I came across this little spot today, and thought about the thread Charlie started a month or so back where Bill Ford refused to accept his salary until Ford was profitable and meeting the goals of the BOD. Charlie invited Lutz to step up to the plate.

Check this out...
Ford CEO makes surprise plant visit
"The move seemed to be an immediate morale booster, said Tim Phillips of Dearborn Heights, a 36-year Ford employee. "I was so pumped it was not even funny," he said. "He is such a cool guy. He was all by himself."

I ran into 3 guys at the car show this weekend that knew all about Ford passing up his salary for the last 4 years too, and we commented on just this sort of behavior.

Whether it is making a difference or not, I applaud the guy for not playing to the stereotype CEO. I think he really is passionate about what he is doing, and he cares for the workers as well as the product.

So what do you guys think? Would this attitude work to help morale for US Air? Tyco International? GM? Others?
Would it matter to you if your CEO acted this way, or would you brush it off as playing the media?

 

I give Mr. Ford a LOT of credit for doing that... but it's not the exact same situation with Mr. Lutz, I would think...

Mr. Ford has a vested family interest in the company... so that changes things a bit.



Taking that OUT of the equation.... ya, I think it would help the moral of any company.

 

Exactly what was just said, Mr. Ford makes money as long as the company exists. Lutz does the same thing, and he wouldn't get any cash. Not really a fair comparison of the two. I think that is awesome he visited the plant. However...

..The CEO for some airline, Herb something, used to do wacky crap like arm wrestling some guy for a trademark. I forgot what airline it was, but people always credited him for making things more efficient. In reality it was his second in command, this lady who's name also escapes me, who really did most of the work.

It really is hard to know what is going on when you are an outsider looking in.

 

Actually, I'm okay with Bob collecting a salary. My thread was about Rick stepping up.

 

OK - my bad. I was going by old recollections (which fail me more every day I think!)

 

The problem with UScaire and GM both, is not that their execs are acting poorly, (Although I have a huge amount of respect for Bill Ford.) its that there are too damn many OF them.

 

As far as his name being on the sign, and him making money as long as the company is around...
I understand your point, but it helps to make his point as well.
He doesn't HAVE to care.
He doesn't HAVE to do these things.

Maybe the point is that CEO's SHOULD take a personal interest in the company they run - something other than a monetary interest anyways.
If they don't have the best interest of the company and it's employees at heart, do you really want them running it? I see that as #1 problem in big companies today myself - they come in for a few years of big bonuses, then grab it all and run, leaving someone else to clean up the aftermath.
Jaques Nasser? Zarella? Kozlowski? Ken Lay? And 800 others...