Explore the remarkable leadership lessons drawn from the life of Major Richard Winters, an extraordinary figure from World War II. This story delves into his inspiring qualities and principles that can be applied to everyday life, rare disease advocacy, and personal growth.
Lead From The Front: A Leadership Story From World War II
People who change the world aren’t always the “great leaders of history”. That’s what we’re taught. That leaders of nations, titans of industry, “historical figures”, those are the changemakers. There is some truth in that, of course. But those people aren’t the only ones who affect change. It’s also ordinary people, like you and me.
What I often try to do on this podcast is share my outlook on life, and I do that by sharing stories with you. Some stories are from my life—experiences I’ve had or witnessed. But this story… It’s from history, and it’s one I revisit over, and over, and over. It’s a story about someone who inspires me. Deeply.
If you ask me, “Who is your greatest hero?” I’ve got one answer for you. It’s not a US president. It’s not an author. It’s not a musician. Although a few come close. No, my hero is an extraordinary person from Hershey, Pennsylvania… named Major Richard Winters.
Major Richard Winters. Photo from Wikipedia.
If you’ve ever seen the HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers” you know who I’m talking about, and why I hold him in such high regard. I’ve watched that series almost every year for over 20 years. It’s more than just a TV show to me. It’s an opportunity to learn about life. Enduring hardships worse than I can imagine. Holding on to hope.
And… how to lead and inspire others.
This story inspired me so much that I don’t just watch the show anymore. I read the book by historian Stephen Ambrose. And I read a biography about Richard Winters. I then read his auto-biography. I can’t get enough.
He is a legend. Because of who he was, how he lived… but most importantly, how he gave everything he had to lead and inspire those who followed him.
There’s a phrase I’ll share later in this episode, and after hearing Major Winters’ story, you’ll understand why.
Leaders lead from the front.
A Word About My Source Material
Before I continue, I would like to share some resources about this story with you.
While the story of Major Richard Winters was popularized in the HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers”, that is not my source material for this episode. I highly encourage people to watch it, but viewer discretion is advised. It’s an intense show.
My source material is the book Band of Brothers by historian Stephen Ambrose, as well as The Biggest Brother by Larry Alexander and Beyond Band of Brothers by Major Richard Winters. If I quote from the material I will make that clear. But most of this episode will be a general overview of the story. Which I can recite by heart.
This is a story that moves me greatly. It inspires me every day to remain focused and committed to my life in PKU, newborn screening, and rare disease advocacy. But I’m sharing it now… because June 6, 2024, is the 80th anniversary of the beginning of this story – D-Day.
While I focus on one person in this episode, this is about honoring all who served in Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. And all who served during World War II.
Historical leaders may have made the decisions… but it was ordinary people who saved the world. And I share this story in their honor.
For the full story about Major Richard Winters and Easy Company, watch this documentary produced by HBO. It was released in 2001 shortly after the mini-series originally aired. It’s long, but a great way to learn more about this inspiring group of people.
June 6, 1944 – “D-Day”
In the early hours of June 6, 1944, 26-year-old 1st Lieutenant Richard Winters sat next to the door in a C-47 aircraft, mentally preparing for the day ahead. He and 16 other paratroopers—1st Squad, 1st Platoon of Easy Company—were preparing to jump behind enemy lines on the first day of the Allied invasion of Normandy. He stuck his head out through the open door and began to understand the scale of this mission: planes, as far as he could see.
Nothing like this had ever been attempted. And it’s easy to look back, decades later, on what is known as D-Day, and think it was a foregone conclusion that the Allies would win.
It wasn’t.
The Nazis had conquered Europe. Britain was being bombed. Relentlessly. There was no guarantee of success.
For Lieutenant Winters, there were two goals: live to see the end of the day, of course. But also, as their platoon leader… keep his paratroopers alive.
As they approached the drop zone, enemy anti-aircraft fire increased. In his autobiography, Winters said, “This was the first time I had been under fire and my adrenaline was pumping.” When the moment came, he was first out the door.
But something happened that night to many of the paratroopers that no one anticipated. The planes were flying much faster than expected because of the heavy enemy anti-aircraft fire. Which meant the shock of their parachutes opening was much greater than what they had trained for. And so, heavy equipment bags came loose and fell to the ground.
When Winters landed, his only weapon was his knife. But he kept his cool.
He and others from Easy Company regrouped after being spread apart, and he secured a rifle. Hours later, they had taken an armed battery of 105-millimeter heavy guns in what became known as the Brecourt Manor Assault. This was his first day of combat, and for his actions at Brecourt, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross Medal.
