Major Dick Winters on Leadership

Major Dick Winters, of Band of Brothers fame, has some interesting views on leadership.

"First and foremost, a leader should strive to be an individual of flawless character, technical competence, and moral courage. In Anton Myrer's bestselling novel Once an Eagle (which is on the required reading list of many senior military officers), the protagoni9st Sam Damon says, 'You can't help where you were born and you may not have much to say about where you die, but you should pass the days in between as a good man.' How do you become a good man? You should start with a cornerstone--honesty--and from there you build character. If you have character, that means the guy you are dealing with can trust you. When you get into combat, and you get in a situation such as we were in along the dike in Holland, when I gave the orders, 'Ready, aim, fire,' nobody else was thinking about anything exept what he had been told to do. The men trust in you, have faith in you, and they obey, no questions asked. That's character in a nutshell."

Major Dick Winters Ten Principles of Success have been summarized thus:

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 and 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 recieves 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.