Henry Ford is well known for his influence on the auto industry in particular, but also the way manufacturing is done in general. His assembly lines made it possible to put a “car in every driveway” at an affordable price. He is not the topic of this post, however.

Ford Motor Company’s market share went from a high of 50-60% in the early 1920’s down to 20% by World War II. Meanwhile, GM’s market share jumped from 12% all the way to 50%. It was the leadership of a rival executive (and Ford’s disdain for the management practices this rival instituted) that allowed GM to make such gains. This entry is about that rival executive, Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. (namesake of the MIT Sloan School of Management), and the incredible way he managed complexity while leading GM to incredible heights. (And no, the irony of writing about auto execs as great leaders and GM as a dominant company in particular is not at all lost on me.) (Click to read more).
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This post looks at the differences between leadership and management by focusing on Abraham Lincoln, who in my opinion is the greatest American president, and Edwin M. Stanton, Lincoln’s Secretary of War for most of the Civil War. By no means do I wish to say that Lincoln was only a leader and Stanton only a manager. They each exhibited great skills in both domains. However, their working relationship shows how visionary leadership and strategic management can work together to make incredible things happen. (Click to read more). Read more >

From listening to brains, from change to appreciation, find out what has piqued my interest by clicking through. Read more >

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