We Don’t Need Experts; We Need Possibilities

None of our men are ‘experts.’ We have most unfortunately found it necessary to get rid of a man as soon as he thinks himself an expert-because no one ever considers himself expert if he really knows his job. A man who knows a job sees so much more to be done than he has done, that he is always pressing forward and never gives up an instant of thought to how good and how efficient he is. Thinking always ahead, thinking always of trying to do more, brings a state of mind in which nothing is impossible. The moment one gets into the ‘expert’ state of mind a great number of things become impossible.

I refuse to recognize that there are impossibilities. I cannot discover that any one knows enough about anything on this earth definitely to say what is and what is not possible.”

– Henry Ford, My Life and Work

I recently read My Life and Work by Henry Ford and almost underlined the entire book. It’s that good. Henry Ford was a genius and one of the best entrepreneurs this world has ever seen. There’s so much to learn from him and his words, but this excerpt stood out from the rest.

We don’t need experts; we need possibilities.