I came across a few quotes from Henry Ford recently and decided to find out a bit more about the man who started a car company which still exists over 100 years later.
What I learnt showed a man with a vision to build a car and a businessman driven to challenge the status quo in industry by bringing down costs and taking care of employees.
“It is observed that successful people get ahead in the time that other people waste.”
He knew what he wanted – turning down working on the family farm to gain experience as an apprentice machinist. He became an engineer with Edison Illumination Company and devoted much of his spare time to experimenting with gasoline engines. His first vehicle was the Ford Quadricycle. With Edison’s support Ford continued to perfect his vehicle.
“Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement”
Ford has a vision for his car & to produce them en masse and a focus on lowering costs led to new innovations. He started with the Detroit Automobile Company but the cars produced were of a poor quality and high price but Ford persevered. Next came a twenty six horsepower car, then an eighty plus horsepower races which set land speed records in 1903. In 1908 the renowned Model T was launched and soon other companies copied Ford’s innovations.
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
Ahead of his time he paid above the minimum wage, fixed working hours and weeks and gave shares to his employees. He also had an interest in the morals of his staff outside the workplace and rewarded those that met his social expectations (this was controversial at the time and he later abandoned the scheme).
So the questions to you are:
Ø What is your passion?
Ø What drives you outside of your work?
Ø What values are important to you & you don’t compromise?
Ø How can you bring more of your passions and values into your daily life?
Anthea is a qualified Executive & Life Coach; accredited EQi Assessor, certified with the Irish Institute of Training & Development (IITD), affiliated with Life and Business Coaching Association Ireland (LBCAI) and fully insured.