Winston Churchill’s measure of success can be summed up best by his quote “success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm”. Thanks to his leadership traits, Churchill learned from his mistakes and kept a positive outlook which was instrumental to his overall success. Like Churchill, I have a very optimistic personality and believe in turning my failures into positive experiences to aid in my continued growth as a leader.
Churchill’s Power
During the World War II, Neville Chamberlain resigned as Prime Minister while Winston Churchill was chosen to take the position. Throughout his tenure as Prime Minister, Churchill exercised referent power due to his charismatic trait. Daft believes referent power “depends on the leader’s personal characteristics rather than on a formal title or position and is especially visible in the area of charismatic leadership” (Daft, 2008). Due to his charisma, Churchill was able to tap into the hearts and minds of the British people and utilize them as a resource to successfully defeat Hitler’s Nazi regime. I believe referent power is extremely important in energizing people to overcome near impossible challenges. Learning from leaders like Churchill, I have incorporated some of his actions into my leadership style in order to be more effective at using the five types of power.
Churchill’s Followers
Leadership is about understanding people and the process of getting people to accomplish set tasks or objectives. Great leaders listen to understand, connect on an emotional level with their followers and inspire people to get things done. Winston Churchill succeeded as a leader during wartime but failed in peacetime by not being able to reflect people’s post-war needs. During the wartime years, Churchill had a great relationship with the majority of his followers which comprised of the British soldiers and citizens. His charisma and leadership style empowered the people into achieving greatness. I believe Churchill was a great follower during his soldiering days as a cavalry officer which provided a wealth of experience for him to draw from in his later years.
Churchill’s Leadership Style
Prime Minister Churchill during the Second World War knew he had to motivate the British people and chose to focus on radio speeches versus partaking in important Cabinet discussions. Churchill knew that his cause would be lost without the backing of the British population. Therefore, he focused on being a relationship-oriented leader where he established mutual trust and respect while listening to his people. The overall goal was to defeat the Nazi’s and the method he chose in accomplishing that goal was through motivational speeches. Churchill was a leader who could adapt his leadership style to suit the situation. He exercised the Hersey and Blanchard style of leadership due to his ability to adjust his task or relationship style to accommodate the readiness level of his subordinates (Daft, 2008). I believe this style of leadership to be most effective during times of crisis as people constantly change their readiness levels in dynamic situations. Great leaders are able to adopt differing leadership styles regardless of the people they work with and as the situation dictates.
Churchill’s Vision
When Churchill became Prime Minister for the first time, he had the vision of victory at all costs over Hitler’s Nazi Regime. His superb writing talents allowed him to effectively articulate his vision for Britain and her Allies. “A vision is more than a dream-it is an ambitious view of the future that everyone involved can believe in, one that can realistically be achieved, yet one that offers a future that is better in important ways than what now exists” (Daft, 2008). Churchill wisely judged that the survival of Britain depended largely on help from the United States. As a result, he formed his vision and strategy around America’s involvement. Churchill also had the unique ability of making people understand what was best for the county while inspiring the masses through his breath taking speeches. Winston Churchill will never be criticized for not being a passionate man. He was extremely passionate and firmly believed that his country would achieve victory. Finally, Churchill was able to grasp key facts without labored analysis and direct his followers in accomplishing their respective missions (Rubin, 2003). He defined the overarching goal of how to achieve victory while developing an alliance with the United States and eventually, Russia. Churchill was a hands-off leader with the citizens and soldiers thanks to his well articulated vision.
Churchill’s Communication Leadership
Winston Churchill mastered the art of communication. “Leaders use communication to inspire and unite people around a common sense of purpose and identity” (Daft, 2008). Churchill was able to distill his message to something that was accessible to the citizens of Britain who didn’t necessarily share his knowledge or background. As Winston says, “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time” (Johnson, 1972). Communication must flow both ways to be effective. Unfortunately, Winston Churchill was never considered a good listener but his pursuit of victory overshadowed this flaw. Leaders must ensure the communication channels are open and learn to actively listen to their employees. Churchill’s charisma cut through his communication flaws and added to his phenomenal leadership persona. Aspiring leaders can learn from the former Prime Minister by his charismatic speeches that inspired a nation. Public speaking is only one aspect of communication, the ability to actively listen and write must be mastered to embolden leadership communication.
