Jiří Koleňák: Welcome to another episode of the Úspěšní (Successful) podcast, produced in cooperation with the Czech Management Association. Today we continue our series of interviews with inspiring managers and leaders who demonstrate, through their approach and concrete results, how to transform corporate culture and drive growth in demanding environments. Joining me is the wonderful Olga Girslová, President of the Czech Management Association. Welcome, Olga.
Olga Girslová: Thank you, Jiří, for the warm welcome. Today, I am delighted to welcome Michal Hornák, Plant Manager at Forvia and Manager of the Year 2023—an award he won in his role as Managing Director at Vitesco Automotive Czechia. Michal, thank you for joining us.
Michal Hornák: Thank you very much for the invitation. I'm looking forward to our conversation.
Olga Girslová: Absolutely.
Jiří Koleňák: Michal, I always start by asking what brought my guests the greatest joy in recent days. What was it for you?
Michal Hornák: What has brought me the greatest joy recently is my decision to be much more present at home with my sons and my family over the past eight or nine months. Professional achievements certainly help, but being with my family and really getting to know my boys—whom I rarely saw in my previous role—means the world to me.
Jiří Koleňák: Thank you for sharing such a personal, family-centered perspective. I deeply appreciate that. What does leading a company mean to you, and how do you view the responsibility of managing people?
Michal Hornák: I view it as a primary responsibility for people. My mindset now is simple: I take care of the people who take care of the business. It wasn't always like that—I used to feel frustrated and exhausted. Once I made that mental shift, I became far more positive and focused on making the people around me satisfied through professional success and company growth.
Jiří Koleňák: You have been in the automotive industry for a long time. Is it unique in any specific way?
Michal Hornák: Over 26 years now! I recently reflected on whether it's time to stay in automotive or try something new, as I enjoy change. Automotive used to be unique due to lean manufacturing, standardization, and rigorous quality demands. Today, especially post-COVID, the industry has shifted dramatically. With electric mobility, raw material costs, tariffs, and market pressures, it faces severe challenges. Other industries have advanced significantly as well. The one defining characteristic that remains in automotive is its extreme speed, dynamism, and intensity—making it crucial never to lose sight of the most important asset: people.
Jiří Koleňák: What is the biggest shift you've observed during your time in the industry?
Michal Hornák: Balancing the intense pressure on teams with extreme demands on maintaining company profitability.
Jiří Koleňák: So while technical aspects remain, there is greater emphasis on helping people manage the pressure?
Michal Hornák: There is massive pressure on profitability so companies can continue R&D and operations—vehicles and components are expensive to develop. The biggest shift is realizing that we still need people, but people today have far more career choices than before. Leaders who recognize this human shift win.
Olga Girslová: Michal, I’d like to ask about your view on the role of a "transformation manager." How would you explain that concept?
Michal Hornák: It came about because I wanted a term for what I was doing. It wasn't just traditional directing, managing, or leading—we were executing deep organizational transformations. I attached "manager" to it because leadership and management are inseparable. Pure leadership without management is just hot air. You need structured management paired with genuine human leadership.
Olga Girslová: How did you motivate your team during major changes while keeping them mentally resilient under heavy profit pressure?
Michal Hornák: My primary goal was not to demotivate or alienate them! I am skeptical about artificial, long-term external motivation. Intrinsic self-motivation matters far more. A leader's job is to keep people energized, clear operational obstacles, and resolve frustrations rather than attempting to externally "motivate" them.
Olga Girslová: You mentioned Tomáš Baťa. Did his leadership philosophy inspire you?
Michal Hornák: Tomáš Baťa was far ahead of his time. My father often talked about Baťa's human-centric approach, which aligns with my own philosophy. To me, the shop floor—the factory floor where people produce the actual goods—is the core center of value creation. Everyone else in the company, including myself, exists to serve and support the shop floor as efficiently as possible.
Olga Girslová: Did you hold regular meetings with shop floor teams?
Michal Hornák: Absolutely. Our "transformation lunches" during company mergers became famous. Initially, people sat quietly waiting to see what would happen. Over time, discussions became vibrant, candid, and self-directing, which was fantastic.
Olga Girslová: How did you develop successors for key roles within the organization?
