Was Henry Ford unadaptable or inflexible?
You’ve probably heard that Henry Ford said this about his cars: “You can have any color as long as it’s black.”
It’s used usually to show how he did not adapt well to the changing circumstances in business. Due to this many people believe that all Model T’s were black. That is not true. For your information Model T’s came only in black for 12 out of 19 model years. But in those other model years other colors like bright red, green, dark blue, maroon, brown, and gray were available. So, you can now see that Henry Ford was adaptable in his approach to life even in the early 1900’s.
In today’s fast-paced constantly changing world, adaptability is an essential skill for anyone looking to create a successful life.
This is because with a high level of adaptability, people are generally able to handle change a lot better. Which means to you that when leading your organization, your team, your family or your volunteer group adaptability can play an important part in the periods of change and turmoil. And what that really means is that you is that as a leader you are better able to handle the impact of any new challenges that come into your life.
With over 25 years of research, I’ve found that adaptability also raises your resilience level. Which means that you are less likely to have situations impact you and those that look up to you.
Would you like to know what it takes to be an adaptable person? Here are a few observations;
- Adaptable people are resourceful. This means that they will constantly be looking for ways or sources to help them in their challenges.
- Adaptable people are not blamers. In fact, they do not blame, make excuses or deny that things are the way they are because of what they’ve done.
- Adaptable people don’t claim all the glory from a job well done. They truly believe that any accomplishment is made when a group of people get together and work for its success.
- Adaptable people are willing to look at other areas or other ways to find solutions.
- Adaptable people are great learners and they do all they can to stay up to date on what is happening in and out of their industry.
- Adaptable people are not afraid to make a mistake, as they see mistakes as a way of learning and growing.
- Adaptable people know what is important to them in all aspects of their life.
If you are wondering why I wrote this article on being adaptable, it was due to an interview I had on a podcast called ‘Yakking’. One of the questions in the 30-minute interview was what research I had been doing lately. To me this question was so well placed. This is because I’ve found many people are not adapting well during this COVID pandemic. Below you will find a link, if you’d like to view the 30 minute interview.
Before I conclude, I’d like to offer this quote by George Bernard Shaw. He stated; “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.”
So, in conclusion, I’ve got a question for you;
- Do you want to be a grower or caretaker of your life?
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