What Fixing Engines Taught Bose’s CEO About Leading People

Growing up, Lila Snyder was that rare student who came home excited to do math homework. She was motivated as a kid, driven by a desire to solve problems. It was the same while working in the garage with her father, helping to fix cars and appliances. In a world where so many are ready to point out problems, Snyder—the first female CEO of Bose—has always been someone who sought solutions.

For her, problem solving is not about finding some all-encompassing fix. Instead, the job requires breaking a bigger task down into smaller, more manageable parts. Step by step she reassembles what she’d deconstructed, as if putting together a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle at her living room table.

For Snyder, discovering this strategy started early on in her hometown and it crystalized later in life as she earned her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at MIT. Along the way, she learned the value of asking why and listening to the responses she received. She found that problem solving isn’t about memorizing massive formulas—it’s about breaking down challenges into its more elemental parts to find the fixes.

“Part of problem solving is seeing solutions and applying things you’ve learned in the past that have similarities to that situation,” says Snyder on a recent episode of the Corporate Competitor Podcast. “It’s about pattern recognition. The more you do it, the better you get at [asking]  the questions. But really, all you have to ask is why—why do we do it that way?”

Combining patience, confidence and a sense of humility, Snyder saw that nothing is ever as complicated as it might seem. While some people seem paralyzed by the prospect of problem solving, especially on a large scale, Snyder knows an engine isn’t some unwieldy beast. Instead, it’s merely a collection of components, all of which can be broken down, examined and refitted together. For her, tackling challenges in business is much the same thing.

In this way, it makes sense that Snyder is helming the iconic audio company: Listening has always been an important tool in her toolbox. Now she helps to run a business whose slogan is sound is power. Learning the steps required to meet an opportunity is crucial. It’s a mindset that still defines her leadership style today. For Snyder, complexity is more than manageable—it’s energizing.

She talks about all this and much more on the podcast, including:

• Take risks. Snyder makes it a point to get uncomfortable. If you go out on a limb, she says, and take a risk each week, you will learn more about who you are and what you can do. It’s okay to try something that feels uncomfortable—that’s how you grow. 

• Find sponsors. It’s important to find people who not only give you advice but who will push you further. A mentor is a sounding board but a sponsor will help put you in new positions to succeed. “Sponsors are the people who stick their neck out for you,” she says. “They believe you can do it.”

• Push limits. Before attending MIT, Snyder attended the University of Miami. In the early 1990s, while on the school’s cheerleading squad, she saw how a winning football team was assembled and sustained. “Championships are won in the offseason,” she says. “You have to keep your foot on the gas.”