American Icon

Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company

De: Bryce G. Hoffman

Narrado por: Pete Larkin

At the end of 2008, Ford Motor Company was just months away from running out of cash. With the auto industry careening toward ruin, Congress offered all three Detroit automakers a bailout. General Motors and Chrysler grabbed the taxpayer lifeline, but Ford decided to save itself. Under the leadership of charismatic CEO Alan Mulally, Ford had already put together a bold plan to unify its divided global operations, transform its lackluster product lineup, and overcome a dys­functional culture of infighting, backstabbing, and excuses. It was an extraordinary risk, but it was the only way the Ford family - America's last great industrial dynasty - could hold on to their company.

Mulally and his team pulled off one of the great­est comebacks in business history. As the rest of Detroit collapsed, Ford went from the brink of bankruptcy to being the most profitable automaker in the world. American Icon is the compelling, behind-the-scenes account of that epic turnaround. On the verge of collapse, Ford went outside the auto industry and recruited Mulally - the man who had already saved Boeing from the deathblow of 9/11 - to lead a sweeping restructuring of a company that had been unable to overcome decades of mismanagement and denial.

Mulally applied the principles he developed at Boeing to streamline Ford's inefficient operations, force its fractious executives to work together as a team, and spark a product renaissance in Dearborn. He also convinced the United Auto Workers to join his fight for the soul of American manufacturing.

Bryce Hoffman reveals the untold story of the covert meetings with UAW leaders that led to a game-changing contract, Bill Ford's battle to hold the Ford family together when many were ready to cash in their stock and write off the company, and the secret alliance with Toyota and Honda that helped prop up the Amer­ican automotive supply base. In one of the great management narratives of our time, Hoffman puts the reader inside the boardroom as Mulally uses his celebrated Business Plan Review meet­ings to drive change and force Ford to deal with the painful realities of the American auto industry.

Hoffman was granted unprecedented access to Ford's top executives and top-secret company documents. He spent countless hours with Alan Mulally, Bill Ford, the Ford family, former executives, labor leaders, and company directors. In the best-selling tradition of Too Big to Fail and The Big Short, American Icon is narrative nonfiction at its vivid and colorful best.

©2012 Bryce G. Hoffman (P)2012 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"For those interested in the recent political interventions and maneuvers in the auto industry, this book provides a fly-on-the-wall view of the meetings and behind-the-scenes deal making necessary to revive an ailing giant." ( Library Journal)

Great story about an awesome company

Detailed account of how Ford Motor Company survived and thrived. Great story about a great leader.

Amazing and inspiring turn-around story

This gripping story provides excellent lessons on leadership, teamwork, and execution. The turnaround of Ford during one America's greatest economic crises is a fitting backdrop for this corporate drama.

Lightning in a Mulally

This book provides great insight into the journey that brought Ford back to its prominence. The information throughout was captivating, honest and transparent. It solidifies the concepts of teamwork, communication, direction, dedication and knowing your audience. A great lesson for companies struggling in the current economy. How do you reinvent yourselves while still being true to your core values? I highly recommend this book.

Intriguing story

It describes the way Ford fixed it's broken system of organizing to a system that works. And I enjoyed the story in such a way that I'm wondering why I don't own a Ford. It's an inspiring book to read and I'm going to check if there are more books about Mulally's way of organizing.

Fantastic book!

Alan Mulaly inspires positive, focused teamwork. This book shows how a inspirational leader with a fantastic plan with the right people behind them can do almost anything that they set their mind to do.

Thought I was getting an-edge-of-your seat ..

...true life corporate thriller in the tradition of “Barbarians at the Gate: The Takeover of RJR Nabisco“. Not so. And yet,despite his all too evident man crush on Mulally, the author did manage to thoroughly seize my interest with a well researched inside scoop of a company so prominent in our history and daily life. Further, (everyone likes a hero) he reveals what a Man on Horseback (Mustang?) can do when he is both determined and visionary. American Icon does not provide a pedal to the floor surge of excitement , but rather a smooth and steady acceleration that finally results in a very pleasant Sunday drive across the corporate American landscape.

Great story of a business who won!

American Icon is a great story of Ford's navigation through financial crisis. While it is certainly a "rah-rah" piece for Alan Mullaly, Bryce Hoffman goes into great detail of each person and each step along the way of leading Ford out of the financial crisis and into prosperity. Hoffman was able to give the play by play without droning or being boring or going to much into particular products and processes only relevant to engineers or those in the auto or manufacturing industry. Very well done!

A great story about an Amazing leader!

Allan was committed to doing the right thing, even when it came at a personal cost. So sad that we lost him at Boeing. A truely inspiring story.

Great come back story!

Alan's use of BPRs is a tool for any leader to follow. Great story. And great team building.

Great inspiration

I learned a lot from this book
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful history