10-30-2025
Kristin Glazner says there are two things she thinks about a lot in life: compliance and commitment. Glazner is senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Wabash, a global leader headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana, for end-to-end supply chain solutions for transportation, logistics and infrastructure markets. She told students in the Daniels School’s Executive Forum that she favors one activity over the other.
“You want compliance because you just want people to do what they should do,” said Glazner, who oversees the human resources area at Wabash. “But it’s not that interesting. I did not want compliant people to work for me. I did not want people to work for me who just did what I said.
“I want people who are committed to the vision. When people are committed, they give you feedback. The most important thing you can do as a leader is have a team that generously gives you feedback so that you know what you need to do next, because you don’t know everything.”
Glazner, who holds a law degree, has been at Wabash since 2010. She told students that they need to practice good habits to be effective in areas such as communication.
“I think you have to listen with the same interest and wonder in which you want to be heard. So you have to communicate and meet people where they are as effectively as possible,” she said.
Glazner answered questions from course instructor Dave Randich and students during the class, which brings speakers to the Krannert Building each Friday in the fall and spring semesters. She covered a wide variety of topics, including the issues that the logistics industry has faced post-COVID and the opportunities ahead for technological advances such as autonomous trailers.
She urged students to continuously ask questions throughout their careers. “I think being curious your whole life is a good way to live. I think curiosity helps people learn. It diffuses conflict and provides a foundation of good relationships,” she said.
Listen to and watch Glazner’s Executive Forum class:
The Daniels School’s Executive Forum is held in person on the West Lafayette campus and is open to the public, as seating permits. Follow the business school on LinkedIn to learn about upcoming Forum speakers and more.
