I have two dear friends of mine that I really want you to get to know. These two guys have EVERY attribute that a leader needs to possess in order to be successful. The attitudes of these two men, as well as their philosophies on life serves as a continuing kick in the ass for me, and their drive and determination always prove to inspire me at the darkest times of life.
I’m talking about my buddies Abraham Lincoln and Gen. George Patton.
These two men are truly inspiring on every level. Why? Why should you care? What possibly do you have in common with a mid-19th century president and a WWII general? Well, dammit, I’ll tell you!
No matter what decade, time, or place you live in, the WORLD constantly tells you no. You try and jump, gravity says “stay down.” You try to go one way, the road says go another. You try to create, the world loves to destroy. Why is this true? Because, my dear Vulcans, our world operates on the logical philosophy of “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.”
No one person matters in the scheme of life. No man can do beyond what the masses allow him to do. The collective controls the destiny and the inevitable.
Well, I’m here today to say that this is a bunch of bullshit.
The Bible says at many different times that the individual human is made in the “image and likeness of God.” How often do we forget this and how often do we seek acceptance of things that are only mortal instead of the Almighty.
Patton and Lincoln’s foundation…their STEP ONE….their core belief enlisted them to the judgement of one person only: The Almighty. While politics and mortality were the game that had to be played, both men ultimately saw their fate as being decided by God, rather than that of voters, fans, foes, the Germans, the Russians, The Confederacy, etc. All of their speeches and writings suggest that both men, even in the grips of bloody war, sought the guidance of God at every move. This mentality is almost forgotten now…we have people who either have no CLUE as to any religious beliefs or we have the crazies who sit in circles singing all day. These two men sought the guidance of the Almighty in a practical way that allowed them to lead teams of men into battle; a forced necessity of the world.
SO, leaders, STEP ONE: Answer to God at the end of the day.
Step TWO: Both Patton and Lincoln were men who saw the daily obsticles of life and refused to give in to the popular demands of the day. OR, in basic terms, they never listened to the bullshit. Even in Lincoln’s moments of doubt and suffering in the longest days of the Civil War, he often came back to the fundamental reason of freedom in his writings. The need and desire for the basic unalienable right of all men to be free was at the heart of what our country was founded on. After many Union losses in the early days of the war, and despite popular opinion to just let the Confederacy be as it is, Lincoln continued because it was THE RIGHT thing to do. Patton’s desire for a no-nonsense operation is noted throughout his career. One of his famous quotes: “Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way” often serves to military personnel as a standard of leadership and the overall need to complete the mission.
STEP 3: Never Say Die. “If I Win, I cannot be stopped. If I’m stopped, I shall be dead” (GP). Another Vulcan proverb, “There are always options.” A true leader must possess the ability to guide through the worst situations possible, to achieve success at times and places that are unexpected. “The test of success is not what you do when your on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.” (GP). “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” (AL) “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” (AL) “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.” (AL)
That says it all….
So there you have it, a short sight into why I think you should learn about these two men. Never be afraid to engage the world when you believe your heart is right, stand your ground and don’t ever say die.
But…in our success, in our reward of leadership, in our victory, and in our brightest times, we must always remember this true fact of life that binds us back to desire to stand up and win:
“….All Glory Is Fleeting.”
~Gen George Patton
“Through A Glass, Darkly”
