The People's Tycoon

Before reading Steven Watt's very lengthy biography I didn't know much about Henry Ford other than he gave us the assembly line and is famous for saying "history is bunk". I now know much more about the man but have a hard time understanding him. Henry Ford was certainly a genius in understanding all things mechanical, yet narrow minded in the ways of the world. He didn't invent the automobile but he understood it, understood the value of the creation and was determined to bring it to the masses. He was however at heart a man of the land, believed in the Puritan work ethic, a pacifist, and had a dream of a democratic America where everyone made good wages and lived a good life. He started the five dollar work day, promoted good hygiene and family values in his factory and had a genuine concern for the dignity of the common man. However his obsession with the efficiency of the factory and producing a car that everyone could afford led to poor working conditions and violent riots with union organizers.

I read a lot of books about CEO's and other leaders hoping to learn something about style of leadership. Henry Ford was in general a very poor leader, in his factory he was a dictator and constantly undermined the authority of those he delegated tasks too. Many in Ford's inner circle were feared and hated by others in the company. He held onto his belief of making only the Model T far after it was obsolete, allowing other auto companies to surpass Ford' Motor's success. There is no doubt Henry Ford transformed America making previously luxurious items available to ordinary citizens. However; one can only wonder at what the auto industry would look like today had Henry Ford been as good a businessman as he was an inventor. Had Henry stepped aside and let someone else (most notably his only son Edsel) take over management of the company, the Ford Motor Company and perhaps the whole US auto industry would have developed very differently.