Occasionally, the path to reaching the top begins with something as uncomplicated as a stamp. General Motors CEO Mary Barra stated that she replies to “each and every letter” she gets.
Even though she leads an automaker worth over $65 billion, and considering that AI has transformed once – tiresome tasks like drafting emails into quick chores that take only seconds, Barra still responds in the traditional way: using pen and paper.
The letters she receives cover a wide spectrum, from loyal Chevrolet drivers sharing the nickname of their cars to schoolchildren who are worried about their family’s future after the closure of a General Motors plant. Whether the letters are positive or negative, they all get a response.
“I receive [letters] from customers … when their odometer hits 200, 300, 400,” Barra said at the 2025 New York Times DealBook Summit. “I also get letters from consumers who are dissatisfied with something, and I reply to every single letter I receive. To me, this is such a unique business.”
Even as one of the busiest executives in the automotive industry, who has repeatedly topped ’s list of the Most Powerful Women in Business, Barra has always regarded purposeful communication as part of her job. It’s a habit she has maintained throughout her ascent at GM, from the assembly line to the C – suite. “You won’t always be correct, but no one is right all the time,” she said in 2023.
And for workers, customers, or even complete strangers, that approachability can make the top – level office seem more accessible than it appears.
Personalized responses can result in long – lasting respect and brand loyalty
Carolyn Rodz, the founder of a virtual startup accelerator for women, once wrote to Barra as a complete stranger. What she got in return astonished her.
“What truly made me respect this woman, whom I was a complete stranger to, was the personal touch in her response. She not only recognized my request and politely declined, but she also took the time to encourage my pursuit and praise my efforts,” Rodz wrote in 2015.
Rodz added that the note did more than just conclude the matter—it built loyalty and long – lasting respect.
“She validated my vision and affirmed my commitment,” Rodz said. “To be honest, she built so much loyalty in just a few paragraphs that I’m thinking about buying a GM car the next time I’m in the market.”
In an era when executives can seem shielded by layers of corporate hierarchy and public relations teams, Barra’s practice stands out. It’s a small act that conveys a powerful message: In a business world rushing towards automation, the human element still matters.
“It’s people like Mary Barra, though, who remind me that our words have great value and the potential to impact others in ways we may never realize,” Rodz said.
Other CEOs are also keeping the tradition of handwritten notes alive
Writing letters by hand isn’t exclusive to Barra. For First Watch CEO Chris Tomasso, old – fashioned notes of appreciation are a leadership tradition.
The head of the breakfast and lunch chain that generates $1 billion in annual revenue sets aside time each month to handwrite congratulatory notes to cooks and dishwashers who are celebrating significant milestones—10, 20, or even 30 years with the company. At a business with more than 15,000 employees, Tomasso has written over 500 notes and believes that this small gesture can have a huge impact: it shows workers that their loyalty is not taken for granted.
“Our job is to create an environment where our employees are happy and feel appreciated, and they’ll handle the rest,” Tomasso said on LinkedIn.
Geoffroy van Raemdonck, now the CEO of Saks, is another executive who relies on personalized communication. Before the pandemic, he sent three to five handwritten thank – you notes every day. As work shifted to remote and hybrid models, he supplemented them with texts, emails, and quick phone calls, but the intention remained the same.
“I was taught by great mentors about the power of sending a thank – you note,” van Raemdonck told in 2023. “The moment of saying ‘thank you’ is really important to me because I know what it’s like to receive a thank – you and be recognized.”
Many leaders not only write handwritten notes but also read them, and it could even be the key to getting a job offer.
For Joey Gonzalez, the executive chairman of the upscale boutique fitness brand Barry’s, cold outreach is how he found the person who would eventually become his CEO. He previously told that people should be willing to take risks and express their passion; you never know what opportunities it might open up later.
“If you’re going to send a cold email to someone and you can’t be enthusiastic about the service, the product, or whatever it is, it won’t be a convincing email,” Gonzalez said.
“But if you send someone an email that says, ‘Hey, I just want to let you know I’ve been going to Barry’s for a year, and it’s changed my life. Here’s my résumé, and maybe one day you’ll have a position for me’—it can go a long way.”
A version of this story originally published on .com on January 26, 2026.
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