He later said, “Our success, however, was due more to our training and the unflinching courage of Easy Company than to my personal leadership.”
The Battle of Bastogne
Now, I could continue to tell you, in great detail, about all of Winters’ actions during the war. Of Easy Company’s campaigns in France, Holland, and Belgium. He was promoted rapidly, first becoming commander of Easy Company while still First Lieutenant. Being promoted to Captain. Serving as Executive Officer of the entire 2nd Battalion. Eventually, he was promoted to Major, his rank when he left the Army.
Yes, Major Winters survived the war. And was deeply revered by everyone who served under his command.
But… why?
What kind of person, in the heat of battle, can say, “There’s nothing to get excited about. The situation is normal. We are surrounded!”
What kind of person can lead others under the worst conditions imaginable?
Easy Company endured the Battle of Bastogne, which lasted from late December 1944 to mid-January 1945. Temperatures during that winter in Belgium averaged around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 7 Celsius. They didn’t have enough winter clothing, and they slept outside for almost a month. They didn’t have enough first-aid supplies. They didn’t have enough ammunition. One veteran of Bastogne later said that at one point they were down to one round… each.
And the relentless shelling they received. Now, this is where I’m going to take a step back for a second and say… how can I ever put into words what those veterans experienced? I’m telling a story about leadership, and trying to capture in words an experience that I can’t understand. All I can do here is point you to the mini-series, “Band of Brothers”, and realize that it’s just a depiction by gifted storytellers. The scenes in Bastogne terrify me every time. While I’m sitting in my living room, warm and free.
What words could I possibly utter to do justice to their experience?
Winters kept his cool under the worst conditions imaginable, set an example as a leader that others never forgot, and he did it all—he made it through the Battle of Bastogne—without firing a single shot.
When I think about his story, what I want to know is, “What kind of character do you have to have to achieve this?”
The mini-series explores many aspects of Easy Company’s experience in the war. It’s not just about Winters, but so many others who also served. It’s not his story, but their story.
But in my quest to learn more about Winters, I read the book Band of Brothers, as well as others, including his autobiography. And that’s when I really began to understand how someone like Major Richard Winters could lead effectively, affect change, and inspire others for generations.
Leadership Principles from Major Richard Winters
Major Winters shared his principles of leadership in his autobiography. I won’t share all of them. I highly recommend the book, and I’ve linked to it in the show notes. His principles of leadership can be applied to anything: leading organizations, rare disease advocacy, or just in your daily life.
Winters always said that his success on the battlefield was because of his training. I don’t mean just his official training to be in the Army or a paratrooper. No, he went above and beyond. He said, “Any success I had as a battlefield commander was based on character, detailed study, and taking care of those troopers.” As an officer, he knew that he would lead people into battle. And he felt a responsibility to do whatever he could, learn whatever he needed, and be a person of character… to bring as many people home as possible.
So, for 9 months while they were stationed in England, training for what they would eventually learn to be the invasion of Normandy, he studied. When everyone else went out at night, blowing off steam after a long day of training, he stayed home. He was quartered with a family and during that time he kept a quiet life. He studied infantry tactics. He would take walks to reflect on his responsibilities. He did everything he could to be as prepared as possible.
He believed that his responsibility as a leader demanded sacrifice. So, he removed himself… just a little… from those whom he led. And did everything he could to equip himself to make the decisions necessary to keep them alive. And hopefully, also help them be their best.
But most importantly, he lived by a code: leaders lead from the front. And with their actions, if not always their words, they say, “Follow me.”
In Winters case, he did this under the most extreme of circumstances. Once, while commanding an assault he stood directly in the line of fire, bullets grazing all around him, telling his men to keep moving.
He was known for being a quiet man, and others present that day said they had never seen him like that. He said something just came over him, and that he ignored the bullets flying around him. They had an objective, it had to be done, and his troopers were scared. So he stood out in the open at great personal risk and got them moving again.
That’s just who he was. He put himself out there for his paratroopers, and they in return would follow him anywhere.
Later in life, as he reflected on the Battle of Bastogne, and the value of moving amongst his troopers, just checking on them, he said, “The very fact that they see you and they are talking to you—they know that you are there and it makes all the difference in the world to realize that they are not in this by themselves.”
My Reason For Sharing
Why am I sharing these thoughts on leadership?
I’ve never been in the military. I couldn’t, because of PKU. I shared that story in season one in an episode called “Accepting Your Rare Disease Life”. It took me a long time to accept that reality. And that’s really what season one was about… learning how to accept difficult realities in life.
