Henry Ford

Competition whose motive is merely to compete, to drive some other fellow out, never carries very far.

People are never so likely to be wrong as when they are organized. And they never have so little freedom. Perhaps that is why the people at large keep their freedom. People can be manipulated only when they are organized.

Experience is the harvest of life, and every harvest is the result of a sowing. The experience which young people must crave is that of success in some service for which they are naturally fitted.

The basically simple things are best, whether it’s automobiles or diets or philosophy.

Many people are busy trying to find better ways of doing things that should not have to be done at all. There is no progress in merely finding a better way to do a useless thing.

When you once get an idea in which you believe with all your heart, work it out.

I quickly figured out [that] the one ability I’d better have is to create relationships.

Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.

See what a 25-cent raise will do to us, said Mr. Ford. So they figured the daily and monthly cost of a 25-cent increase. Put on another quarter and see what that will cost, he said. And so they went on, 25 cents a step. Finally the wage of $2.34 stood at $4.75–more than 100 percent increase. One of the associates–a good financial head–remarked rather sarcastically that if they were going to be fools, why not be first-class fools and make it $5. All right, said Mr. Ford, let’s make it $5.

Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it. Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine.

First and foremost, I’m a real estate person. And that’s what I love the most.

Entrepreneurs are always taking feedback, especially from their customers, bankers, workers, and sales force. Without straightforward feedback, entrepreneurs cannot make sound decisions.

On Beverly Hills we paid too much. One hundred per cent, we did over-pay. We didn’t do our research properly.

If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.

I always look at it that I work with my employees as opposed to them working for me.

Some people have so much respect for their superiors they have none left for themselves.

Our modern industrialism, changed to motives of public service, will provide means to remove every injustice that gives soil for prejudice.

Competition is the keen cutting edge of business, always shaving away at costs.

[‘Why don’t you manage me’ – Laura Nyro] Eventually I thought do I really believe that she could be one of the biggest stars in the world? Should I give up my career at this point in my life, where I’m doing so well, and put all my marbles in Laura’s [Nyro] basket? And I woke up one morning and I thought if you really believe it – go for it.

America is not a land of money but of wealth-not a land of rich people, but of successful workers.

You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader.