Leadership

In honor of the late Major Dick Winters, a man whom I respect and admire greatly, I wanted to post his 10 Principles for Success highlighted at the end of his book, "Beyond Band of Brothers." In case you are unaware of Major Winters, he was a member of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Divison of the 506th Parachute Infantry Reginment in World War II. His story was highlighted in Steven Ambrose's book "Band of Brothers" and in the following HBO mini-series of the same name. If you have any interest in learning about how to act as a human being and how to behave as a leader, I highly suggest reading his book. In fact, it should be a mandatory read for all Americans. Major Winters passed away January 2nd after a battle with Parkinson's disease, he was 92.

Without further ado, here are his 10 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 for 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.

Living in Gratitude,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com