flâneur

Founders Notes: Alfred Sloan

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Billy, Alfred, and General Motors William Pelfrey Leland called Alfred Sloan himself into his private office in Detroit for one of the most severe tongue-lashings Alfred would ever experience. Of all the American automobile industry's unique and colorful characters, the one whom Alfred Sloan most admired and emulated was cold, silver-bearded Henry Martyn Leland... NOTE Sloan admired and copied Henry Leland, founder of Cadillac. Leland was a perfectionist who expected and demanded higher standards than any of his peers. He accepted no excuses and suffered no fools: a man after Alfred Sloan's own heart. Sloan devoted more words and detail to what he learned from Leland than he did any other person. Ironically, Billy's basic strategy had been one that would later carry General Motors to unparalleled success under Alfred Sloan: namely, a vertically integrated manufacturing network and a family of different brands and products that would create more volume and market leverage than the more narrowly focused competition could match. NOTE What Billy wanted to do was what Sloan successfullly did. The idea was right. The management was not. Billy Durant and Alfred Sloan (General Motors) Davi

Billy, Alfred, and General Motors William Pelfrey Leland called Alfred Sloan himself into his private office in Detroit for one of the most severe tongue-lashings Alfred would ever experience. Of all the American automobile industry's unique and colorful characters, the one whom Alfred Sloan most admired and emulated was cold, silver-bearded Henry Martyn Leland... NOTE Sloan admired and copied Henry Leland, founder of Cadillac. Leland was a perfectionist who expected and demanded higher standards than any of his peers. He accepted no excuses and suffered no fools: a man after Alfred…

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