Leadership DNA: The Ford motor story

Ford Motor Company recognizes that to obtain great status in the 21(st) cen tury requires a new mindset-one focused on connecting not only with custome rs, but also with stakeholders. Ford's Leadership Development Center has as its mission to accelerate transformation to a consumer- and shareholder-dr iven business, to accelerate the identification and development of leadersh ip talent, and to drive the company's mission, vision, and values deep into its culture. To achieve that mission, Ford has developed a leadership prog ram centered on these core principles: Adopt a transformational mindset. Use action learning. Leverage the power of e-tools. Integrate work and life. Generate business impact. The program consists of four core and five strategic change initiatives. Th e core programs play a significant part in identifying, selecting, and deve loping the next generation of leaders. The programs include New Business Le ader, Leadership for the New Economy, and Experienced Leader Challenge. The five change initiative programs cut across verticle and horizontal boun daries with courses such as New Leader Impact and Global Leadership Forum. The programs promote Ford's core principles by challenging participants to think of alternative possibilities (stretching their capacity to think, inn ovate, evaluate choices, and support business objectives); to use e-tools f or virtual collaboration; to integrate work and life for "total leadership" using new technologies, specifically e-tools; and to influence the busines s financially and organizationally. Guidelines on creating a leadership development program are included.