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| Ability |
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Context |
| Leadership of a country in adverse conditions of war. |
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Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) was England's finest leader during World War II. He had a turbulent and controversial political career. He was a prolific author, accomplished historian and artist. He is remembered for his speeches and his "Bulldog" tenacity. |
| External Behaviour |
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Emotions (Sustained) |
MBWA - management by walking about.
Delegating extensively.
Requesting clear and concise reports.
Splitting the day by having an afternoon nap of about 60 mins followed by a bath. Sometimes giving dictation in the bath.
Looking for ways of removing bureaucracy.
Avoiding stress, never being in a hurry - hastiness dulls the concentration.
Writing speeches.
Regularly socialising with Staff.
Using will power and imagination to drive new projects.
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Concentration, determination, clarity, tenacity, calm. |
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Emotions (Transitory) |
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Anger, frustration, joy and celebration. |
| Test for values and beliefs |
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Strategy A (test for beliefs & values satisified) |
Feeling of being energised.
Clarity of thinking when making decisions.
Visible evidence of concise reports. Auditory feedback from staff and radio.
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Balancing details with the wider scene.
Concentrating on 2 or 3 things that matter most in the moment. |
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Strategy B (test not quite satisified) |
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Staff are the primary information feedback loop.
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Strategy C (test not at all satisified) |
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Streamline the structure or create a new structure if this is an unusual situation. |
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| Enabling beliefs and values |
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Having historical imagination. Speaking plainly.
Hiring large personalities and independent thinkers.
Being imaginative and adventurous. |
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Beliefs & Values About The Ability |
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| Beliefs and values about the ability |
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Definition of beliefs and values |
Being decisive.
Taking full responsibility and having full authority over the action that results from any decision.
Giving staff complete trust, clear direction and complete support.
Looking for opportunities to advance bold new initiatives.
Being optimistic. |
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Keeping the most important issues in mind, balancing chances on both sides of a decision and remaining open to new facts.
Decisions are based on careful preparation and plans executed with vigour and determination.
Decisiveness depends on the person at the top who must have full authority. Never overruling your Generals.
Being forgiving.
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| Core beliefs and values |
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Supporting beliefs |
Having a sense of destiny and purpose.
Believing that the world is going to get better and better. |
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Responsibility must be combined with authority.
We must learn from misfortune it is the means of future strength. |
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| Additional Comments |
Leadership
Socialise regularly. Be forgiving. Be flexible. Look for opportunities to advance bold new initiatives. It is never possible to guarantee success - it's only possible to deserve it. Be well prepared - use statistics as cold blooded facts. Do not look too far ahead, do not try for excessive perfection, do not make decisions for decisions sake.
Organisation
De-centralise, simplify structures. Keep structures flexible for unusual situations. Delegate responsibility, executives can be more effective by seeing the bigger picture if they are not weighed down with details.
Churchill Hated
Negative thinking, procrastination, tentativeness, second guessing, second hand information and advisory committees.
Churchill's Strategy (Game Theory)
1 Put yourself in the position of the enemy. Credit him with the readiness to do what you most dread.
2 Assess his idiosyncrasies, temper, quality of troops and the political background.
3 What action would be most unwelcome?
Action
You must have full authority. Have a reasonable chance of success. The greater interests are not compromised. All possible care and forethought are exercised in the preparation. All vigour and determination are shown in execution.
Staff
Treat with humour and kindness. Treat as part of the family. Give complete trust, clear direction and complete support. Drive hard. Be quick to apologise. Be sensitive to personal needs. Argue with but never overrule your Generals. Staff should be your primary information feedback loop.
Hiring
Start at the top. Ignore the person's current position - get the person best suited for the job. Have your plans in mind so they serve your designs not their own. Hire large personalities - independent thinkers.
Oratory
Oratory did not come naturally to Churchill he had to study and practice it. He never gave a speech from memory and would spend days preparing it. He liked short words believing they would be better understood.
Quotations
"Someone has to take responsibility, I will."
"An accepted leader has only to be sure of what is best to do or at least to have made up his mind about it."
"In the course of my life I have often had to eat my words and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet."
"Success is going from failure to failure without loosing enthusiasm."
"Every decision has to be forced to a clear cut issue. You must continually drive the vast machine."
"How easy to do nothing how hard to achieve anything."
"Most great exploits have to be conducted under circumstances of peculiar difficulty and discouragement proceeding by design through crisis to decision."
"I am one of those who believes the world is going to get better and better."
After he was voted out of office in 1945 he refused a Knighthood saying:
"I could not accept the Order of the Garter from my Sovereign when I have received the order of the boot from his people."
"Ponder then act."
"Half measures are vain."
"Don't let the better become the enemy of the good."
"There's never a good time for a vacation so take one anyway." |
