President of the Nashville office of Dalton Agency, Jeff is a former journalist with 30+ years of experience as a PR professional.
I recently read about Winston Churchill’s first year as British prime minister in The Splendid and The Vile by Erik Larson. It is one of those rare page-turners—as well-written biographies of well-lived lives tend to be—that also imparts something of value.
Because Churchill’s first year as leader of the British people coincided with the start of World War II and was dominated by the Blitz—Germany’s unrelenting eight months and five days of bombing Britain’s major cities—it was fated to be one of the worst or the best initial years in political office in the history of the world.
Churchill could have easily pleaded that accomplishing anything of value in his first year was impossible, given the global crisis in which Britain found itself in the middle. The other option was to be energized by the impossibility of the challenge and thereby accomplish historic things that could not be achieved during “typical” times, which, of course, is what he did.
The way Churchill succeeded during his first year in office offers several valuable lessons for business leaders:
1. Empathy matters.
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Churchill openly wept often—when moved by a gesture of kindness, declaring his love of England or visiting bombed-out cities—and went out of his way to share with his fellow Brits his admiration and love for them.
Almost every time he opened his mouth, even if it was to report some new atrocity, he communicated two things: 1) That he cared deeply for the British people and 2) how proud he was of the “British character” they displayed in the face of unimaginable destruction. He did not bemoan their victimhood but celebrated their refusal to be victims—and they acted like the great people Churchill told them they were.
Lesson: Make sure employees know how proud you are to work with them. Honor their character, not just their work, and they will rise to your expectations.
2. Actions speak louder than words.
Churchill did not just talk a good game, he lived it, regularly jumping in the car to visit recently bombed neighborhoods and cities, witnessing the horror firsthand with everyone, consoling and encouraging the survivors. He was mobbed by well-wishers wherever he went, even though these visits were never announced, and he never deliberately drew attention to himself. People would shout blessings to “Winnie” when they saw him walking by because of what he stood for, which was the dignity he was giving them by being there.
Lesson: Get in the trenches with people but not down in the gutter with them. Show by example how to uphold dignity and grace regardless of the circumstances.
3. Be yourself (and don’t take yourself too seriously).
The “siren suit” may be the best illustration of Churchill’s honest self-confidence, which manifests itself in fearlessness about looking foolish or acting in any way not natural or comfortable. The siren suit—so called because it was thrown on when the air raid sirens blared and you dove for shelter—was what we know today as a jumpsuit or onesie, a one-piece outfit covering you from ankles to neck.
In other words, an outfit in which it was impossible not to look silly, especially with Churchill’s rotund physique. This was his everyday wear during most of his first year in office. Even more ridiculous, his favorite among the many he owned was sky blue. Churchill so loved the siren suit that he gave one to King George (also sky blue) for Christmas.
Lesson: Never submit to the lure of pomposity. You are much more likely to be taken seriously if you don’t take yourself too seriously.
4. Don’t be afraid to put unpopular people in positions of power.
If you value competency above the happiness of less competent people in your organization, you’ll make people unhappy as you get a lot done. And that’s OK, especially during difficult times.
Max Aitken, aka 1st Baron Beaverbrook, a British newspaper publisher who made his first million by the time he was 30 years old, was a take-no-prisoners, get-it-done kind of guy. Churchill put Beaverbrook in charge of Britain’s military aircraft industry when the country’s air force was all that was protecting it from total devastation by German bombers.
Beaverbrook increased the production of Britain’s warplanes to two-and-a-half times that of Germany’s rate of production. He also deeply and permanently angered every British bureaucrat he dealt with. And that was OK because it allowed England to survive until Churchill could convince Franklin Roosevelt to get the United States in the war.
Lesson: Everything runs smoother when people are happy, but it’s easy to smoothly go out of business. Be willing to shake things up to get results.
5. Focus on impressing people who can help you the most.
Churchill knew Britain was doomed unless the U.S. entered the war. The German war machine was simply too powerful for England to resist forever. Therefore, a secondary motive for many of Churchill’s actions was to impress upon FDR that Britain could prevail with the right partner—because no one wants to back a loser.
Churchill made sure Roosevelt knew about the British people’s indomitable spirit in the face of constant bombing. He also made the case that helping Britain was in the United States’ best interest because the U.S. was next if Britain fell. This two-point message—1) we’re strong and can win with your help and 2) you’ll suffer if we fail—successfully convinced Roosevelt (and eventually Congress) to provide war material to Britain and, finally, after Pearl Harbor, to enter the war on Britain’s side.
Lesson: There are often a few people who can dramatically affect the success or failure of your venture. Make sure they know how your success helps them.
As blogger Joseph Mattera noted, Churchill acted with courage, while his predecessor, Neville Chamberlain, acted in compromise. Churchill confronted reality, and Chamberlain denied it. Churchill motivated greatness, Chamberlain sowed discouragement. Business leaders will be wise to be more like Churchill and less like Chamberlain.
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Author: Jeff Bradford, Forbes Councils Member