The wisdom of ages

Dealing with an Incompetent Staff? Lincoln’s been there before.

Lincon

Meade

Abraham Lincoln fired many generals, until he found the right one to lead the Union Army, Ulysses S. Grant. So sometime it takes a lot of turnover to find the right person to fill a key position.

Furthermore sometimes the right person might be less than perfect. He or she might, for example, drink too much scotch or smoke too many cigars, as did General Grant, or have far worse qualities. The important thing, though, is that he or she is the right person to get the job done — whether it involves winning the Civil War or landing a new contract.

Sometimes, the best one can do is to work with the staff one has, imperfect though they may be. A case in point is Lincoln’s great frustration with Major General George G. Meade. Lincoln wrote a letter to Meade in which he expressed his gratitude to Meade for having

been successful at Gettysburg. But Lincoln was outraged that when the Confederate Army, led by General Lee, retreated that the Meade didn’t pursue them. Lincoln wrote that had Meade pursued Lee and his army that Meade could have defeated the Confederacy and ended the Civil War. Lincoln feared that the Civil War might instead drag on for years.

The amazing thing is that Lincoln wrote the letter, but never mailed it to General Meade. Perhaps he reasoned, “What good would it really do?” The lesson here is to be circumspect in offering criticism, reprimands and negative comments to employees, indeed to anyone — family, friends, etc. Will one’s letter really improve matters or is one simply acting out of anger and frustration? Alas, with the advent of e-mail, it’s all too easy to click on the “send” button. That’s why it’s often better to put the e-mail aside for a day or two.

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Feeling demoralized by a larger competitor? Consider how General Washington outfoxed the Redcoats.

Washington

Hessian Soldiers

When it appears that you’re down for the count, it’s time to show courage and take risks. Consider General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. The British, who had a large, well-trained army, were continuing to defeat Washington and his men. Washington badly needed a victory, for there was a real danger of his recruits simply abandoning the army and returning home.

Washington saw an opportunity to begin to turn the tide of the war, but it would involve daring action. His plan was to cross the Delaware River by dead of night and to attack the Hessian troops, who were mercenaries of the British. It involved a high degree of risk, because for one thing it was the dead of winter and many of his men were without shoes. Furthermore, sitting in their boats, Washington and his men could have

been easy targets, if they were spotted.

What came to be known as the Battle of Trenton resulted in a total victory for Washington and his army. Besides capturing almost all of the Hessian soldiers (about 900 of them), they captured a good deal of guns, cannons, munitions and other supplies. Most importantly, the victory significantly boosted moral and resulted in an increase in enlistment for Washington’s revolutionary army.

The lesson here is that at times of crisis, it’s necessary to take risks. But there are other lessons here as well: it’s vital — in warfare and in business — to utilize the element of surprise, as did General Washington. It’s also important to aim at the enemy’s (or one’s competitor’s) weaknesses. The Hessian forces, drunk and asleep, after having consumed a Christmas dinner, was certainly a weakness and Washington exploited it beautifully.

Apropos, is the legendary baseball player, Wee Willie Keeler, who was famous for the phrase, “I hit ‘em where they ain’t.” Management Guru, Peter Drucker, discusses that notion as a business strategy in his book “Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” Drucker recommends searching for an area that your competitors are not servicing, i.e., “where they ain’t.” Most often, your competitors aren’t even aware that a gap had existed, until you fill it. Like General Washington, you have to “hit em where they ain’t.”

Do you have a business, career, or personal problem? Need an innovative solution? Dr. Mark Dillof utilizes powerful insights from philosophy, psychology, literature & history! Call him at 1-888-737-5724 or e-mail Dr. Dillof today to set up a free exploratory session.

Do you find yourself beset by worries? Winston Churchill has some advice.

Churchill

Balthasar Gracian

Winston Churchill — who led Great Britain to victory against Nazi Germany, during World War II — certainly knew hard times. Indeed, he knew what it is to go through hell, such as the aerial bombardment of London. But Churchill also knew hard times on a personal level. His career certainly had its upsets and disappointments. At one point, after losing a number of elections, in the 1930s, it was generally believed that Churchill was through politically. Then, in the 1940s, when the British people awakened to the unpleasant fact that they would have to go to war against Germany, Churchill’s dire warnings about Hitler proved true and he was elected to become prime minister.

Churchill was famous for a number of immortal speeches and sayings, embodying courage. One that I find to be a particularly valuable piece of

advice is, “When going through hell, keep on going.” It is, indeed, the best advice for anyone in the midst of a difficult, or arduous situation, or a crisis — keep on going, keep on working persistently to alter the situation, such that one can eventually leave hell.

Decisive action is the best antidote for worry. Balthasar Gracian, the Sixteenth Century Spanish monk, confirms Churchill’s thoughts:

“Know how to rely on yourself. In great crises, there is no better companion than a bold heart, and if it becomes weak it must be strengthened from the neighboring parts. Worries die away for the person who asserts himself. One must not surrender to misfortune or else it would become intolerable. Many people do not help themselves in their troubles and double their weight by not knowing how to bear them. He that knows himself knows how to strengthen his weakness, and he wise person conquers everything, even the stars in their courses.” (Balthasar Gracian. The Art of Worldly Wisdom. Translated by Joseph Jacobs. Shambala Pocket Classics. pp. 144-145.)