Churchill’s Characteristics
One of the most essential elements of leadership is decision making. The ability to make the very best decisions consistently is a key to successful leadership. Winston Churchill had the effective decision making skills to lead his nation to victory. “Organizations need both a broad and inspiring vision and an underlying plan for how to achieve it” (Daft, 2008). Churchill’s courageous vision enhanced his decisiveness which was critical to his leadership approach. Other factor’s that’s attributed to the way he led was the calmness he exuded amid commotion and crisis. This imparted confidence among his colleagues and followers and was instrumental in his amazing productivity and concentration. Another important aspect of his leadership was his encouragement to complete discussions of critical issues, and never firing or reprimanding anyone from openly disagreeing with him. Churchill’s own self-criticism, independence, and habit of seeking advice led him to change his mind from time to time. Being heard is essential in keeping employees motivated in the workplace and helps solidify a high performance culture.
Winston Churchill would have most likely have succeeded during any wartime era. He left a lasting legacy due to his remarkable achievements throughout World War II. Unfortunately, history proves that Churchill would have to overcome different challenges when faced with a peacetime era. This was evident after World War II when he was not reelected as Prime Minister. His vision was not in-line with a post war British Empire as influences of power shifted on a global scale. If Churchill would have adapted his leadership style to the peacetime era, than he could have enjoyed the same success as his finest days fighting Hitler. He was an inspirational leader that answered the call during a critical point in history. His character traits and beliefs were a perfect match in inspiring people during their darkest hours. Outside times of crises, I believe Churchill would not be as effective of a leader in different cultures or nations.
Churchill’s Change Leadership
Winston Churchill used his leadership skills to restructure the British military, government, and manufacturing sectors to support his efforts in rearming the country and to get ready for the Nazi invasion. After his appointment to Prime Minister, he started making changes immediately. His change leadership was instrumental in defeating the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. He helped shape an agile and responsive RAF allowing them to repel a much larger and better equipped enemy. In addition, his changes to the manufacturing sector speed up the production of new aircraft to replace their staggering losses. The key elements to effective change are motivation, vision and understanding what the next step is. “Leaders who can successfully accomplish change typically define themselves as change leaders, describe a vision for the future in vivid terms, and articulate values that promote change and adaptability” (Daft, 2008). Winston Churchill communicated his vision to the masses and directed the desired changes necessary in achieving that vision.
Churchill’s Values
“Values are fundamental beliefs that an individual considers to be important, that are relatively stable over time, and that have an impact on attitudes, perception, and behavior” (Daft, 2008). Leaders must lead by example by embodying the identity and values of the organization. Winston Churchill believed that the Allies would prevail over the Axis powers of evil. His belief in unconditional victory guided his morals and ethics in every decision he made during the war. An excellent example is when he was faced with the real moral dilemma of seeking Stalin’s help despite Russia’s regime based solely on cruelty and humiliation. The conflict was picking the lesser of two evils between Nazism and Communism. Regardless, Churchill did not hesitate in making the right moral and ethical decision of incorporating Stalin’s Russia into the Allied powers to defeat Hitler’s Axis of evil.
Winston Churchill was faced with many ethical challenges during his lifetime. An excellent example was his approval of area bombing where British bombers would drop explosive and incendiary bombs on German cities. Over 500,000 Germans lost their lives and close to three million dwellings were destroyed as a result of this strategy. When questioned with this strategy, Churchill insisted that his decision was necessary and just by his comments to the Bomber Command of ”we should never allow ourselves to apologize for what we did to Germany” (Hastings, 2009). His courage never crumbled and moral compass never swayed when making the tough decisions that guided his nation.
Churchill’s Evolution
Churchill’s is best known for his leadership as Prime Minister during World War II. He was 65 years old when charged with leading his nation to victory. Churchill was a man of great integrity and worldly experiences which enhanced his leadership style. He had been a member of parliament for nearly 40 years, held senior posts both at home and abroad, served in the Queen’s Hussars as a cavalry officer, a writer, painter, activist, and father to three daughters and a son. During his career he had experienced both failure and unpopularity. Without a doubt, Churchill’s extensive experiences that he accumulated were central to his leadership style. The lessons learned throughout his life led to his decisive personality while aiding him in making the right decisions.
