Contents
In the autumn of 2026, the German car industry is under heavy cost pressure. In the Volkswagen Group, two leadership paths can be observed in these weeks. One shows what commitment means. The other shows what it costs when the workforce's buy-in is missing. An example of the Quality of Commitment.
A commitment under pressure
Situation
Michael Leiters has led Porsche since January 2026. The company has negotiated a future package with the employee representatives that provides for cutting 5,000 jobs by 2035. In September, media reported that within the Volkswagen Group a further 4,000 or so jobs at Porsche were considered dispensable.
Link to the quality
Commitment only shows once it costs something. As long as no one shakes a commitment, it is easy to keep.
“No more and no less”
Situation
On 21 September, Leiters publicly contradicted this: “Cutting a further 4,000 jobs at Porsche is not planned.” Of the agreed package he said: “It amounts to 5,000 jobs, no more and no less.” At the same time he confirmed the forecast for the year.
Link to the quality
Committed leaders speak unambiguously. Leiters leaves no room for interpretation and names a number. The workforce therefore knows where it stands and can concentrate on the work.
Commitment does not mean going easy
Situation
The package itself is tough. The strategy “Sportwagenschmiede 2035”, presented on 4 August, begins with cost reduction and financial stabilisation. Leiters sets out the ambition: “We want to offer the sportiest vehicles in every segment.”
Link to the quality
Commitment is not a promise that nothing will hurt. It is the promise that what has been agreed holds. Whoever has negotiated hard cuts owes those affected all the more reliability.
The counter-example: restructuring without buy-in
Situation
On 4 September, the VW supervisory board approved a programme with 50,000 further jobs. For the plants in Emden, Zwickau and Hanover and for Audi Neckarsulm, according to the company, no competitive follow-up production has been secured from 2031 to 2034. On 1 October, VW terminated ten collective agreements. The works council and IG Metall speak of a “nasty foul against the workforce” and of “blackmail”; strikes are possible as soon as the peace obligation ends.
Link to the law
The Law of Buy-In says: people decide for the leader first, then for the plan. Group CEO Oliver Blume justifies the course with the economic situation, and the numbers speak for a need to act. A plan can be well founded on the merits and still not be supported. Then the organisation pays in conflict for what it lacks in buy-in.
What distinguishes the two paths
Situation
Both companies are cutting jobs. At Porsche there is an agreement that both sides can invoke. At VW, agreements were terminated.
Link to the quality
Trust is the solid ground of every change. A commitment that is kept pays into it, even when its content hurts. Which of the two lines is the right one economically remains to be seen. For leadership, this already holds: reliability is a currency that gains value in a crisis.
Key takeaways
Key lessons
- A commitment only proves itself under pressure.
- Speak in numbers and clear sentences when rumours circulate.
- Commitment does not mean sparing people, but keeping what has been agreed.
- Win the people first, then present the plan.
- Factor in the price of missing buy-in: time, conflict, trust.
Summary
Leiters stands by a negotiated package and says so publicly, including towards the majority owner. At Volkswagen, a larger restructuring is being pushed ahead against the resistance of the employee side. The comparison shows how closely commitment, trust and buy-in are connected.