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FORD: NEW YORK TIMES PROFILE by Adam Bryant

CEO of Ford ()

https://www.nycp.com/gallery/BAdamBryant10_10_2012.jpg

The New York Times

New York Times

FORD: NEW YORK TIMES PROFILE by Adam Bryant

Alan R. Mulally:

“I was an engineer at Boeing, and I was promoted to supervise other engineers. I had my thoughts about what that supervisory job should be. The engineer assigned to me would prepare his work, and I had to approve it. So I thought that it was really important that it reflect my standards of quality. And 14 drafts later, he walked in and he quit. I said, ‘Why are you quitting?’ He said, ‘Well, I think you’re a great engineer and I think you’ll be a good supervisor someday, but right now, this is just too much for me to be supervised this tightly. . . ’

I really thought about why it happened. I realized very early that what I was really being asked to do was to help connect a set of talented people to a bigger goal, a bigger program and help them move forward to even bigger contributions. That was a different role than what was expected of me as an engineer. That experience stayed with me forever on what it really means to manage and lead. . . .

One of my favorite stories is an analogy where this reporter stops by a construction site and he interviews three bricklayers. He asks the first bricklayer, ‘What are you doing?’ And he says, ‘Well, I’m making a living laying these bricks.” The reporter says: “Oh, that’s great. That’s very noble.‘

He asks the next bricklayer, ‘What are you doing?’ And he says, ‘Well, I am practicing the profession of bricklaying. I’m going to be the best bricklayer ever.’

And the reporter asks the third bricklayer, ‘What are you doing?’ And he says, ‘I’m developing a cathedral.’

There is technical excellence and professionalism, but we all want to contribute to making a cathedral. And the more we feel that and we know what our part in it is, the more I think you can take the team performance to a whole other level of excellence.”

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