Churchill Series : Behavior 4 - Churchill Kept An Even Disposition

One of Winston Churchill's goals was to maintain an even disposition. A constant challenge, he worked to maintain an upbeat attitude and restrict his anger.  While much has been written about Churchill's anger it is clear that he understood that operating out of anger could be debilitating for what he was empowered to do.

Churchill Couldn't Always Control His Temper

“A man is about as big as the things that make him angry,” is an often cited Churchill quote.  It is important to note that Churchill was angry – at Hitler and the Nazi war machine – and how that object of his anger was large, making Churchill a “big” man following the logic of his quote.  He was also angry and concerned about the communism of Soviet Russia and continued to warn the world of the coming dangers in a clear way – channeling the anger into the image of forcefulness in his writings and his oratory.

It was so clear to Churchill to avoid anger that he actually commented about it many times, "Anger is a waste of energy. Steam, which is used to blow off a safety valve, would be better used to drive the engine." 

But was Churchill always on an “even keel”?  No, he was human.  There are countless examples in history where Churchill would become angry, both through frustration and through discovery of passivity or inept performance. His personal staff was often exposed to the immediate heat of his anger and frustration; he would sometimes become brusque, would swear and lose his temper in magnificent ways.  In those instances - after the flash he would be quick to apologize for his intolerable behavior.  

First, being balanced does not mean to be inhuman and not show emotion.  Emotion is a true human expression and communicates volumes to your people.  Always place more effort into being positive – maintain a sense of humor.  Praise, attention, whimsy, self-depreciation – all work to add love and humility into the relationship.  Avoid sarcastic remarks or jokes; they create confusion and animosity.  Understand that anger directed at events and outcomes, as long as the anger is not directed at a specific person, can and will be forgiven by your staff.  But too much of a display of anger (not disappointment, but true anger) will wear down the troops.  If you do lose your cool, apologize to the folks who saw it, apologize for the “intolerable behavior”.

Second, anger directed at the right object will create an incredible focus.  Listen to Churchill’s speeches about the Nazi leadership and you know that he is angry – as was the British people.  The creative use of anger at the situation can rally the troops behind bold actions to create massive outcomes.  Be mad at the outcome that has gone wrong, and channel that energy into the effort of innovation and correction.  The more effective you are in “translation” of anger into action the more you will see the people around you learn that skill.

Next time, we will look at the fifth of the 12 key behaviors of Churchill's leadership,

"No defeat in his heart."

For the first five installments of Schneider's Churchill series, please visit the main Supply Chain Digest Website at www.scdigest.com under "Blogs."

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