aux questions
-
What are effective strategies for developing manufacturing leaders?
Effective manufacturing leadership development combines research-based skill building with experiences tied directly to the business. International Motors blended in-person learning, virtual reinforcement, manager involvement, and immersive operational experiences so leaders could connect new behaviors to safety, quality, productivity, innovation, and execution.
-
Why is a shared leadership language important in manufacturing?
A shared leadership language helps leaders across locations, functions, and countries apply consistent expectations in their daily work. For International Motors, this created greater alignment across North America while giving leaders a common framework for supporting employees and driving business performance.
-
How can leadership development connect to manufacturing operations?
Leadership development is most relevant when leaders can see how their behaviors affect real operational outcomes. International Motors connected development to manufacturing processes, strategy, and execution through plant visits, business experiences, and sessions with senior leaders.
-
What skills should manufacturing leaders develop?
Manufacturing leaders need strong interpersonal and business leadership skills. These include communication, coaching, performance support, collaboration, change leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to connect leadership behaviors to safety, quality, productivity, and long-term business results.
-
How can organizations measure the impact of leadership development?
Organizations can track changes in leadership skills, observable behaviors, team productivity, participant satisfaction, and program reach. International Motors reported a 22-23% increase in overall leadership skills, a 21-28% improvement in effective leadership behaviors, and increased team productivity among 85% of participants.
