Tom Shoupe, Former EVP & CEO of Honda of America Manufacturing, Real Leadership

About this episode

Tom Shoupe shares insights on leadership and organizational resilience from his extensive career in manufacturing.

Tom Shoupe never planned on a career in manufacturing. He started in public service, working in Washington, D.C., far from factory floors and production lines. Then Honda called. At the time, the company was still a young experiment in American manufacturing — betting that people, not just product, would determine its future. Tom said yes to the opportunity. That decision shaped the next 33 years of his life. Over three decades, Tom became the first American to lead a Honda manufacturing facility and ultimately served as EVP & CEO of Honda of America Manufacturing, overseeing operations that touched nearly 40,000 people across North America. He spent years living and working in Japan, helping translate a deeply Japanese leadership philosophy into a U.S. manufacturing context — without diluting it. But this episode isn’t about titles or scale. It’s about how leadership actually works when the stakes are real. In this episode of Real Leadership, Tom breaks down what it takes to build organizations that last — not just through growth, but through leadership transitions, cultural strain, and constant change. In this episode, we cover: Why a leader’s most important job is building…

People in this episode

Guest: Tom Shoupe

Topics covered

• leadership
• manufacturing
• organizational development
• cultural change
• personal growth

Keywords

• leadership
• manufacturing
• Honda
• organizational culture
• gemba
• development
• curiosity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Honda of America Manufacturing, Honda

Places: Washington, D.C., North America, Japan

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