JTEKT North America Corporation

Erin Wilson

Organizational Legacy Champion

The true measure of leader is his or her ability to develop other leaders. The core of leadership isn’t about metrics, targets, goals or key results. Not even KPI’s. Those are priorities for a manager.

A leader understands they are responsible for meeting metrics. More importantly, a leader knows he or she cannot meet those metrics without the team. Prioritizing the team is how you get there; more effectively and more efficiently.

I never planned to be in the space of Learning and Organizational Development. I certainly never set out to lead a team. I had an associate’s degree in business management and after being a stay-at-home mom for a few years, I went to work for JTEKT North America.

My first five years with JTEKT North America, was like a roller coaster ride. We underwent many mergers and acquisitions and grew so quickly that many of us weren’t sure what company we were called. I was an Executive Admin that supported our E Team, our Japanese Expats, their families and our location that had approximately 225 people. I loved my job.

One day, our VP of Engineering, Bill, said something to me that would be the beginning of a transformation. Bill told me I was too smart to be doing what I was doing. He believed in me more than I believed in myself.

It wasn’t long after that comment that I was asked to join the HR team to help with communications. A year into that and JTEKT decided to make people development a priority. They created the Learning & Organizational Development function. I was asked to join our very first manager, Ann and we were tasked with launching “The JTEKT Way.” I knew absolutely nothing about training or organizational development.

I observed Ann facilitate a class. I chimed in, asked a few questions to the class and never thought twice about it. After that class, Ann sparked a flame I didn’t know existed. She asked how I felt asking questions and what prompted me to do so. I was nervous that I had done something I shouldn’t have done. She proceeded to tell me how much she appreciated my engagement. That I was a natural and looked very comfortable in that space. Ann challenged me to co-facilitate the next class. I told her I wasn’t ready and like any true leader does, she respectfully disagreed and asked me to trust her. Ann wasn’t going to let me flounder. We came up with a hand signal. If I gave her that signal, she knew to jump in and take over.

Over the next 2 years, Ann poured into me. Her love of learning was contagious. She sent me to ATD to become a certified trainer. Ann invested her time and challenged me to take every opportunity I could. Ann believed in me more than I believed in myself.

When Ann decided to leave JTEKT, I was devastated. I had convinced myself that there would never be another leader like Ann. I was wrong. Tom would be Ann’s successor. He appreciated my facilitation skills and love for people. Tom also recognized that I had a knack for connecting dots and seeing the bigger picture. Tom nurtured the organizational development side of me. As much as I loved to facilitate training, I really loved OD.

“When leaders invest their time, experiences and financial assets into their people, they change lives. They create excitement and engagement. They create loyalty. That loyalty creates organizational legacy.”

I had Tom as a leader for 5 years. Together, we implemented many of the processes we have in place today. Tom sharpened my saw. He involved me in every discussion and decision. He challenged me to think deeper. Tom retired and I was promoted to the new leader of L&OD. Tom believed in me more than I believe in myself.

Having those experiences had a profound impact on my life. It changed my trajectory. Investing in my team and others throughout the company that aspire to be people leaders is my priority. My team’s strategic narrative statement is “We develop leaders that develop leaders.”

When leaders invest their time, experiences and financial assets into their people, they change lives. They create excitement and engagement. They create loyalty. That loyalty creates organizational legacy. Today, we teach leaders what true leadership looks like. Systems and processes are meant to be managed. People are meant to be led.

I’ve had the pleasure of leading our current team for four years now. Since then, we’ve launched a catalog of leadership workshops for current managers and our High Potentials. We’ve launched FORGE; a development program specifically designed for our Team Leaders and Supervisors. Last year, we piloted iMPACT Leadership Academy. This program aims to develop JTEKT’s next executive leaders.

My team offers a train-the-trainer certification program. It’s important to us that all trainers, regardless of what function, understands how to create a safe learning environment. Designing and delivering impactful content has a direct impact on learning. We are here to help sharpen those skills. My team is also responsible for our LMS, succession planning, performance management and much more. Development is a small part of what we do but we do it with the biggest intent. Our team mantra is “Be Intentional.”

When you believe in someone more than they believe in themselves, you hold the opportunity to inspire greatness. Being a part of someone’s story is the ultimate reward. There is no salary than compete with that.