Personal Growth

A recent study conducted by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany found that 41% of all respondents (and two-thirds of millennial respondents) could not correctly identify what happened at Auschwitz. Making matters worse, 22% of the Millennial respondents told the same survey that they have NEVER even heard of the Holocaust.

This is horrifying. And as George Santayana famously said, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

While I passionately urge all people, especially Americans, to read and understand history, the readers of this blog are generally business people looking for leadership insights. So why should you read history? Here are three reasons:

Reading history gives one perspective.

I often hear people say that the world is worse today than it has ever been. While this sounds true, and admittedly sometimes feels true when I watch the news, a quick historical glance makes one doubt the statement’s accuracy. Are things worse today than they were for the African Americans in the nineteenth century, or Eastern Europeans in the mid-twentieth century? Of course not. But it is also trite to then automatically assume things for both groups are “better” today because in comparison they are much better off than in those periods. This is my point about perspective.

History forces one to examine reality, think critically about differing versions of that reality, and draw conclusions. I have discovered that real history is rarely what I expected. Thus, I have to be inquisitive and challenge any pre-existing assumptions, which in turn grows my perspective about various events and time-periods. Learning to think this way is directly applicable to everyday business because it teaches you to always question your pre-existing assumptions on any issue.

Reading history gives one real-life leadership examples.

The best business book I have read so far this year is Ron Chernow’s Grant, which documents the life of Ulysses S. Grant. I can’t begin to recount all the leadership lessons in the book, so you will have to read it yourself. One story that continues to stand out, however, is how Grant treated Confederate General Robert E. Lee as he, and his forces, surrendered at Appomattox. Realizing the task at hand – rebuilding the nation – and never being one to “show up” his adversaries, Grant treated the soon-to-be former General with so much respect and deference that it even surprised Lee. In a modern world that continues to tempt us (me included) to be brash, this is an example of humility for us to follow. Of course, reading biographies can also teach us lessons not to follow, and Grant’s life had plenty of those as well (don’t we all?). But herein lies the power of reading historical biographies: we can learn from other’s success and failure and implement the lessons into our own life.

Reading history is humbling.

Finally, I often hear many Americans talk about how advanced our modern civilization is. Some even look down upon how “stupid” Americans were from centuries past. Reading history reminds one that the advancement of civilization is never-ending. In fact, if you read enough history, there will be a whisper that develops in your head: We aren’t as smart as we think we are, and our time will, too, end. While the latter may be a little depressing to think about, it is reality. There is no guarantee our business will be here in ten years, let alone fifty, and we know that at some point down the line our human life will end. All historical biographies end the same after all. The point is that this reality produces humility: Our business does not have all the answers, and there are no guarantees that we as a company will be around forever. This should help us be more humble, willing to seek help in our business dealing, and willing to help others with our business.

This post is longer than usual, so I won’t list any recommended books here. But, please feel free to comment and share history books that have impacted you. And if you have never read a good history book, I would recommend anything written by David McCullough to get you started, as his narrative style is often welcoming to those who prefer reading fiction.

I am from Chicago and grew up in the 1980’s and 1990’s. So, I know more about Michael Jordan, and the Chicago Bulls’ glory years of the 1990’s than I’d like to admit. The championships, celebrations, and fun accompanying them, still reverberate in my mind all these years later.

What made the Chicago Bulls great? The easy answer is Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player in the history of the National Basketball Association. But this answer is too simplistic, and misses something that was much discussed during the Bulls heyday: the importance of role players.

The day was June 14, 1992. The Bulls were leading the Portland Trailblazers 3 games to 2 in their best of 7 NBA Finals Series. Playing on their home court, the Bulls were in position to win their second NBA Championship in a row. But trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter, the game looked lost. Both Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen —an all-time great in his own right —were on the bench, and what happened next is legendary for Chicago Bulls fans: Bobby Hansen hit a three-point field goal—his only points of the entire game—that sparked a furious rally by players coming off the Bulls’ bench. These guys were not stars, but rather, role players. They knew, and accepted their roles on the team, and played them with humility and gave everything they had on the court. And before the afternoon was over, with both MJ and Scottie dominating the game down the stretch, the Chicago Bulls were NBA Champions again, winning the game 97-93.

When I mention Bobby Hansen to fellow Bulls fans, they always remember the play I refer to above. Moreso, they can name role players like Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington, and Jud Buechler from later Championship teams. These players taught us that playing a role on the team was vital to a team’s ultimate success. As the Bulls’ Head Coach Phil Jackson would remind us regularly in TV interviews, the team succeeded when Michael “let the game come to him,” and kept his “teammates involved.”  This created chemistry, and the “Zen”  Jackson desired for the team.  It all worked because Michael played his role, that of the superstar, and the role players played theirs. 

And each needed the other.

A comment I heard Adam Grant make recently on the EntreLeadership Podcast got me thinking about how the Bulls were able to mix role players with superstars. Grant says, “If you only hire ‘A’ players, then you probably have a ‘B’ team.”   Leaders tend to spend a lot of their energy, however, on hiring “A” players.  We read books, attend seminars, and create hiring strategies around hiring “A” players because we know that we need some “A” players to win (The Chicago

Bulls were pathetic both before and after Michael Jordan!). Yet, as Grant reminds us, hiring “A” all players won’t ensure success.  Rather, like the Chicago Bulls, we need to fill out our roster with role players so that every role is filled.

In practice, this might mean that a sales leader seeks a solid “account manager,” rather than seeking another “business development manager.”  This is subtle, but one role demands relational and support skills, while the other demands a lot of self-confidence and drive usually associated with an “A” player.  Organizations need both to thrive, so it is up to the leader to decipher which skill set they need in a given context.

The challenge with this post is simple: ask yourself what kind of role are you missing on your team right now?  Driving to specificity here makes all the difference.

You might discover that you are not missing a superstar, but rather a “Bobby Hansen.”

And fulfilling this role might similarly make all the difference to your team’s ultimate success!

“Did WE get a bonus,” asked Sarah as I walked into the door. It was the end of the year, the company had done well, and so her anticipation was appropriate.

“Yes, WE did,” I replied.

All of us play a “we” game.

Take me for example.

Without Sarah, I wouldn’t travel nearly as much. Without Sarah, I wouldn’t have the flexibility to stay late, or walk the floor on Saturday mornings. Without Sarah, I’d come to work needing affirmation, instead of finding it at home. Without Sarah, my blog would be much worse (and that may not have anything to do with work or the bonus, but it would surely impact you, the reader!).

The company wins because of the sacrifices Sarah makes.

Yes, WE got a bonus.

You have a support team behind you as well: family and friends who fortify you physically and emotionally in order to allow you to show up every day and give your all.

And your team members at work have a support system of people, too—people you may never meet—who indirectly benefit your company even though their names aren’t on the payroll.

Everyone brings their life with them to work.

As leaders we need to not only remember this, we have to remember to reward the sacrifices THEY make, too. Granted, a bonus is one way. But it surely is not the only way.

Let’s remember, and honor, the people behind the people we count on each day.

It is a “we” game.