How Nikola’s Anuya Sheorey Aligns Strategy with Execution Through People-Centric Leadership

By Mariyah Saifuddin

Podcast Insights logo 1

In today’s dynamic business environment, the chasm between high-level strategic goals and the day-to-day actions of teams on the ground can often seem vast. How do leaders ensure that C-suite vision translates into tangible results and project success? In a recent “Tech-Driven Business” podcast episode, Mustansir Saifuddin of Innovative Solution Partners sat down with Anuya Sheorey from Nikola Automotive to explore this very challenge.

Sheorey shared invaluable insights into her framework for leading teams across diverse business and IT landscapes, emphasizing a people-first approach to bridging this critical gap.

From nimble startup to scaling enterprise: The evolving challenge

Sheorey recounted Nikola’s journey, noting that when the company was smaller, it operated with agility. “It was very easy for us to just have a strategy in place and make sure that those strategies are executed,” she explained. However, as Nikola embarked on a path of rapid scaling, the need to “maintain that nimbleness” while ensuring strategic alignment became paramount.

The core questions emerged:

  • How do we make sure that there is end-to-end ownership and improved line of sight for the enterprise goals?
  • Do we have buy-in from cross-functional teams?
  • Are they prioritizing the work?
  • Are all of them working in the same direction?

A critical aspect, she said, is focusing on outcomes over individual tasks. Using a compelling soccer analogy, she asked, “Are we measuring how many times the ball was passed or are we measuring how many goals were made?” This outcome-oriented mindset was a key driver in reshaping their approach.

The product-centric pivot: A framework for cohesion

To address these scaling challenges, Nikola made a significant shift in its operating model, from a traditional project-based approach to a “product-centric framework.” While common in software companies, Sheorey and her team adapted this for Nikola, a truck manufacturing and energy company. “We created these self-organizing cross-functional teams that were perpetual, constantly working on business outcomes and continuous improvements,” she detailed.

The foundation of this framework lies in “value streams,” a concept borrowed from manufacturing and Lean Six Sigma.

Sheorey defined a value stream as “a sequence of activities that are needed to be taken to respond to a customer need or to deliver value to the customer.” At Nikola, this translated into three distinct journeys:

The Truck Journey: Encompassing all operational processes from design to when a truck rolls off the factory floor.

The Customer Journey: From initial contact through to customer service.

The Energy Journey: Covering hydrogen dispensing capabilities.

Across these, 11 to 12 product value stream teams were formed, each spanning the enterprise. “It was not bound by organizational structure or divisions within the company, but it was defined by the value stream,” Sheorey emphasized.

Each team included a business owner, cross-functional Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and IT personnel. Their responsibility? To maintain a backlog of items and improvements – be it training, IT enhancements or refined ways of working – to continuously enhance their value stream.

Governance, prioritization, and breaking down silos

,A governance committee played a crucial role, communicating the overarching enterprise strategy. “Where do we want to see the organization go?” was the guiding question. The product value streams then determined “how do these, their value streams, contribute toward that enterprise goal?” This created a direct bridge. The product owner for each stream acted as the “voice of the customer,” deciding what needed to be done, while the IT team determined how to deliver it.

This structure inherently tackled the common “business vs. IT” friction. “The beauty of this whole framework was that there is no longer business and IT here, right? It’s a value stream team,” Anuya explained. “They would map out the as-is business process for that value stream and say, OK, what are some ways to improve things here?” The enterprise goals provided the constraints for prioritization, ensuring alignment even when initiatives spanned multiple value streams.

Data as the engine for informed decisions

No modern transformation is complete without a robust data strategy. Sheorey acknowledged that Nikola’s initial focus was on enabling core functionality for rapid scale-up.

“We quickly realized that if we had to grow as an organization, we needed a more robust data and analytic strategy in place as well,” she said.

With SAP as the backbone for operational data (finance, manufacturing, inventory) alongside various peripheral systems, the challenge was clear. They needed to “democratize access to the data” and ensure agility without “constantly having to touch it every time we change something in SAP.”

The ultimate goal, as Mustansir pointed out, was to look at “collective organizational data… a mix of information” to drive decisions, not just siloed system reports.

The power of true partnership with third-party resources

Sheorey’s experience across diverse industries (insurance, transportation, electronics, utilities) has taught her the value of strategic partnerships. When asked about leveraging third-party resources, she stated, “Unfortunately, it’s not a formula, but it’s more a partnership.”

The key differentiator for successful extended partner relationships? “Companies have stepped up to co-create the innovative solutions with us,” Sheorey said. “They are able to bring in best practices to the table, guide discussions, make themselves trusted advisors in the process.”

These, she said, embody “true partnerships,” leading to long-term relationships.

This resonated with Mustansir, who noted that the concept of partnership “sets aside that whole idea of a third party” and instead fosters a team dynamic focused on co-creation.

Sheorey affirmed, “If they are involved from the beginning, they are true partners in the success of the initiative… and it’s a win-win for both really.” The focus shifts from mere technology implementation to achieving tangible business benefits.

Fueling success through continuous learning

In a world where “everything is moving super fast,” how does a leader like Sheorey stay ahead?

“I am an avid learner. I am a continuous learner and a reader as well,” she shared. She actively seeks out assignments she knows little about, driven by the objective of learning.

This extends to her teams, where she fosters a culture of curiosity, often asking, “What did you learn today?” – a practice she even employs at her dinner table. This commitment to learning, she believes, helps her “do a better job at whatever role that I’m operating in” by drawing on diverse perspectives and a wider pool of mentors.

The ultimate takeaway: Transformation is a human endeavor

As the conversation drew to a close, Sheorey offered a profound key takeaway: “As we think about how to bridge the gap between strategy and execution… any transformation effort at the end of the day, is all about people.”
She elaborated on the critical role of human elements:

Input: “You need inputs from them; they are closest to the work being performed.”
Collaboration: “You need collaboration and buy-in cross-functionally.”
Motivation: “You need them motivated and ready to embrace the change.”

The product-centric framework at Nikola succeeded because it “empowered people to take on some of the work, to take on some of those challenges,” Sheorey said. This involvement leads to what she  termed the IKEA effect: “People, if they’re involved in making a product, they have pride in it and that is easier buy-in from those people as well.”

Her concluding thought was a powerful reminder: “Any transformation is less about technology. It’s more about people.”

Mustansir Saifuddin echoed this sentiment, noting that while technology is exciting, the human element is often minimized. Anuya’s approach, which keeps people “upfront and center,” allows everything else to blend in and move forward smoothly.

Sheorey’s insights from her experiences at Nikola Automotive offer a blueprint for any organization grappling with aligning its strategic ambitions with operational realities. By fostering a product-centric mindset, empowering cross-functional teams, and above all, recognizing that transformation is fundamentally about people, leaders can build resilient, agile and successful enterprises. 

Interested in more Tech-Driven Business podcasts? You can listen here

About the podcast guest: Anuya Sheorey

Anuya SheoryAnuya Sheorey is the head of program strategy & enterprise solutions at Nikola, where she leads high performing teams to enable rapid scale-up through ongoing delivery of critical capabilities across manufacturing, operations, finance, sales and service. As a strategic technology leader, she is passionate about connecting business strategy with technology execution and has a proven track record in orchestrating enterprise-wide digital transformations in diverse industries such as insurance, transportation, electronics and utilities to drive growth and operational excellence.

Auya Sheorey’s LinkedIn