Born: July 30, 1863, Detroit, US | Successful For: Industrialist, Entrepreneur | Zodiac Sign: Leo
“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right”
– Henry Ford
Inner Keys to Success:
- WISDOM CONQUERS ALL: Henry Ford was wise beyond years, constantly learning. This is evident in his many quotes, the quotes themselves give us a glimpse of his keys to success. On enthusiasm, he states “Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.” On the power of mind over matter, he states “There is no man living that cannot do more than he thinks he can.” And on passion, he states “if money is your hope for independence, you will never have it.” To sum up Ford’s genius, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” Read more quotes of this wise industrialist here.
- BE AN INNOVATIVE PROBLEM SOLVER: Ford believed in his creative mindset which led him to implement innovative ideas. As a young fellow, Ford would dismantle and put together a stopwatch his father gave him. He then expanded and repaired watches for friends and family, and to do this, he created the tools himself; these consisted of a filed shingle nail as a screwdriver and a corset stay as tweezers. His innovative ideas can also be noticed in his automotive inventions such as the Quadricycle, hisbrilliance in marketing techniques of ensuring every newspaper carried stories and ads about his first Ford automobile, and also being largely recognized in the business world for bringing light to the assembly line for mass production and his franchise system to have a dealership in every city. Fordism was even a term worldly known for his business tactics of high wages, and cheap goods. He was one of the first to recognize that the more you pay an employee, the harder they work. Ford was always an innovative problem solves “Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.”
- GO THE DISTANCE: Ford first became a master of the steam engine when working on his family farm in his 20s. He then became an engineer Thomas Edison’s company. He would save up enough money to work on his own self-propelling vehicle on the side, the Ford Quadricycle. He then presented the idea to Edison executives, Thomas Edison himself approved of the idea. Although this inspired him to create his first company, the Detroit Automobile Company the company failed. He didn’t give up, and kept moving forward,“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” He expanded on his idea, and designed and built a 26-hoursepower motor vehicle. This eventually got the interest of stockholders and Cadillac Automobile Company was born. As you can see, he was in it for the long hall, and had no intention of settling, this is the mindset that led him to major success.
“The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.” – Henry Ford
Little Known Success Fact:
In a1928 interview with the Detroit Times, Ford gave us a glimpse into his spiritual beliefs, believing that his wisdom and genius came from a higher power “Master Mind”: “Somewhere is a Master Mind sending brain wave messages to us. There is a Great Spirit. I never did anything by my own volition. I was pushed by invisible forces within and without me.”
“Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.” – Henry Ford
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