The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-24

per Alliance, OF which The Age-Herald
is the only Alabama member. Also pro
tected by copyright in other countries
of the world. All rights reserved.)
CHAPTER vi
Mental Traits and characteristics
A e,oss section of the mind of
Henry Ford would reveal some
striking contrasts. There are in him
mental attitudes which mark him as
a genius, and there e~points below
mental sea level. complex mind
of strength and weakness, of wis
dom and foolishness-a mind the
shadows in which are the more
pronounced because of the profound
depths which lie between.
Mr.. Ford has limitations which
stand out the more conspicuously be-
cause of the far reaches of his mind
in other directions. He has alto
gether most unusual mind--in some
respects the most remarkable mind
/ have ever known. Call 1t insight,
intuition, vision, or what you please.
he has supernormal perceptive fac
ulty along certain lines in business
affairs.
His mind does not move in logical
grooves. 1t does not walk, 1t leaps.
1t is not a trained mind. 1t does
not know how to think consecutively,
and | doubt If it would do so IL It
could. Ii can not endure the pace
and bear the burden of logic, and it
can not listen long to the man who
is reaching conclusions through ra-
tional processes. ! have known him
frequently to cut in and give a man
a decision before he has had time to
state his case. and som etimes the
decision has had nothing whatever
to do with the case. Under such
circumstances there was no use try
ing to get the real problem before
him. A later opportunity must be
waited for.
He does not reason to conclusions.
He jumps al them. A bad thing. un-
less the jump. in his case. is as
a rule more unerring than the slow
reasoned crawl of other minds. He
has told me that he learned early In
life ito grab the first hunch." His
first impulses, SO he insists, are as
rule to be relied upon. He main
tains that IL he stops to reason about
them. to discuss them, to seek adj
vice regarding them, he finds them
trimmed, pared and filed down until
they fit into the conventional ruts
and there is nothing left that Is
really worth doing.
Opposition Annoyn Him
1onCCIUluE indltdiS III StH6fdl he
seems to enjoy a discussion, but con-
corning matters pertaining to his
own business on which his mind Is
made up--and it generally is-he
seems annoyed by opposing opinion.
Get out and send me an optimst,"
he once said to an executive who
was venturing to question the wis
dom of some policy decided upon. Il
want to talk to an optimist." And
that gives you another definition of
an optimistic is the man who
agrees with you.
He has the courage OF his convic-
lions, and | have never known him
to change his mind on an important
matter. once 1t was made up. Minds
that work intuitively, ] have OBJ.
served, have a feeling of finality in
regard to their decisions-the fem
mime mind on occasions, for example
1t is so because 1t Is so. And
there is an end to the matter. This
in my opinion is the chief reason for
the high rate of mortality among
Ford executives. AS you know, the
rate is high. The Ford executive
had added to those two certainties in
life--taxes and death--a third. that
is discharge. OF the man climbing
up in the Ford organization II may
be said that he hath but a short
time to live and is full of misery. He
cometh. up and is cut down like 4
flower. He never continueth long on
the job. A judge of national repute
once said to me, Il have great ad-
miration for Henry Ford, but there
is one thing about him that regret
and can't understand, and that is
his inability to keep his executives
am old time friends about him." The
answer is, it is not a matter of in
ability. but disability. He can't help
it. He is built that way.
For Judgment and Advice
1t is my impression that in BUSH
ness organizations men are hired as
executives and paid among other
things for their judgment and adj
vice. Tho greatest possible liberty
of thought and action is given an
executive in tho Ford Motor COM
pany that can be given in a com
pany that is one man affair and
is controlled by single track mind.
Mr.. Ford's fayorite executive seems
to be the man who does not think.
either from choice or lack of ability.
and does what he is told to do re-
CARELESS of consequences. In addi-
ton to this, so I have been told by
those who enjoy his special favor.
one must maintain an attitud.
toward the employees that makes
them fear and hate you. Il am the
most fortunate man in this organ
ization, because everyone despises
me- Is the way one of them put ii
to me. The theory seems to be that
because the employees dislike you,
you must be whale of an execu-
tive. 1t is not every man that is so
constituted that he cares to pay the
price asked for a position of this
kind NH eat
pleasure in running a business of
their own in way that wins re-
spect and enables them to enjoy
few friendships.
A college trained man is not
Handicapped in the Ford Motor COM
rany on that account. provided ne
does not place too much emphasis on
the fact. Mr.. Ford has his own
theory OF education. have never
heard him express any regret over
bis own limited opportunities.
1t is possible that an unframed
man, in attempting that which a
trained and cautious man would not,
may stumble upon things, make dis
coveries, the trained man would not
be likely TO make. The fools wno
rush In where angels fear to tread
are at least in possession of some
experience, IL not some facts. en-
tirely unknown to the angels.
Knowledge OF Limitations
A man may be a very ignorant man
II ON the college students point OF
view. and still be very wise man.
1t Is not that a man is ignorant Of
the things that are taught in the
schools that counts against him, but
rather being ignorant of these things
he sometimes suffers on account of
his lack of knowledge ,of his own
limitations. If Henry Ford knew his
limitations he undoubtedly would not
have attempted some things which