Like many people, I first learned about Major Richard ‘Dick’ Winters while reading Stephen E. Ambrose book “Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normady to Hitler’s Eagle Nest” in the late 90s.  He was portrayed by Damian Lewis in the excellent 2001 ten-part HBO televisions miniseries “Band of Brothers.”

While watching the miniseries, I was greatly impressed with the bravery of these WWII soldiers; but none more so than Major Winters. Upon learning of his passing in 2011 at the age of 92, I decided to read his autobiography “Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters.”

The book focuses on his experiences during boot camp, parachuting behind enemy lines on D-Day, and patrolling and fighting through the European countryside as the Allies sought to defeat Hitler’s forces.

Overall, it’s a great book that anyone interested in WWII would find enjoyable and informative. But, it also holds much for those interested in leadership.  While focusing on military leadership, many of the insights are applicable to the business world, including the following:

• An officer should never put himself in a position where he takes anything from the men. Never abuse them by act or omission. As a commander, a leader must be prepared to give everything, including himself, to the people he leads. You give your time and you strive to be consistently fair, never demonstrating favoritism. (pp. 61-62)
• I truthfully never wavered as to whether or not I would succeed in combat. I was far more concerned for the safety of the men entrusted to my command. (p. 64)
• A leader gains advantage in combat if he is able to appraise the terrain and the situation quickly and correctly. (p. 84)
• Commanding soldiers in combat requires a personal detachment from the men themselves. In a sense, command is the loneliest job in the world. (p. 113)
• As a leader you do not stop and calculate your losses during combat. (p. 131)
• I found myself highly critical of any leader who failed to lead by example. (p. 151)
• Like Patton, I have been fascinated with leadership. It is something that you have within you that gets the job done. (p. 283)
• …fear was a principal factor that contributed to my success as a leader. I was always afraid of letting my men down and I was always afraid of dying. It was a combination of these fears that drove me to learn everything I could about my profession so I could bring as many of my men home from war as possible. (p. 284)
• Most are looking for cookie-cutter solutions as to what constitutes a successful leader. What is the recipe for success? In truth there are no simple solutions, just as there is no average day in combat. Each situation is different and each requires a leader to be flexible in adapting his or her particular leadership style to the specific circumstances required to accomplish any mission. (p. 284)
• …a leader should strive to be an individual of flawless character, technical competence, and moral courage. (p. 284)
• Never ask your team to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. (p. 286)
• Leaders should always position themselves where the critical decisions must be made. (p. 286)
• The key to successful leadership is to earn respect – not because of rank or position, but because you are a leader of character. (p. 290)