Last week, we wrote about Noah Webster as part of our Lessons in Leadership series. This week, we fast forward half a century to Henry Ford.

Henry Ford (1863 – 1947) was the founder of the Ford Motor Company. He is perhaps best known for his invention of the Model T and his development of modern assembly lines used in mass production.

Some of Ford’s business practices garnered a great deal of criticism at the time—and a few still do today—but there’s no denying the legacy he’s left or that he had an innate ability to lead others, and for that reason we turn to him for some Lessons in Leadership.

Lesson 1: Treat Others Fairly
Henry Ford believed in treating his employees fairly. Now, having a boss promise you $5 pay per workday may not seem too fair to a person living in 2010, but in 1914, that was an enormous improvement over what other industries—even other automobile manufacturers—were paying. Henry Ford instituted a $5 daily minimum wage for qualifying employees, and later introduced the 40-hour work week.

Ford did these things because he knew offering higher wages would entice qualified people to apply to work for him, and that it would mean less turnover within his company. Other businessmen scoffed at his ideas, but in the end, Ford was proven right (source).

Lesson 2: Perseverance is Essential for Success
Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t—you are right” (source). He believed—like so many other leaders throughout history—that deciding to pursue something and persevere in the face of adversity was essential for success.

When it came to overcoming obstacles, he said, “Nothing is particularly hard, as long as you divide it into small jobs.” Ford understood that anything is possible as long as you don’t back down and take it one step at a time. It was a principle he proved repeatedly throughout his career.

Lesson 3: Mistakes are There to Teach Us
Ford certainly was not without fault. He made mistakes—both in business and in his personal life. However, he was not afraid to face them and learn from them.

Ford once said that “failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.” Mistakes are simply an opportunity for us to learn.

Conclusion
As with Noah Webster, there are many more lessons in leadership we could take away from Henry Ford—both in his successes and his shortcomings—like his willingness to go against the tide, or his inability to adapt the design of his later vehicles to the changing markets of the 1920s—something that many believe cost Ford a great deal of money.

Henry Ford’s life has many lessons to teach us, but I believe that at the core we can take away these three: That good leaders treat others fairly, that they persevere in the face of adversity, and that they learn from their mistakes.