Henry Ford an Ethical and Visionary Leader
Imagine a world absent of automobiles and public transportation, no way to get from one place to another, in this day in age this would be a hard realization for most people to accept. If not for Henry Ford’s innovative approach in the advancement of the assembly line this could have been out destiny. Henry Ford revolutionize the automobile industry through his visionary and ethical leadership. I too am a visionary and ethical leader and apply many of the same principles in my leadership style. First we will discuss how as an “advancer” and visionary leader Henry Ford used “individualized consideration” and “contingent reward” to help motivate his employees by implementing positive wage and shift changes. Next we discuss how as an ethical leader, Ford utilized “open-mindedness” and the “consequence test” to help innovate the usage of the assembly line to mass produce automobiles. Finally, I will relate these same principles to my own leadership skills and how I used these same traits to help develop an electronic whiteboard idea of one of my Airman. Let’s initially delve into how Ford used his visionary leadership to make dramatic advances in the automobile industry by motivating his employees.
Visionary Leader
As a visionary leader and “advancer,” Henry Ford used “individualized consideration” and “contingent reward” in order to motivate his employees inevitably creating a transportation revolution. Henry Ford understood
When you think about Ford, an automobile will usually come to mind. Most people don’t think about the man behind that name, Henry Ford. Henry Ford was the man responsible for the Ford Motor Company (FMC). He was also the creator of the invention that changed the mass production industry, the assembly line. As you read on you will learn about Henry Ford’s life, the FMC, and the assembly line.
There is no doubt that Henry Ford had a strong impact on America during the Progressive Era. His Ford Motor Company revolutionized mass production and consumerism through his development of the assembly line. However, many people were opposed to the routinized unskilled labor he employed that caused many of the workers to be easily replaceable. Despite this, Henry Ford still contributed heavily to society. Ford employed thousands of workers at salaries that were unprecedented for that day to those who he thought qualified for them thereby redistributing his own fortune and improving the lives of the lower class. The gospel of wealth describes how “people of great wealth… had not only great power but also great responsibility to use their riches
The founders of the Lincoln Electric Company left a legacy of an organization culture that promotes high productivity through sound management policies which have stood the test of time. The exponential growth of the company after the death of James F. Lincoln was a direct result of the establishment of a rich culture mix based on values that were widely shared and accepted by the members of the organization. Management empowered employees to become part of the decision making process through the contribution of ideas through the Advisory Board which was elected by the employees from amongst themselves. Reward management systems and all the other artifacts of the Lincoln Electric’s distinguished strong organizational culture will be analyzed in greater detail in this essay.
A SWOT analysis is a tool used to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization. A SWOT model measures what an organization can or cannot do as well as the possible opportunities and threats. This is done by taking data from the organization’s environment, analyzing the information and separating it into the internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats). When this is completed the analysis can create a plan for the organization to achieve its goals, and identify what difficulties must be overcome to attain
Henry Ford was one of the most brilliant entrepreneurs in creating the automobile assembly line, it was his controversial characteristics and unorthodox approach towards administrating the Ford Motor Company which resulted in the conglomeration of one of the most successful corporations in the world. At the turn of the century everything was booming! The growth of the economy and stock market increased the job opportunities as well as morals. As a result of this industrial revolution, out of the woodwork came a humble yet driven man, Henry Ford. Between the five dollar/day plan, his policies on administrating the company, and his relations with his customers, Ford was often presented as a suspicious character. This
When Americans get into their vehicles every day to go to work or school, they do not normally think about how much transportation has evolved over the years. People started out walking and then later moved to horse and buggies. During the early 1800’s, railroads were being built from east to west in this country and trains began to take over. As cities grew, people looked for ways to travel more efficiently. The work of Henry Ford made a lasting impact on America in regards to both transportation and manufacturing.
“Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black.” (Henry Ford). Henry Ford is one of the world’s most renowned leaders for the automobile industry. The son of a farmer, Ford has always been interested in how things worked. He has improved the models of his cars to make manufacturing them faster and more efficient by using assembly lines. He also set a balance between his employees’ wages and hours worked. Ford never stopped innovating and it is shown in his later Models of his car. Ford set standards for future motor companies and set standards for modern day manufacturing.
