Ford Tough: Bill Ford and the Battle to Rebuild America's Automaker Book

From FORD TOUGH The accident is serious. There are injuries, maybe deaths. The site is unstable. We are in contact with authorities. Bill Ford Jr. drove to World Headquarters and was met in his 12th floor office by Vella and by Neil Golightly, who was in his first weeks as director of the chairman's office, with duties that were part public affairs and part executive assistant for Ford. Golightly remembers Ford being visibly concerned and distraught when he walked into the office and sat down for updated information on the accident. Details were still sketchy. "Do you think I should go?" Ford asked. Golightly was barely three weeks into his job and still getting to know and understand the man he worked for. The company's CEO was out of the country. Its head of public affairs was out of town. The chairman bore the company name and the Rouge was an unstable accident scene at a volatile, 78-year-old powerhouse with boilers fed by natural gas. Golightly followed his first gut reaction and advised Ford not to go. "That's ridiculous," Ford said. "I've got to go." "Generals don't go to the front lines," another company adviser told the chairman. "Bust me down to private then," Ford responded, "because I'm out of here."Read More