Leadership at the point of a Bayonet
I had the honor of meeting Major Dick Winters in the spring of 1985 training with the 10th Mountain Division down at Fort Indiantowngap Pennsylvania. This was long before he became famous from the book and HBO Series Band of Brothers . Even though he was long since retired from active duty he used to come over to the base from his home in nearby Hershey PA and spend time with the troops talking about the 10st Airborne's exploits across Europe in WWII. The highlight of his speech was what he called "Leadership at the point of a Bayonet" I found these leadership values extraordinary and have tried to live my life by these 10 principals ever since.
- Strive to be a leader of character, competence, and courage.
- Lead from the front. Say, “Follow me!” and then lead the way
- Stay in top physical shape - physical stamina is the root of mental toughness.
- Develop your team. If you know your people, are fair in setting realistic goals and expectations, and lead by example, you will develop teamwork.
- Delegate responsibility to your subordinates and let them do their job. You can’t do a good job if you don’t have a chance to use your imagination and creativity.
- Anticipate problems and prepare to overcome obstacles. Don’t wait until you get to the top of the ridge and then make up your mind.
- Remain humble. Don’t worry about who receives the credit. Never let power or authority go to your head.
- Take a moment of self-reflection. Look at yourself in the mirror every night and ask yourself if you did your best.
- True satisfaction comes from getting the job done. They key to a successful leader is to earn respect - not because of rank or position, but because you are a leader of character.
- Hang Tough! - Never, ever, give up.
Major Winters passed away 5 years ago this month and I have always considered myself to be very fortunate to have spent a day with such an extraordinary man of which we may never see the likes of again. He was one of the greatest from the greatest generation. I hope you find these 10 principals for success as insightful as I have throughout my career.
Project Manager - Contracts Manager - Business Development Manager
6yA bit late to the commentary, I fear, but I've just stumbled across this article. I'm fortunate in that I can achieve 9 out of the 10 principles, but I really struggle with number 5 as I tend to act as support to my team more than delegating the orders. But then again, I work with some terrific people, and it's a privilege to work alongside them. I'm a bit concerned about how most people in today's business world seem to be addicted to following so-called "gurus" and their apparent words of wisdom. If that works for them, then fantastic, but there comes a point where you need to be what you SHOULD be and not what you're programmed to be. Is initiative in danger of extinction?
EMT
8yGreat stuff, Joe. Thanks for sharing.
Started Electronic Manufacturers Sales in 1982, now retired, DO NOT ASK TO BE ADDED TO MY NETWORK IF WE HAVE NOT MET.
8yAlthough retired, just shy of 70, I agree with Major Winters and glad you are putting his thoughts forward. I worry that the up coming generations don't have the same grounding as you and my generation have. Were will they lead the country?