In studying Winston Churchill, one can conclude that his experiences were the key factors to his leadership success. He was able to learn from his mistakes and adapt to a dynamic world shrouded in chaos. If Churchill lacked the experiences he had, I’m sure he would have not been as nearly effective or famous. He truly had a lion’s heart and never lost sight of his vision of “never, never, never giving up” (Johnson, 1972). Winston Churchill’s experiences could never be replicated. However, his lessons learned from experiences can be taught to other leaders and incorporated into their individual leadership styles.
Self Assessment
Winston Churchill has always been a leader I’ve admired and wanted to learn more about. In researching his life, Winston Churchill had amazing leadership traits that I will try to emulate in my leadership development. What I admired most about Churchill was his charisma, optimism, courage, and public speaking ability. He was a standout leader in the face of adversity and rallied a nation to a common cause and above all, human. Churchill had his faults as a leader and made mistakes with lasting impacts. Known for his “black dog” as he called his depression, Churchill did not let it mar his life (Rubin, 2003). Through his bouts of depression, Churchill turned towards painting and found an avenue for mental release that provided his calmness under stress. I would have loved to work with this amazing leader to see firsthand what it takes to be successful during times of peril. Very few leaders today have the same leadership qualities as Winston Churchill but those that do, stand out and are extremely effective in leading people.
Winston Churchill’s legacy will always be remembered as the savior of Great Britain from Hitler’s Third Reich. If Neville Chamberlain never stepped down as Prime Minister, it is quite possible that the outcome of World War II would have been quite different. With Churchill at the helm, Britain defied the odds and led his nation towards victory. “Churchill’s faith in Britain and its destiny gave him his courage, his optimism, and his ambition” (Rubin, 2003). The legacy that he wanted to leave behind was for a stronger British Empire free from tyranny and evil. Unfortunately, he outlived his own time as he paid the heavy price of victory by losing the British Empire he cherished so much. Towards the end of his life, Churchill believed he failed the Empire as America became a dominant world power and the citizens wanting a different Britain than what he envisioned. Regardless, Churchill accomplished his goals in the long term as Great Britain has become the model nation he always wanted.
I’ve learned a lot about effective leadership in Winston Churchill. I’ve gained an appreciation of what it takes to lead a mass of people during times of crisis. The lessons learned throughout his life will always be something to remember to avoid making the same mistakes. In times of peril, great leaders can inspire their people through charisma and effective speech writing. More importantly, having a clear, defined vision is imperative in leading people through times of crisis. Another aspect of Churchill that I’ve learned is to ask the question “why stand when you can sit” (Johnson, 1972). The lesson learned is to take time for you as a leader to recharge the mental battery to prevent making poor decisions.
Leadership effectiveness is measured differently per individual. A large part of leadership is based on personality and personal experiences. Education in leadership provides different aspects and methods in leading people to achieve set tasks or objectives. Learning about Churchill’s life, I’ve broadened my leadership horizons through his experiences, failures and success. I’ve also gained an appreciation to different viewpoints from people who worked directly with famous leaders. Different opinions of how effective a leader is or was provides a well rounded analysis of the inner workings of that leader. Leadership is an art that requires constant study and application to be effective. Integrating Winston Churchill’s broad leadership spectrum provides a case study on how to effectively lead in times of crisis while shedding light on how to overcome large scale failures.
Conclusion
Winston Churchill will be attributed as being one of the most extraordinary figures of the twentieth century. During the Second World War, as prime minister, he was both defiant to Hitler’s ambitions and a beacon of hope for a war torn Europe. Churchill was a famous writer and master of the spoken word. His charisma and optimism should be an example to all aspiring leaders. In studying Churchill, people are presented with a lifetime of trials and tribulations and can learn from his successes and failures through tumultuous times. He was a man of supreme confidence, perseverance, and charisma while believing in the greater good and written word. People who are fighting as an underdog or struggling to survive can learn from Winston Churchill and follow his belief of “never flinch, never weary, never despair” (Johnson, 1972). More importantly, any aspiring leader or effective follower would benefit from studying Churchill’s leadership style and lessons learned during one of the darkest periods in history.
References
Axelrod, A. (2009). Winston Churchill, CEO: 25 lessons for bold business leaders. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing.
Daft, R. (2008). The Leadership Experience. Mason, Oh: South-Western.
Hastings, M. (2009). Winston’s War. New York, NY: Random House.
Johnson, P. (1972). Churchill. New York, New York: Penguin Group
Rubin, G. (2003). Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill. New York, NY: Random House Trade Paperbacks.
