Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was the American founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As owner of the Ford Motor Company he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world. (Evan Carmichael )
#1) Believe In Yourself
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it,” said Ford.
It may seem commonplace today for people to have cars but when Henry Ford first came up with the idea to create a “horseless carriage” people thought he was crazy and would never succeed. “Failure is only the opportunity more intelligently to being again,” said Ford. “One who fears the future, who fears failure, limits his activities. I did not give up the idea of a horseless carriage which was considered merely a freak notion and many wise people explained with particularity why it could never be more than a toy.”
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal,” said Ford. “The best we can do is size up the chances, calculate the risks involved, estimate our ability to deal with them, and then make our plans with confidence. There is no man living that can not do more than he thinks he can. Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right.”
#2) Focus On Quality
For Henry Ford, building a quality product that he could proudly put his name on was his top priority.
“I do not believe in starting to make until I have discovered the best possible thing,” said Ford. “This, of course, does not mean that a product should never be changed, but I think that it will be found more economical in the end not even to try to produce an article until you have fully satisfied yourself that utility, design, and material are the best.”
Ford also believed in providing quality service for anyone who purchased his cars. “A man who bought one of our cars was in my opinion entitled to continuous use of that car, and therefore if he had a breakdown of any kind, it was our duty to see that his machine was put into shape again at the earliest possible moment.”
One of my favourite pieces of advice from Henry Ford sums up his belief on creating a quality product: “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”
#3) Build A Team
Henry Ford revolutionized the manufacturing industry and pioneered a number of unique and controversial labour policies. For example, he refused to give his employees titles and tried to make everyone feel equal. “I don’t believe in titles,” he said. “They make people think they are superior.”
Ford also believed in hiring people based on if they were willing to work as opposed to their previous experience. “It doesn’t matter to me if a man is from Harvard or Sing Sing,” he said. “We hire the man, not his history.” He also refused to hire experts believing that they would restrict the company’s ability to innovate and grow. “That is the way with wise people – they are so wise and practical that they always know to a dot just why something cannot be done; they always know the limitations.” What Ford was looking for was “a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can't be done.”
Finally, Ford believed in finding workers who wanted to support each other and not be carried by their co-workers. “You will find men who want to be carried on the shoulders of others, who think that the world owes them a living,” said Ford. “They don't seem to see that we must all lift together and pull together.”
True Story
Henry Ford shocked the world where he offered workers a $5 per day wage which was more than double what the average wage for workers was at the time. He called it the “wage motive” and as a result the best mechanics flocked to Detroit to work for him and he had very little employee turnover.
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