And so, if you find yourself beset by worries — and perhaps by misfortune itself —first decide upon the best course of action, but don’t take too long. And then act resolutely to turn things around.

Do you have a business, career, or personal problem? Need an innovative solution? Dr. Mark Dillof utilizes powerful insights from philosophy, psychology, literature & history! Call him at 1-888-737-5724 or e-mail Dr. Dillof today to set up a free exploratory session.

Feeling the Sting of Ingratitude? Marcus Aurelius Offers Consolation

Marcus Aurelius

Lone Ranger

Have you ever done a favor for a business associate — or for anyone else, for that matter — and never received so much as a “thank you” in return? Encountering ingratitude is one of the most galling experiences, and it’s very common. The Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote: “I believe that the best definition of man is the ungrateful biped.” Yes, ingratitude has been around for a long time.

Furthermore, there’s something even worse than not receiving a thank you, after doing a good turn for somebody. A person may actually be punished for his generosity, for it has rightly been said, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

What, then, to do about the painful experience of ingratitude? A person

could become cynical, never again offering to help anyone in need. But it’s much better to continue to be generous, but not to expect thanks. Is such magnanimousness really possible? Here is what the one of the wisest of philosophers, the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who lived in the Second Century AD, recommends:

“Once you have done a man a service, what more would you have? Is it not enough to have obeyed the laws of your own nature, without expecting to be paid for it? That is like the eye demanding a reward for seeing, or the feet for walking. It is for that very purpose that they exist; and they have their due in doing what they were created to do. Similarly, man is born for deeds of kindness; and when he has done a kindly action, or otherwise served the common welfare, he has done what he was made for, he has received his quittance.” (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. Penguin Classics. Translated by Maxwell Staniforth. Page 149.)

Marcus Aurelius is arguing that since it is intrinsic to our higher nature to be generous, that our generosity is its own reward, for in giving to other people, we are fulfilling our nature. There is certainly something heroic about Marcus’ view of life. After all, the hero never asks for a reward. Like the Lone Ranger, he (or she) simply does the good deed and then rides off into the sunset before he can receive a thank you. In the long run, we shall be happier being this way, for a person with a magnanimous soul is always happier than one who is small-minded. If we keep this in mind, when we encounter ingratitude, it won’t have quite as bad a sting.

Do you have a business, career, or personal problem? Need an innovative solution? Dr. Mark Dillof utilizes powerful insights from philosophy, psychology, literature & history! Call him at 1-888-737-5724 or e-mail Dr. Dillof today to set up a free exploratory session.

Have you lost your focus? Balthasar Gracian has a remedy. 

Balthasar Gracian

Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca

In business as in life, it’s very easy to lose one’s focus. Indeed, a person can get so absorbed in everyday problems that he or she no longer sees the forest for the trees. An example comes to mind, from the 1980s, during the surge in stock prices. In his annual report for Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet wrote how a lot of people had been imploring him to invest some of that company’s large cash reserves in various other companies.

But Buffet had an intuitive sense that stock prices were getting too high. So, in his report Buffet quoted the French philosopher and monk Blaise Pascal, who said that that our real problem in life is our inability to stay in our cell. Instead, out of a kind of foolish restlessness, we venture out.

What Buffet was saying was that it was best for Berkshire Hathaway to

stick to its knitting and not to get involved with the buying frenzy, on Wall Street. As usual, Buffet’s intuitions proved correct.

What’s true of stock market investments is true of life in general. It’s necessary to know where not to invest one’s time and energy. As Balthasar Gracian states:

“Know how to withdraw. It is a great lesson in life to know how to deny, it is still greater to know how to deny oneself as regards both affairs and persons. There are extraneous occupations that eat away precious time. To be occupied in what does not concern you is worse than doing nothing. It is not enough for a careful person not to interfere with others, he must see that they do not interfere with him.” (Balthasar Gracian. The Art of Worldly Wisdom. Translated by Joseph Jacobs. Shambala Pocket Classics. p. 29.)

Since our time is limited, it is therefore important to decide which projects are most important and which one would be better off abandoning. Alas, sometimes there are friendships that need to be abandoned or at least curtailed. As Gracian states, “The greatest skill at cards is to know when to discard.”

Sometimes, what is required is discarding a whole way of life. One is reminded, in that regard, of the ending of the film Casablanca. Rick Blaine (played by Humphrey Bogart) decides that it’s time to sell his restaurant and join in the war effort. Are you holding some cards that you would be better off discarding?

Do you have a business, career, or personal problem? Need an innovative solution? Dr. Mark Dillof utilizes powerful insights from philosophy, psychology, literature & history! Call him at 1-888-737-5724 or e-mail Dr. Dillof today to set up a free exploratory session.