The world’s economy faces its biggest crisis since the Great Depression. Manufacturers of everything from jet planes to mobile phones are sputtering, cutting production and shrinking workforces. There is no quick fix, but there is a long-term solution.

At times like this, strong leaders see opportunity triumphing over problems. In the words of Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, “The best days of the automobile are yet to come.” A logical response to that is, “Well, they couldn’t get any worse than they are now!” But Winterkorn’s brave optimism, which he proclaimed at the Geneva International Motor Show in March following a year in which VW profits rose 15.4% amid the global turmoil, embodies a leadership spirit that could apply to manufacturing as a whole.