Driving Personal Growth: 3M’s Wendy Bauer on Navigating Challenges and Advancing in Leadership

Originally published on 3M News Center

Wendy Bauer, Group President of 3M’s Transportation and Electronics Business Group (TEBG), is recognized as one of the 2025 Automotive News 100 Leading Women.

Every five years, Automotive News celebrates the exceptional women who are shaping the future of the automotive industry. Wendy was recognized on the previous list in 2020 and has received other esteemed industry awards, including being named one of the Top-25 Women in Automotive by Automobilewoche in Europe (2024) and a Software-Defined Vehicle Innovator Leader by MotorTrend (2023).

As Wendy celebrates this remarkable achievement and approaches her first anniversary with 3M, she sat down to share her journey and perspectives on growth and leadership—including strategies for women looking to advance in their careers.

Can you share some key moments from your career journey that have shaped you as a leader?

I've come to like the term "crucible moments" or "crucible mode,” which is something everyone experiences in their career in some form. In those moments, you felt like you were going to break, but you learned something that made you better than you were before.

As a 20-year-old engineering co-op student, I worked as a skilled trade supervisor in a union factory. Despite the challenges and feeling overwhelmed, I persevered. Initially, I had little to offer the experienced employees, but over time, I understood that the experience was meant to teach me how to navigate and lead in a difficult environment. It was a valuable training experience that I didn't give up on.

To me, a great leader knows when such situations will arise, and they might have been through similar experiences themselves. They know that they could guide you through them, but if they did, you wouldn't learn. Reflecting on my career, I realize I worked for leaders who knew the pitfalls but allowed me to navigate them, making me better in the process.

Since joining 3M, what have been some of your key learnings and how is that reflected in your leadership?

At 3M, the culture is centered around innovation and engineering, like other leading companies in the field. These core elements push us forward, but can also spark a lot of questions: How much do we lean into learning what we don't know? How do we take risks that make us uncomfortable? How do we challenge the status quo?

To answer these questions, and do what hasn’t been done before, our teams need to be creative, open-minded, and agile. Within the Transportation and Electronics Business Group, these capabilities are paired with a bold North Star I’ve set to inspire customer obsession, risk-taking, and ownership of results.

I believe in setting ambitious goals that inspire both the organization and stakeholders, and I understand the importance of aligning resources with strategic priorities while continuously building the capabilities needed to achieve long-term success. As we transform alongside the industries we serve, this will always stay top of mind.

How do you engage your teams to ensure there are equal opportunities for growth?

In a room with leaders, be aware of who is speaking and who is not. Everyone likes to share opinions, but sometimes the opinion of someone without lived experience on a topic may not be the most valuable. Be in tune with the topics and who is speaking to identify gaps in input that you need to help facilitate. Facilitate conversations with other voices, especially if they may not be offering their input or are uncomfortable doing so.

I also believe in taking a skills-based approach. Focus on the skills and experiences people bring to the table, not just their titles or positions. It's about identifying the job that needs to be done and finding the best person with the right skills to do it. This approach often leads to different and more effective solutions, and it also helps to build a more inclusive and high-performing team.

What advice would you give for those looking to take the next step in their career?

I use the phrase: "always take a bet on yourself." It's not about what you know, but about what you can figure out. When you have an opportunity, someone is asking for volunteers, or you're thinking about applying for a job, it's easy to be your harshest critic and list all the reasons why you shouldn't do something. Instead, flip the script and acknowledge why you’re qualified and what you bring to the table.

This mindset helps you realize that you can get there. Be bold about what you want and believe you can achieve based on your strengths and experiences. In turn, you must be intentional in seeking opportunities to complement what you've learned.

The world is abundant with opportunities and remarkable growth prospects are presented to us every day.