The birth of the automobile was truly something special. Once a far fetched dream is now what many people believe to be the back bone of the American economy. When people think about the automobile the name that comes to mind is most usually Henry Ford. Although he is not credited with the invention of the automobile, Henry Ford played a crucial role in the development of mass production. The automobile was first invented Europe in 1771 with a top speed of 2.3 miles per hour. A man by the name of Gottliech Daimler produced what was known as the milestone car in 1889, this vehicle traveled at 10 miles per hour (Brown, 105). Not more then a handful of these cars were produced over seas. Not many people had ever
Ford is one of the most honorable automobile manufacturers in the world today. Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 - April 7, 1847), founded this prestigious company in 1903. In the year of 1908, he made the Ford model T car, and developed an assembly line as a means of production. This development revolutionized the industry, and allowed Ford to be able to sell millions of automobiles and become known all across the world. This company has impacted so many families' lives by giving them a great means of transportation and a product that will be trusted. However, investors need to understand companies as much as possible because strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats arise within every industry. In some areas, ratings may be higher than others.
Henry Ford, an American captain of Industry, the seventh-wealthiest figure of modern period, leading manufacturer of American automobiles in the early 1900’s, was the eldest child born to William and Mary Ford on July 30 1863 in Dearborn Michigan. In his younger days Ford became interested in machinery, starting by helping repair machines on his father's farm, then started fixing neighbors and classmates watches and clocks, having invented his first successful gasoline engine in 1893 and his first automobile in 1896. He is known for establishing the Ford Motor Company in 1903 with eleven investors, his company revolutionized the automobile industry with its assembly line method
Henry Ford was critical of anybody’s viewpoints that went against his own. Ford was proud of the Model T, but he did not want to change it, and this failing resulted in Ford taking a back seat to his competitors and suffering a declining market share. “Being open-minded means you’re ‘open’ to actively listening and thinking about an idea or solution (BCEE, 2017d, p. 4). Ford often stifled and undermined his leaders, to include his own son who had been given the presidency of the company. However, one of the best example to illustrate Ford’s lack of open-mindedness comes from author John Maxwell who writes, “One day when a group of his designers surprised him by presenting him with the prototype of an improved model, Ford ripped its doors off the hinges and proceeded to destroy the car with his bare hands (1991, p. 122). This example shows how Ford failed to adhere to the critical thinking characteristic of open mindedness by shutting down new ideas on how to improve the Model T. These traits directly contributed to the Ford Motor Company almost filing
Once Mr. Ford recognized the challenge, he had to offer a solution to the problem and introduce it into the marketplace. A solution that created value and satisfaction. This meant creating successful relationships with his
Imagine never getting in a car or never using charcoal. Although there are a plethora of leaders, Henry Ford was by far one of the most influential. Mr. Ford played a major role in the history of America from boycotting the great war to enhancing the assembly line, and modern transportation technology.
When trying to make connections between democracy and capitalism, and how they play a role in our everyday society, looking closely at the emergence of a powerful company can be very informative. Throughout the documentary Henry Ford American Experience, we are introduced to the humble beginnings of the one well-known company in today’s society, the Ford Motor Company. With the in-depth account of the creator himself, Henry Ford and the focus on the labor practices used in his company, one can understand how the establishment came to be.
Ford was created in 1903 by Henry Ford in Detroit, MI. He quickly revolutionize the development of the automobile as a product and he also was the visionary behind the assembly line for mass production, and in turn made it possible for automobiles to become more affordable for the average household. Ford had a strong belief in his mission statement, which defines the kind of actions that are needed to fulfill organizational goal. However, Ford also had a vision statement that helped drive its global organization to reach its higher performance levels. Both areas assist in the overall foundation that Ford’s strong beliefs stand on. Both mission and vision statement are factors that solidify the success and strategic direction in the automotive industry.