A shared language strengthened trust and accountability

Teams aligned on what the desired culture looks like and how to practice it every day.

Meetings became sharper and more action-oriented

Fewer slides, fewer priorities, and more focus on the Big Rocks.

Leaders grew more people-focused and transparent

Managers shifted from technical and operational focus to stronger leadership behaviors.

Business results improved when the market didn't

DENSO AMIS exceeded their KPIs, even when external conditions created a major gap in their plans.

A significant part of DENSO's revenue is linked to the combustion engine. That's changing. DENSO AMIS made an early strategic choice to move toward electrification, circular economy, and new business areas and recognized that culture would determine whether the transition would succeed.

The desired culture centered on entrepreneurship and accountability: work as if it's your own business. That requires a different mindset, especially from managers. The leadership team wanted a foundation that could build trust, sharpen priorities, and strengthen accountability across the organization, not as a one-off initiative, but as a consistent way of working.

Create one shared foundation for the entire organization

DENSO AMIS rolled out The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People vertically across the organization, including all managers. This built a shared language and a common baseline for personal leadership, trust, and accountability.

Start with senior leaders and “bring it to life” together

The first group trained were senior managers, intentionally. The goal was visible ownership from the top. During leadership days, or “bring it to life days,” senior and first-level managers shared practical experiences, discussed how to apply the habits, and aligned on initiatives that reinforce the desired culture.

Build leadership depth across levels

Leadership development was expanded through targeted journeys:The 4 Essential Roles of Leadership® for senior managers, to strengthen direction, alignment, and execution.The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team™ for first-level managers, to build core team leadership habits.

Go deeper on priority themes and sustain the change internally

DENSO AMIS deepened learning on themes like change, trust, and leading with AI. To sustain momentum, Erwin Veldhuizen became a certified FranklinCovey facilitator and took ownership of ongoing reinforcement from the inside. The team introduced Weekly Cultural Mondays, where real experiences from daily work are shared and translated into next actions.

Clearer culture, clearer expectations

Leadership defined the desired culture with clear do's and don'ts and used a consistent structure to identify what needed to change. Transparency increased, strategy became clearer, and leadership invited accountability.

Fewer priorities, better execution

Meetings became shorter and sharper. Objectives and KPIs were reduced. Teams focused on the Big Rocks, with trust as the basis for what could be delegated and what needed attention.

Stronger leadership, more human connection

Managers shifted from predominantly technical leadership to people-centered leadership behaviors. Communication improved, and teams experienced more openness and trust.

Resilience under pressure

When plans were disrupted by external shocks, including stopping all deliveries to Russia mid-year, DENSO AMIS still exceeded their commercial targets.