• The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, July 10, 2007 11:45 AM

During his first two months on the job last year, Mitsubishi North American CEO Hiroshi Harunari visited 139 Mitsubishi dealerships in 29 states to win back dealers' trust. He focused on listening to dealers' long lists of grievances, and assured them that Mitsubishi was committed to the U.S. market. He then took steps to address such basic problems as slow delivery of parts from suppliers.

So far, Harunari's personal touch seems to be working. In a surprise turnaround, Japan's No. 4 carmaker by sales volume swung back to a full-year operating profit of $5 million in North America in the fiscal year ended March 31. Sales in the U.S. in that period--led by the new Lancer sedan and Outlander sports utility vehicle--reached 124,000 vehicles, an 8% increase that reversed a four-year drop.

While case studies abound of charismatic chief executives announcing ambitious goals to jump-start a company, Harunari has invigorated Mitsubishi in the U.S. by focusing on good old-fashioned bonding with people in the trenches. This "inverted pyramid" style of management is a growing trend in corporations, says Paul Rogers, head of the global-organization practice for Bain & Co.

Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal »