The Need for Change
John Maxwell notes a fundamental truth: we never outgrow the need to change. The principle is illustrated in this anecdote about Henry Ford and his Model T automobile.
"On his way to dominating the automotive market with the Model T, Henry Ford embodied innovation and progress. However, the dominance of Ford Motor Company was short-lived. As competitors changed their operations to copy Ford's mass production concepts, consumers found the automotive market flooded with numerous models from which to choose. With cars rolling off assembly lines like never before, consumers began to demand a variety of colors. However, Ford stubbornly refused, uttering the famous line, 'The customer can have any color he wants so long as it's black.'"
Henry Ford revolutionized and dominated the automotive industry because he "focused on moving from inefficiency to efficiency." He championed change and innovation as he built his empire. Yet, he came to believe that he had arrived at the summit of automotive excellence and refused to change on a seemingly small detail that would have expanded his market share and increased profitability. Maxwell was right when he wrote, "Ford's genius in sparking change had catapulted him to the pinnacle of American commerce, but later, his inability to change cost him dearly."
Tell them this, God's Message: "Do people fall down and not get up? Or take the wrong road and then just keep going? So why does this people go backward, and just keep on going—backward! They stubbornly hold on to their illusions, refuse to change direction." Jeremiah 8:4-5 (The Message)
"On his way to dominating the automotive market with the Model T, Henry Ford embodied innovation and progress. However, the dominance of Ford Motor Company was short-lived. As competitors changed their operations to copy Ford's mass production concepts, consumers found the automotive market flooded with numerous models from which to choose. With cars rolling off assembly lines like never before, consumers began to demand a variety of colors. However, Ford stubbornly refused, uttering the famous line, 'The customer can have any color he wants so long as it's black.'"
Henry Ford revolutionized and dominated the automotive industry because he "focused on moving from inefficiency to efficiency." He championed change and innovation as he built his empire. Yet, he came to believe that he had arrived at the summit of automotive excellence and refused to change on a seemingly small detail that would have expanded his market share and increased profitability. Maxwell was right when he wrote, "Ford's genius in sparking change had catapulted him to the pinnacle of American commerce, but later, his inability to change cost him dearly."
Tell them this, God's Message: "Do people fall down and not get up? Or take the wrong road and then just keep going? So why does this people go backward, and just keep on going—backward! They stubbornly hold on to their illusions, refuse to change direction." Jeremiah 8:4-5 (The Message)
