April 2026 | When Leadership Demands Resolve

April 2026

www.SOGiants.com

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Sir Isaac Newton 1643-1727

Many of you know, or have figured out from these pages, that I have become an avid reader of American history. I never made time for reading during my working years. I did read trade magazines and balance sheets, but no recreational reading. A while back, my wife bought me a T-shirt that reads, “Certified History Nerd.” I cannot argue that point as we recently completed our annual stop at Gettysburg. I have learned so much about leadership from my readings. Those that came before us did not know all the answers but did know a great deal about leadership. My favorites are Harry Truman, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Ronald Reagon, Teddy Roosevelt and, of course, Abraham Lincoln. The number one thing I have learned is how much I did not know about leadership, and consequently, how many things I probably did wrong.

Most of our historical leaders were resolute in their approach to making decisions. It seems that “maybe” or “we will see” were not commonly used terms. Perhaps we should consider this in our personal and professional worlds today. Do we use resolve in making decisions, or do we stall the process, hoping not to make a mistake?

During the Civil War, Ulyssis S. Grant was presented with many problems. He had to make many instant decisions. On one occasion, his right-hand man questioned him, “Are you sure that’s the right decision?” Grant responded, “No, but we must take action, and if I am wrong, we will try something else. In war, sitting still is never an option.”

We must be clear in our decisions, even at the cost of our own comfort. At times, we may all be better served by a firm “no” than we are by extending the possibility of a ‘yes,’ and vice versa. Of course, we should not compare the life and death decisions made during war with our daily decision-making process, but we are each daily engaged in some level of a small “war.”

As leaders, when possible, we should involve our team in difficult times as well as the easy ones, to build our team. General George Meade, General of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil war at Gettysburg, gathered his top generals together after two days of brutal battle. He told them he thought that they should withdraw their army from battle. He then opened it to discussion. All his generals voted to stand and fight. Meade sought advice but made his decision quickly: they stood and fought! Winning the third day of battle, and therefore the Battle of Gettysburg, changed the remainder of the war.

“As leaders we want to project strength, resilience, and knowledge. It can be hard, sometimes, to admit that we don't know everything or that we don't know which move to make next. This is when humility becomes a superpower, because it can help us be humble enough to ask for help or admit we still have things to learn from others.” (Candace Chellow, editor at SmartBrief on Leadership)

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a college student that was majoring in history. She asked me to tell her a cool fact that she may not know. I shared one with her about the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., which I used to frequently jog past when I was younger. The fact of law is that the embassy of each country is in fact part of that country. If you are in an embassy, you are in that country. At the front of the British Embassy is a statue of the great Winston Churchill in full stride. What is interesting is that, in stride, he has one foot in England and the other in the U.S. His mother was American, and his father was British. Also interesting is that Congress made him a U.S. citizen, not just an “honorary” citizen, but a full citizen. My new college friend found this very interesting, and I hope you do, too!

Have a great spring!!! Thank you for your support! 

Michael M. Carney mr.mikecarney@gmail.com

A special thank you to my support team!

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