Stop the Line: How Toyota Built Lexus—and a Leadership Lesson the World Still Needs
Stop the Line: How Toyota Built Lexus—and a Leadership Lesson the World Still Needs Leadership • Quality • Culture • Automotive Legacy Stop the Line: How Toyota Built Lexus—and a Leadership Lesson the World Still Needs Written by Amarjeet Singh @ AJ There are moments in history that don’t look dramatic from the outside. No fireworks. No applause. No viral headlines. Just a decision—quiet, heavy, and brave. In 1950 , Japan was still recovering from war. Not just the buildings. The spirit. Every factory carried a quiet pressure: “We must survive.” On the other side of the world, American cars dominated—big, powerful, confident machines. In comparison, Toyota was still fighting basic battles: defects, weak sales, low trust . And here is the part that should make every leader pause: when you are losing, the easiest addiction is not alcohol or money— it is denial . “When r...