Mary Barra still responds to ‘every single letter’ she gets by hand despite running $65 billion automaker General Motors

Sometimes, access to the top starts with something as simple as a stamp. General Motors CEO Mary Barra said she responds to “every single letter” she receives.

Despite leading the over $65 billion automaker—and the fact AI has turned once-tedious tasks such as drafting emails into seconds-long chores—Barra still writes back the old-fashioned way: with pen and paper.

The notes she receives range widely, from loyal Chevrolet drivers sharing their car’s nickname to schoolchildren worried about their family’s future after the closure of a General Motors plant. But positive or negative, the letters still get a response.

“I get [letters] from customers … when their odometer turns over to 200, 300, 400,” Barra said at the 2025 New York Times DealBook Summit . “I also get letters from consumers who are unhappy about something, and I respond to every single letter I receive. To me, this is such a special business.”

Even as one of the busiest executives in the auto industry—repeatedly topping Fortune ’s list of the Most Powerful Women in Business —Barra has consistently treated intentional communication as part of the job. It’s a habit she’s carried throughout her rise at GM , from the assembly line to the C-suite. “You won’t always be right, but no one’s right all the time,” she said in 2023 .

And for workers, customers, or even complete strangers, that openness can make the corner office feel more reachable than it seems.

Carolyn Rodz, founder of a virtual startup accelerator for women, once wrote to Barra as a complete stranger. What she received in return surprised her.

“What really made me respect this woman, who I am a complete stranger to, was the personalization of her response. She not only acknowledged my request and respectfully declined, but she took the time to encourage my pursuit and commended me on my efforts,” Rodz wrote in 2015.

Rodz added that the note did more than close a loop—it built loyalty and lasting respect.

“She validated my vision and affirmed my commitment,” Rodz said. “Truth be told, she built such loyalty in just a couple of paragraphs that I’m considering buying a GM car next time I’m in the market.”

In an era when executives can seem buffered by layers of corporate hierarchy and public relations teams, Barra’s practice stands out. It’s a small gesture with an outsize message: In a business world racing toward automation, the human touch still carries weight.