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I recently had the opportunity, and the pleasure, of spending some time with Alan Mulally, the President and CEO of Ford Motor Company. I walked away from that meeting with a feeling of exhilaration, and a sense that here is a man with a vision. He knows where the company needs to go and he has the support of an enthusiastic team working together to get there.
To say that Alan Mulally is a man of great passion is putting it mildly. He goes beyond focused; he’s laser focused. He exudes confidence, and at the same time, he’s genuine and down to earth. Judging from his smile and the light in his eyes when he talks about the future of Ford, he likes what he is doing and he is having a lot of fun doing it.
From another perspective, as I approached the lobby of Ford’s World Headquarters, I anticipated a “doom and gloom” atmosphere in terms of employee morale given all of the recent negative comments and “catastrophic” outlook for the US auto industry. Not so at Ford! There was a bounce in everyone’s step, and there were smiles on everyone’s faces — all of which seemed to express, “I’m glad to be part of the Ford team.” The comment I heard from many people with whom I spoke was “Please ask him if he’ll stay another ten years.”
To me, that pretty much summed it up. Mr Mulally has brought new focus and new ideas to Ford. Today there is an “esprit de corps” that I suspect has been missing for years. My take is that he is not just a visionary, but that he is a man on a mission. He epitomizes all of the characteristics of a true leader.
But it goes beyond the man. It is readily apparent that there’s a vision and a plan in place to support that vision. While I did not have enough time to survey the Ford team, as I stated in an article dated August 13th entitled, “Ford Proves That Basic Business Principles Still Work,” I firmly believe that the Ford plan embodies the following principles:
- It is focused on customer wants and needs
- Everyone is involved and informed
- Goals are integrated at each level of the organization to support the vision and to ensure that the plans
of one area complement those of other areas
After speaking with Mr. Mulally, I am further convinced that the Ford plan includes several other ingredients that will keep them on the path to success.
- It is predicated upon a team approach, and the team is committed to achieve the plan
- Every objective supports the overall plan goals and the vision
- Goals are based on specific and measurable data and outputs
- Specific responsibilities are assigned to people to ensure that planned actions are implemented
- There are scheduled progress reviews
And it’s working! Look at the trend of their quality indicators, customer satisfaction ratings and market share increases. They all are improving!
After today’s meeting, not only were my previous impressions of Ford’s progress reinforced, but I walked away feeling renewed and re-energized about Ford’s global presence now and in the future. With Alan Mulally in the driver’s seat, it should be quite a ride! I believe the Ford team is going to meet or exceed the expectations of its customers, its employees, its shareholders and its competitors by staying on plan and by achieving its vision.
Mr. Newman has roughly 40 years of industry experience – 28 years as part of the Ford Motor Company management team, and more recently, as President and COO of the Strategic Alliances Consulting Group. His business background encompasses a broad spectrum of experience in various disciplines including purchasing, finance, product planning, export planning, business planning and international business development.
During his last 10 years at Ford Motor Company, Mr. Newman successfully negotiated 46 licensing agreements in 12 countries, 9 joint ventures in 4 countries, 6 acquisitions and 2 divestitures. As President and COO of Strategic Alliances, he continued to assist clients with their acquisition and divestiture efforts. Mr. Newman also developed a strategic and business planning process which was implemented successfully at many automotive supplier operations in North America and in Europe, at a charitable organization and at several small entrepreneurial business enterprises.
To read more about Mr. Newman’s business insights on business alliances, negotiation and other must have business tips, read his Book, Beyond the Chicken Dance http://www.beyondthechickendance.com.
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