The 10 rules of Alan Mulally

American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce G. Hoffman is an amazing book. The New York Times said about it:

A compelling narrative that reads more like a thriller than a business book.

I could not have said it better! I posted a while back a quote from the book which gives an idea of the toxic starting point:

Ford’s executives no longer spent their days plotting one another’s demise or defending their turf. Instead, they spent their time working together to ensure the company’s continued success. They offered one another help and sought help when they needed it themselves

In his first days with the company, Mulally designed a plan and stick to it for the next years. He also defined ten rules and called the attention of all his executives to the rules. The rules where displayed on the wall of their main meeting room:

• People first
• Everyone is included
• Compelling vision
• Clear performance goals
• One plan
• Facts and data
• Propose a plan, “find-a-way” attitude
• Respect, listen, help, and appreciate each other
• Have fun… enjoy the journey and each other

I strongly believe that a lot of those rules could be applied in a lot of companies.