Mike T. Henderson

As part of my goal to read one book per month, for the month of February, I recently finished reading Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters, by Dick Winters and Cole C. Kingseed. Winters served as a commanding officer in Company "E" during World War II, and as the title of the book suggests, was depicted in the HBO series, Band of Brothers.

As I mentioned in my previous post: Winters was the type of leader that led by example, from the front, through high character and by way of countless hours of study and preparation.

Along with Winters' many incredible accounts from Easy Company's campaign across Europe, the key takeaway for me was the valuable insights and lessons on leadership and humility from not only Winters' successes, but also his failures. While these examples pertain to Winter's military experience, I believe the same disciplines can be applied to any leadership role. Here are some of the excerpts that stood out to me:

Don’t waste time attempting to define leadership. No need to go to the dictionary. The Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, has defined leadership in just two words via its motto: “Follow Me!” Never ask your team to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.

Winters' Ten Principles for Success:

1. Strive to be a leader of character, competence, and courage.
2. Lead from the front. Say, “Follow me!” and then lead the way.
3. Stay in top physical shape—physical stamina is the root of mental toughness.
4. Develop your team. If you know your people, are fair in setting realistic goals and expectations, and lead by example, you will develop teamwork.
5. Delegate responsibility to your subordinates and let them do their jobs. You can’t do a good job if you don’t have a chance to use your imagination or your creativity.
6. 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.
7. Remain humble. Don’t worry about who receives the credit. Never let power or authority go to your head.
8. Take a moment of self-reflection. Look at yourself in the mirror every night and ask yourself if you did your best.
9. True satisfaction comes from getting the job done. The key to a successful leader is to earn respect—not because of rank or position, but because you are a leader of character.
10. Hang Tough!—Never, ever, give up.

On Character:

Character provides a leader with a moral compass that focuses his efforts on the values we cherish: courage, honesty, selflessness, and respect for our fellow man. Character also allows you to make decisions quickly and correctly.

On Humility:

Leaders should assume blame when the operation fails; when it succeeds, credit the men and women in your team. They do the lion’s share of the work.

...Nor am I ashamed to admit that fear was a principal factor that contributed to my success as a leader. I was always afraid of letting my men down and I was always afraid of dying. It was a combination of these fears that drove me to learn everything I could about my profession so I could bring as many of my men home from war as possible.

On Leading from the Front:

Leaders should always position themselves where the critical decisions must be made. Precisely where that location should be is a judgment call, but in my experience leaders should be as far forward as possible. Successful leaders must be highly visible, if for no other reason than to share the hardships of their men.

I'd love to share more, but I don't want to abuse the Fair Use policy. This is just the tip of the iceberg; if these excerpts interest you, click on this Amazon link here, and happy reading.