Michal Hornák: We didn't use an overly complex system. With a mature team, potential is obvious based on engagement, discipline, thoroughness, skill, and how someone treats others when no one is watching. Through 360-degree feedback, you identify the right candidates naturally. We applied systematic succession planning primarily to top and middle management, as they define company culture.
Olga Girslová: How did you unite people across merged companies behind a shared vision?
Michal Hornák: That was my biggest personal learning curve. Years ago in India, I wrote a company vision entirely by myself, assuming everyone would embrace it. It didn't resonate. The second time, I wrote a detailed 50-page draft and brought it to a team workshop. The team handed it back, saying it was far too complex, and shared their own perspectives instead. I completely rewrote it into a concise 10-page document using their language. Because the team co-created it, they truly lived it. I can't imagine setting a vision any other way now.
Olga Girslová: The entire team truly bought into it together.
Michal Hornák: Yes. During a 1.5-day workshop, the team gave everything—even filming collaborative videos. Experiencing that genuine emotional engagement convinced me to empower people completely, connect talent, and maintain positive energy.
Jiří Koleňák: If you had to pick the management actions with the highest impact, what would they be?
Michal Hornák: First, admitting mistakes and asking for help. Reflecting back through the Manager of the Year process highlighted how crucial that humility was. Second, active listening—reading between the lines during 1-on-1s. When you ask open questions and truly listen, teams often arrive at solutions far superior to your own initial ideas. Third, positive reframing—shifting away from viewing challenges negatively and actively reframing them into opportunities.
Jiří Koleňák: In your Manager of the Year application, you noted stepping into an environment that was chaotic, unclear, and lacking trust. How do you transform such an environment into a positive one?
Michal Hornák: Early in my career, I drove transformation through sheer force—making directive decisions and carrying massive personal responsibility. More recently, I took a completely different, quieter approach: listening carefully, identifying key levers, and guiding teams to discover solutions themselves rather than telling them what to do. The second approach builds collective ownership.
Jiří Koleňák: Do you have specific tools to foster internal quality and culture?
Michal Hornák: Conduct 1-on-1 meetings focused on human development rather than just performance metrics. Encourage self-reflection. When employees develop internal self-awareness, company performance transforms naturally. I've witnessed this twice in intense automotive environments—once in the Czech Republic and once in Slovakia. The culture becomes self-sustaining even after you step away.
Jiří Koleňák: You also wrote that success stems from simplicity, not complexity.
Michal Hornák: Absolutely: KISS—Keep It Simple and Stupid. I dislike overly bloated, bureaucratic systems. A straightforward, pragmatic "farm-hand" approach works best: capture collective team knowledge, establish simple rules everyone understands in their own language, and ditch excessive surveys or audits. Use a walk-the-talk approach: talk directly with people on the floor to understand what drives their behavior and refine their approach collaboratively.
Olga Girslová: How did your nomination for Manager of the Year come about?
Michal Hornák: It was a surprise. The nomination came internally from within the company. Initially, I hesitated and delayed completing the application form—I'm a master of the last minute! When I finally sat down, I wrote it quickly, authentically, and from the heart. Winning the main title was a fantastic experience.
Olga Girslová: Reading your application felt like an inspiring case study in executive decision-making. What advice would you offer newly nominated managers?
Michal Hornák: Go for it! The process forces valuable self-reflection on your management practices. Reaching the finals or standing on stage provides an incredible burst of professional energy.
Olga Girslová: You also participated in our university job-shadowing initiative with students from Newton University. How was that experience?
Michal Hornák: Fantastic. A sharp, well-prepared student shadowed me for an entire day across strategic meetings. Job shadowing offers students an authentic look into corporate realities beyond textbook theory. I strongly recommend expanding this program nationwide across all industries.
Olga Girslová: What message or recommendation would you offer the Czech Management Association as we support management excellence and economic prosperity?
Michal Hornák: Focus on three key pillars: 1. Demystifying AI and addressing technological anxieties, 2. Strengthening project management capabilities across industries, and 3. Connecting like-minded, growth-oriented leaders to exchange practical experience and lift each other up.
Olga Girslová: Thank you, Michal, for an inspiring and insightful interview.
Michal Hornák: Thank you very much for having me.
Jiří Koleňák: I join in expressing our gratitude. Thank you to our viewers, and Olga and I look forward to bringing you more inspiring conversations in upcoming episodes!
