Sondra Sutton Phung’s recent appearance in a Forbes segment—where she tells her younger self “you have the ability to compete”—is the kind of straight talk that ought to be celebrated in America again. As General Manager for Global Truck at Ford, she didn’t get there by whining about barriers; she climbed by delivering results and mentoring others along the way. That combination of accountability and leadership is exactly what our economy needs more of, not less.
Her message of upskilling, mentoring and leaning on a hard-earned education rings true coming from a first-generation college graduate and HBCU alumna who spent decades at Ford building real products, not just platitudes. Sutton Phung has been visible in company programs that recruit and uplift talent, and she’s repeatedly urged people to own their development instead of waiting for corporate clemency. That kind of personal responsibility should be the centerpiece of any discussion about workplace opportunity.
None of that means we should worship corporate diversity slogans as substitutes for merit. Ford’s outreach to HBCUs and its Ford First Gen efforts can be useful tools when they actually expand opportunity, but conservatives are right to push back when public policy or business culture elevates identity over competence. The goal should be universal access to education and training that lets capable Americans—regardless of background—compete and win in the marketplace.
Sutton Phung’s leadership also produces tangible, heavy-duty results: she’s the public face behind Ford’s global truck initiatives, including new work-ready models like the Ranger Super Duty that are built for real jobs and real Americans. That focus on product, productivity and customers—not woke performance metrics—is how companies earn their place in our towns and on our roads. Conservatives should applaud business leaders who prioritize American workers and the blue-collar backbone of our economy.
If there’s a takeaway for hardworking Americans it’s simple: emulate the virtues she names—learn constantly, find advocates, deliver results—and demand that leaders reward achievement, not checkbox compliance. We can support programs that expand opportunity without surrendering to a culture that prizes identity labels over excellence. Let’s return to a national conversation that prizes competition, resilience, and the American promise that if you work and compete, you will succeed.
