About book American Icon: Alan Mulally And The Fight To Save Ford Motor Company (2012)
This is the story of Alan Mulally turnaround of Ford. Gee, this man is pretty impressive. First, he saved (or at least had a lot to do with saving) Boeing. Then, in 2006, he took the helm at Ford.The book was a nice (but not always flattering) history of Ford and, generally, an example of excellent business management. There is certainly a lot to be learned in these pages.This was Ford’s last chance! Mulally emphasized the process of management and went even further than just restructuring but rather applied his techniques to everything from corporate politics to union negotiations. (I also have to hand it to Chairman, Bill Ford … what guts to take on such BIG borrowing.)Sadly, GM and Chrysler eventually declared bankruptcy – and actually get advantages over Ford! It doesn’t seem fair.The last 1/4 of book was a detailing of Ford vs. government review. There was less management info and more stats – and I found this not that interesting. Also, there are some gearhead references in the book that I just glossed over.Nevertheless, one has to be impressed. Wow, what a turnaround effort! This book explains how of the Big Three, Ford did not go to Washington looking for a handout. Many of the needed cuts and restructuring, Ford had already started doing. This was mainly due to the hiring of Alan Mullaly as CEO. He took a fractured and infighting company and made it profitable again. He wanted the Blue Oval to mean quality and make vehicles that people wanted to buy. I realize that his plans ended up closing my family's Ford dealership, but it saved the company.
Do You like book American Icon: Alan Mulally And The Fight To Save Ford Motor Company (2012)?
A CEO who exemplifies what it means to be a great leader. This was an inspiring read!
—abdallahs
Worth a read to understand Alan Mulally process infusion in Ford.
—Iliana
A really interesting glimpse into Mulally's leadership style.
—mimi
