Matt Gray

I read every one of Henry Ford's personal letters. They're packed with wisdom on leadership.  7 takeaways from a man who brought the future to life: 1. Invest in your People Ford was the first to: • Offer $5/day wage (doubling most workers' previous rates) • Implement 40-hour work weeks (giving employees the weekend off) “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” 2. Simplicity and Efficiency Henry Ford famously introduced assembly lines to streamline car production. It reduced the time to make a chassis from 12 hours to 93 minutes and the price of a Model T from $850 to $260. He was the living embodiment of “less is more.” 3. Total Conviction One of Ford's most famous quotes: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t: you are right.” In other words, your mindset is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Keep good hygiene in your self-talk. 4. Have the Courage to Lead Differently Ford led his organization unrecognizable from today's: There weren't many job titles/fixed job descriptions within the company - people just worked where they were needed. That way, people focused on the work (vs promotions and politics). 5. Customer Insight Ford lived by the 80/15/5 rule - if you ask 100 people about a product: • 80 can't describe their needs • 15 have mild detail on needs • 5 know their needs exactly/what to buy Ford didn't solve a problem for the last 5. He created a new market for the 95%. 6. Be Good at Whatever You Do And you can only do that by loving your work. With a long enough time horizon, you'll refine your craft. Because, when you pursue something as an outcome-detached passion: “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again.” 7. Visionary Thinking Ford's most famous quote: “If I asked people what they wanted, they'd have said faster horses.” He understood people's wants better than they did and had an innate ability to filter noise into generational insight. Akin to Steve Jobs a century later. — Want 4 Secrets for Massive Growth in 2024? Join my live (FREE) Workshop on Dec 13th (3 days away). Attend Live & Get My "Overcoming The 4 Biggest Barriers To Your Success" Playbook FREE (worth $149) Spots are limited. Secure yours here: https://t.co/fQdgvx73uv