Driving Results, with Gary Garfield – Episode 395 of The Action Catalyst Podcast

Gary Garfield, speaker, author, and former CEO of Bridgestone Americas, shares the “rules of the road” from his new book, “Driving Results“, including why humility is freedom from arrogance, the advice from the best boss that HE ever had, the equation to creating a productive and trusting company culture, the discrepancy between professional auto testing and consumer driving, creating innovation & how one of Bridgestone’s best ideas came from an employee submission, and answering the question of “who’s REALLY the boss?”

His latest book, “Driving Results: Six Lessons Learned from Transforming An Iconic Company”, is available now.

Click here to check out Gary’s first appearance on The Action Catalyst, in Episode 243.

About Gary:

Gary Garfield is an expert on change. As the CEO of Bridgestone Americas he drove radical change to turnaround the struggling organization, achieving record profits every year of his tenure. Bridgestone Americas, a large organization with 55,000 employees operating on five continents, had disappointing performance for more than 20 years, struggling to survive in a very competitive, mature industry. During his tenure, Garfield changed virtually everything – the culture, the strategy, the vision, and, yes, where needed, the people. The results were extraordinary: profits grew over 500% in six years, achieving results no one thought possible, and outperforming the S&P 500 over that period.

His principles of change and turnaround apply whether that change is a company, a division or a department. Garfield explains why change is essential, how groups benefit by embracing change, and the consequences of resistance to change.

In 2010, Gary Garfield was promoted to the CEO of Bridgestone Americas.  Gary led the transformation of Bridgestone Americas from a manufacturing entity into a market leader. At the same time, the company operated as a true partner in the community with his strong stance on both corporate and environmental responsibility. Prior to his achievements as the CEO, Gary served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for Bridgestone. During that time, he helped the company survive the massive Ford Explorer – Firestone tire recall that started in August 2000. Through this experience, Gary also developed an extraordinary experience in crisis management.  

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Gary has been a guest speaker in classes at the Yale Management School, Wharton, Vanderbilt University, and Belmont University. Gary is a writer and op-ed contributor, a leader in pushing Nashville and Middle Tennessee to adopt a comprehensive mass transit system, on the board of Meharry Medical College, and a member of the audit committee for the newly formed Center for Interoperability in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Action Catalyst is presented by the Southwestern Family of Companies. With each episode, the podcast features some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Learn more at TheActionCatalyst.com, subscribe below or wherever you listen to podcasts, and be sure to leave a rating and review!

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