“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. . .. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: it is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us: to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.”1
WINSTON CHURCHILL (1874–1965) ON MAY 13, 1940,
IN HIS FIRST SPEECH AS BRITISH PRIME MINISTER
Churchill’s forceful “no” to Hitler in World War II effectively altered the course of history. It was his powerful oratory skills that triggered such firm resolve among the British people to offer such uncompromising resistance. Without Churchill, that “no” would not have been as resounding. Churchill gave Europe faith in the rightness of sensible conduct; he embodied moral authority and strengthened people’s beliefs in values.
Looking back today, when we consider the decisive role Churchill played in world history, it seems barely conceivable that anyone else could have served in his place. But back in early 1939 the situation was anything but clear-cut. After a military and political career with major highs and lows, between 1929 and 1939 he held no political office whatsoever. Only after the outbreak of World War II was he reappointed First Lord of the Admiralty. And on May 9, 1940, when the pressing question was, who should succeed Neville Chamberlain to become prime minister, nobody wanted Churchill: not the King, not Chamberlain himself, and none of the three main political parties. Everyone preferred Edward Halifax, and Churchill refused to press his case. Again that same day, when Chamberlain asked Churchill whether he would be willing to serve as a minister in a government led by Halifax, Churchill said nothing—and kept silent for a very long time. There was no way that silence could be interpreted as a yes. And since the British people at the time would never have accepted a government from which Churchill was altogether absent, Chamberlain had no option but to drop Halifax and accept Churchill. So Churchill prevailed “and within a few hours all those who had opposed Churchill were very grateful that they had been defeated,” Peter de Mendelssohn wrote about that important turning point. “The most powerful orator of his time, never short of an apt word or rousing turn of phrase, had won through by remaining silent.”2
Why did the British people give Churchill an almost unlimited vote of confidence at such a pivotal moment in history? There is a fascinating answer to this question: The British people were ready, without hesitation, “To forget the long list of Churchill’s acts of folly, blunders, and errors of judgment, even though his worst acts of folly stemmed from his inability to understand the people. The people were willing to do this, because they instinctively felt that Churchill more uncompromisingly than any other political leader personified a deep-seated personal, unspoken rejection of submitting to Hitler’s Nazi Germany.”3 To them, Churchill’s deep-seated conviction embodied something he himself termed “world responsibility.” Is there any more convincing example in history of the power of living out one’s values?
Just like people, organizations have values too. Every organization needs the individuals working for it to commit to shared values and the attainment of common goals. No organization can unleash its full force or function in the long run without this voluntary commitment. One of any management’s key tasks, then, is to think through these values, prescribe them as binding, and lead by example. Leading by example is particularly important, because whenever human beings notice a difference between what is said and what is done, they gear their own standards to the example set by those at the top.
This is one reason why it is so important that managers’ conduct be exemplary. Their behavior shapes individuals’ faith in the management of their organization. And the more senior a manager is, the more important this role-model function is. In large organizations, exemplary conduct is even more important, and every top executive needs to be aware of this fact. Top managers do not only affect the people within their organization. They also affect how the public sees the economy and business and determine individuals’ views on what being a manager is all about. Any inappropriate behavior at higher levels not only has damaging consequences within the organization, but also fuels hostility to business and foments mistrust of managers.
Even individual cases that attract intensive media interest can convey the impression that dishonorable behavior among managers is the norm. The resulting negative feeling toward senior managers cannot be in the interest of modern society. After all, the development of that society hinges on having as many competent people as possible who are positively disposed toward management in general.
There is another important point to bear in mind here. There is every reason to assume the existence of a largely unchanging gap between the performance at the top of an organization and the performance of most of its employees. Consequently, if the level of performance at the top of the organization goes up, the overall level of performance will rise with it. If values are not taken seriously by top management, how can it expect the human beings in the organization to act any differently? Likewise, if an organization’s top managers set a poor example in terms of their standard of performance, how can its staff reasonably be expected to perform, let alone put in an excellent performance?
People decisions regarding senior management posts have far-reaching consequences because they set the standard for the entire organization. Therefore, the managers and bodies responsible for such decisions should pay particularly close attention to making sure that high standards are set at the top of the organization. There is no more direct way of enhancing the performance level of the organization as a whole.
One reason why Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezos, and similar top managers are so valuable to their organizations is that to some extent they set its pace of development and performance level—and even influence the entire sector their business is in. They substantially determine their organization’s business mission, set objectives and values, and color the organization through the example they set. If an organization is to be effective, its shared values, business mission, and objectives must be clear to the people who work for it. Accordingly, these values must not only be straightforward and readily understandable, they must also be constantly reinforced.
Values are also extremely important for the effectiveness of individuals, whose own values should be compatible with those of their organization. They need not be identical, but individuals’ values should fit within their organization’s overall system of values. Conflicting sets of values will almost inevitably leave individuals feeling frustrated, prevent them from realizing their full performance potential, and cause the results they achieve to invariably fall short of the level they could otherwise attain.
Ask yourself this question: “What are my values?” A clear answer will benefit you in two ways: just as a conflict of values can hinder performance, acting in harmony with your values can be both truly empowering and highly motivating. Fundamentally, there is a rather simple, though not always obvious, link between strengths, performance, and values. In areas in which human beings have strengths, they will find it easy to perform well. This may be readily understandable, but it does not say anything about whether the application of those strengths matches the individuals’ values, and this fact is frequently overlooked. As described in Chapter 28, Einstein’s contribution to the development of the atom bomb rankled him his whole life long. Why? Because his strengths were deployed in a domain that was seriously at odds with his pacifist values.
If you end up in situations where your strengths and values clash, always follow the principle that you will be able to mobilize the necessary reserves of energy and performance only if you act in keeping with your values. The same applies when, at a given moment, you find yourself unable to see the sense in applying your strengths, with the result that every minute spent seems like wasted time. Here again, heed your values (the issue of sense or “meaning” is taken up separately in Chapter 47 on Viktor Frankl). If you ensure a match between what you do and what is important to you, this will have a marked positive impact on what you achieve.
On numerous photographs we see Winston Churchill, certain of triumph, flashing his now legendary “V for victory” sign. He started using this comparatively small hand gesture in around August 1941, and it epitomizes what he believed in and what he was fighting for. He felt certain that what he was striving to achieve was something worth fighting for. His “V for victory” sign visibly communicated that conviction around the world, clear for all to see. Stand up for your values!
What are your values?
What values are upheld in your organization? If there is a discrepancy between theory and practice, what exactly do you and your colleagues within the organization need to do together to change this?
Insist on exemplary behavior and high performance standards within your sphere of influence.
Bring in strong, competent people at the top level to boost your organization’s overall performance.