The founder of the Ford Motor Co., Henry Ford, is recognized not just for his achievements, but also for his ways of leadership and thinking. His legacy has a number of amazing memories and quotes which all point at a powerful entrepreneurship philosophy. There is no better inspirational figure. Here are a few entrepreneurial lessons only Henry Ford can teach you.
Be good at whatever you do
Henry Ford is often considered the father of automobiles. This is not completely true. But, he was so passionate about them that he is regularly credited for it. You need to have the same passion and spirit for whatever you are doing.
There is nothing wrong with focusing on your purpose. Always do the things you love, the things which excite you the most. Eventually, you will become the person everyone looks to for advice instead of just being another hand in the crowd.
Ford did not invent the automobile, there are others who can claim credit for that. It is not just one person who invented the engine, the four wheels, the steering wheel, the transmission, and so on. Ford is the person to invent the assembly line in terms of manufacturing cars. He is the one who brought the price down for automobiles so the average American can afford one.
Ford brought the vehicle to the masses.
Treat failure as an opportunity
Ford failed many times before finally succeeding. This is a common trajectory for entrepreneurs. Humans usually downplay failures, but in reality, no one is immune to them. According to Ford, we should treat failure as a teacher rather than a negative event. It's feedback which we can use to make better decisions in the future.
It's quite natural that nobody likes to experience failure. It is disruptive to optimism. But we can benefit from changing the way we perceive failure. Whenever it occurs, don't focus on the emotional disappointment and focus on intellectual gain instead. There is valuable information hidden within every failure.
Be strong behind the scenes
You need to stay strong even when no one is looking. This is something Ford said many times. Don't just look to impress a crowd, be engaged with the process. Attend to the smallest of details. Even when people don't see you, they will feel you for sure. What people think is not an issue which should concern you. How they are served is where you should focus all your attention.
Don't showoff
Ford was known to be a modest man. He didn't even dress up. He wanted people to know him for the man he was, not for the clothes he wore. He was never bothered with the opinion others had of him, he was a modest man and never played himself up.
Of course, Ford was a celebrity in his own right, and the indifference to attire may just be a result of eccentricity which comes from his prestige. But, the message here is simple, exist to serve clients and customers since they are the ones who matter the most.
Money isn't everything
There are a lot of cash grab businesses out there today. They prey on the weak impulses of people or on their urgent needs. The people running these businesses might enjoy all the luxuries of the world, but they will always live with shame. They might behave like they don't care about it, but deep down it affects them for sure unless they are like The Governor in The Walking Dead but that is another topic.
It is much better to be a provider of value. Even money will eventually accrue to value. It's just a myth that money is a province for the unethical and greedy. For instance, most millionaires started a business and were successful at it; they took that risk, they made the right decisions in life. Moreover, money is just a natural aspect of transactions, not the object of the game.
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