To really gain an insight into how Winston managed WW2 you need to read the many thousands of memos he wrote during the war. Churchill's memoirs are packed full of stories and information, however, they were written in the rosy glow of victory. The memo's tell the real story, written in the heat of the moment they provide a lasting imprint of who Churchill really was and more importantly for my book, how he went about saving the west from an unspeakable tyranny. By stating that Churchill is an American Idol clearly I am not referring to the popular TV show. Every day across America Churchill is quoted in a thousand different ways and used as a source of inspiration and reference in a thousand more. Blogs, Newspapers, TV, Radio, there are more books written about Churchill than just about any other figure through the ages. His popularity increases with each passing year as new generations of Americans discover one of the great icons of history. To be clear, this is a business focused book with a twist. The subtitle of the book states "The X-Factors that prove the greatest Briton had talent". Churchill had the X-Factor, there was something about Winston that marked him out as special. Easy to say, challenging to detail. Over the next 250 pages I will share those X-Factors I have identified from my years studying Churchill's approach to running the war in a way that enables the reader to transfer these skills into modern business. I would like to think that I have achieved this feat whilst delivering a thoroughly entertaining and informative read, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
About the Author: I was born in 1964, a year before Churchill died and, whilst I picked up snippets about the iconic Winston over the years, when his name was mentioned I conjured up the mental picture of a tough leader who saved Britain from defeat in World War 2. I was familiar with the classic quotes from his speeches, "their finest hour", "never surrender", "we will fight them on the beaches". This perception altered irrevocably when I read his WW2 memoirs, which, including the memo's, run to 5000 pages of tiny text, or 8000 pages of today's modern print. Reading through them I felt as if Churchill were talking to me, relating the challenges he faced in WW2 and sharing the secret of successfully managing the events that lead to Britain's salvation. Though this took months of reading I was absolutely riveted. Churchill's memoirs are 60 years old. As I read through them time and again the situations he described and the advice he gave drew parallels with business problems and situations that have occurred during my 25 year working career. Whilst I haven't had to make dramatic changes to the way I work, Churchill's X-Factors have helped me in many business situations. At times when I might doubt myself, I reflect upon the lessons I have learned and find the confidence to make the tough decisions and deal with the problems and issues which form my daily business life.