Grassroot Leadership - Ford Motor Co.
Ford has always attracted and nurtured capable managers and technicians, but it has failed to do the same for change agents and leaders. So, as part of the automaker's cultural overhaul, Ford is embarking on a sweeping attempt to mass-manufacture leaders. It wants to build an army of “warrior entrepreneurs” — people who have the courage and skills to topple old ideas, and who believe in change passionately enough to make it happen. Ford Motor Company announced key changes to its senior management team as it continues to strengthen its automotive business, improve the company's operational fitness, and accelerate a strategic shift to capitalize on emerging opportunities. In announcing the leadership changes, Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett said Form is “very fortunate to have an experienced and committed executive team in place to significantly strengthen their business while building towards their vision of becoming the world's most trusted mobility company. Their objective is to lead business to new levels of operational fitness, product and brand excellence and profitability”. Ford views grassroot leadership as the best vehicle for creating a successful business
When Ford's CEO emphasizes “building towards their vision of becoming the world's most trusted mobility company”, it demonstrates which leadership quality?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Visionary and inspirational leadership
Option (1) Technical competence — Incorrect. Technical competence is knowing the work well. A picture of what the company should become is not technical knowledge.
Option (2) Visionary and inspirational leadership — Correct. A vision is a picture of what the organisation wants to become, here “the world’s most trusted mobility company”. A leader who shares such a picture gives people a common aim and inspires them to work towards it.
Option (3) Directive supervision — Incorrect. Directive supervision means giving orders and checking the work day to day. Hackett is speaking of the future of the whole company.
Option (4) Transactional management — Incorrect. Transactional management runs on rewards for tasks done. It does not look to a long-term vision.
Note 1: The passage is the NCERT case study ‘Grassroot Leadership - Ford Motor Co.’, the opening case of the chapter Directing, which has been reproduced by NTA in the exam. Note 2: It seems that there is a mistake in the original NTA paper, which prints “Jim Hackett said Form is …” in the passage when it should read “Ford”. The slip is NCERT’s own: both the current NCERT book (2026-27) and the pre-rationalised NCERT print “Form”. NTA copies lines from NCERT word for word, even where the book is wrong.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Grassroot Leadership - Ford Motor Co. … Ford Motor Company announced key changes to its senior management team as it continues to strengthen its automotive business, improve the company’s operational fitness, and accelerate a strategic shift to capitalize on emerging opportunities. In announcing the leadership changes, Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett said Form is…” “…very fortunate to have an experienced and committed executive team in place to significantly strengthen their business while building towards their vision of becoming the world’s most trusted mobility company.” |