May 28, 2024

I hope you had a good Memorial Day weekend!

In June 1944, just a few days after the D-Day landing, the mission was to liberate the town of Carentan and consolidate Utah Beach and Omaha Beach. The German forces were attempting to hold the town long enough to allow reinforcements to come up from the south and prevent the consolidation of these key beachheads.

One of the key figures in what became a decisive victory for the Allies was Dick Winters. You may know him from the series Band of Brothers. It's the greatest television series ever made, and if you haven't watched it, now is a great time to get started. It's a masterclass on leadership (both good and bad...thanks, Cpt. Sobel).?

Winters was one of the greatest leaders in military history—an arena that has produced many great leaders. He treated the soldiers under his command well, and if needed, he went first. He was the example. Bravery, it seems, is contagious.

Winters called for a bayonet charge at the Battle of Carentan, and he went first. He later said of his leadership philosophy, "I'm always in front, and never ask my men to do what I wouldn't do."

It's quite a stretch to suggest that the things we do leading our teams are anywhere near the life-and-death reality of war. Comparing the two is comical, but the message is a strong one.

It often seems as though leaders feel like they have a "Get Out of Jail Free" card. Do as I say, not as I do. They show up late, cancel meetings, and leave early, all under the guise of "If you only knew the stuff I have to worry about. I'm so busy." It's okay to expect the best from others, but cut me some slack when it comes to me.

People hear what you say, but they watch what you do.

Dick Winters is a case study in Army leadership. My son-in-law, who served in the same 101st Airborne Division of the Army, says young officers study his leadership style as they prepare to lead their men and women.?

I read a quote that sums up Winters' humility. When his grandson asked him late in life if he was a hero in the war, Winters said, "No, but I served in a company of heroes."

The number one character trait of leaders is selflessness. Winters had it in spades. This weekend, I hope you'll have some time to reflect on the men and women who died so that we could live in the greatest country on the globe. I hear many complaints about America these days, but we hit the lottery being born (or moving) here.?

The stakes are high in the armed forces. Leaders must be of high moral character, smart, strategic, and, like Winters, selfless.

It's a picture of leadership—and character—that is worth reflecting on.

Where do you need to go first??

The Huddle is a weekly newsletter that is designed for leaders. Leaders must be learners. There is never a moment when leaders arrive. It's a never-ending growth process. I hope this can be a resource that you can use to stay sharp and share with your team.

With that, here are some things I ran across this week.?

Summer Reads from Bill Gates - Like most great leaders, Bill Gates is known to be a voracious leader and learner. Here are some books that he recommends for summertime reading . I haven't read any of them yet, but I'd like to dive into Sal Kahn's on AI and education and David Brooks'?How to Know a Person.?I've read a couple of Brooks' previous books, and they are worth the time investment. He's a sharp writer.?

You can get started after you finish Band of Brothers. ??

Poetic Justice—Last weekend, my son graduated with a Master's Degree from The College of William & Mary. As a big fan of graduations and commencement speakers, to say I was excited was an understatement. Though I've never done it, I'd be all in for watching someone else's kid graduate! I love the energy, pride, and hopefulness of these commencement ceremonies.?

The speaker for the occasion was incredible. Judge John C. Thomas was the first African-American federal judge in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He was a rousing speaker and had a tremendous message.?

After the fact, I researched him and ran across this article. It's inspiring and a reminder that seeds of greatness are borne through setbacks and suffering. Give it a read.?

He's Been Saying It Forever -? Many of you are undoubtedly?familiar with Sam Altman. If not, he's the co-founder of OpenAI and ChatGPT. To say that his product is changing the world would perhaps be an understatement.?

I like his list of success principles . Nothing is surprising about it; it's a pretty typical "how to be successful" list of mantras. I do like (of course!) his "Be good at sales." I promise you—everything is sales.

I have the pleasure of working with engineers, owners, founders, attorneys, smart IT professionals, and others, and they will tell you that learning to be good at sales has been a very important part of their journey.?

Somehow, we think that if we build a better mousetrap, the world will knock on our door and buy it. They don't. I like what Altman says. To paraphrase, you must have nearly delusional self-belief in what you do—but you must also transfer that belief to others. Many can't because they don't have the learned skills.?

The thing I like most is that Altman wrote this five years ago. Before anyone outside of Silicon Valley knew who he was.?

Speaking of Sales -?I'm excited about offering our first mini-series on Prospecting. It will take place over four consecutive weeks in July, and I'll share what I've learned from working with clients over the past decade.?

Most organizations—big or small—are doing one of two things when it comes to finding new business. First, they are reactive. They rely on prospects finding them. They may do a little networking and respond to marketing leads, sure. But they do very little proactive work to get in front of people who may be great clients. Second, if they are fortunate enough to have a sales team where prospecting is a part of their culture, they are relying on old, outdated techniques and struggle to differentiate themselves on anything but price. That's a bad way to build a company.?

I'm going to give participants the best information I have on prospecting. You can visit this page to learn mor e , and if you respond and mention "The Huddle," I'll give you an extra incentive to attend.

A quote to leave you with?

Have a great week!