I’ve also never been an executive at a company. I’ve never been a manager.
But there’s a principle of leadership that I learned years ago. That everyone is a leader, wherever they’re at in life. We may not always be the leaders of organizations and be able to steer the course for many people. But we can all encourage and inspire others, in some way.
In the context of rare disease life, I think this is especially true for those who are active on social media. For the influencers out there in their respective communities, inspiring others to discover and be the best version of themselves.
It’s tempting to always be on and connected through social media. To get caught up in the here and now with whatever you are doing in advocacy. But encouraging and inspiring others also requires taking some time, every now and then, to consider the bigger picture of what you’re doing and why.
Are you trying to build a social media presence? Is that really the goal? Or are you trying to encourage and inspire others? And to help them accomplish the greatest dreams and desires of their hearts?
I think if we’re all honest, we share our lives because we hope our stories can help someone else. We’re in it to connect with others. And maybe—just maybe—help them find some hope.
It also takes us setting aside the time to get informed about whatever it is that we’re fighting for. Maybe it’s learning more about our rare disease. Or about specific policies that would help our community. Or about others’ experiences that might be different than our own. And maybe learning new strategies for communication or engaging on social media.
But most importantly… it takes courage.
It’s a scary thing to put yourself out there. Of course, I’m not talking about anything as dramatic or dangerous as the events of this story. But I find courage and hope by reflecting on those who have endured the unimaginable. When I do, I often find that what used to scare me doesn’t look quite as scary anymore.
I believe, passionately, that each of us affected by a rare disease has a deep well of courage. It may be locked away in our hearts. But I truly believe this. It takes courage to live this rare disease life. For some, more than others. But we all know courage, in some form or fashion.
And deciding to put yourself out there, to share your story in some way… even if it’s just with another person in private… that is a step toward becoming a leader.
It’s not about how many people you lead. It’s not about the size of your following. It’s about the satisfaction of knowing you’ve made a difference in someone’s life.
And if one person… just one person… is able to go through this life with a little more hope, and you had even just a small role to play in that…
Then you are certainly a leader.
In the video below, the interviewer poses this question in the context of military service, but Winters’ answer is for everyone.
Changing The World – One Person At A Time
We often think that history is changed only on the grand scale. That dramatic, sweeping events change the world. And that’s it.
But we often forget about the change that occurs in individuals. That we can change the world… for one person.
These days, it is so easy to get caught up in the game of social media. It’s a great tool for advocacy. But you can get distracted by building your social media presence. Focusing on views, likes, shares, engagement, and the rest. But early on in my advocacy journey when I shared my story about living with PKU… I realized that numbers were never going to be the purpose for me.
This will never be about connecting with large numbers of people, at least not for me. Of course, as a communicator I want my ideas to spread to as many people as possible. But that’s not my focus. I’m less interested in high numbers of engagement than the quality of that engagement.
Even if it’s just one interaction… even if a conversation is the only time we’ll ever speak… I ask myself, “How can my words help in this moment? With this person?” I choose my words carefully. Because people in our communities are hurting. And when they reach out to someone for help, I’ve found that they often remember those interactions forever.
Of course, it’s a nice feeling when something goes viral. I’ve had that happen a few times.
But you know what feels even better? Getting that single message from someone who tells you how much you’ve helped them. Or, better yet, becoming true friends with people who just used to be “followers”.
At this point in my career, I’m not concerned with how successful something is now. I try to think long-term. “How might this help someone if they see it a few weeks from now? Next month? 10 years from now?” That’s not the way social media is built. Social media is about “now”.
But it’s important to put things in perspective. And, from time to time, think about the change you’re trying to make in the world. Not just right now, but how what you are doing today might change things 10 years from now.
And not on a grand, sweeping scale, but in the individual hearts and minds of the people you encounter.
A Company Of Heroes
I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I could recite this story from memory. I wrote most of this while on an airplane traveling to film a PKU project.
Actors study their lines until they internalize them. The material gets deep inside. It has to, so they not only recite it intellectually but truly perform the material from the heart. To discover the truth of the moment.
That’s the way I am with biographies. I read stories that inspire me over, and over, and over until I internalize the material. I’m not an actor preparing for a performance, but I consider everything preparation for life.
I read, reflect, and write about things that motivate and inspire me. And Major Richard Winters inspires me deeply. He is my hero, not just for what he achieved in the war. But for how he treated people.
He cared. Deeply. He seemed to know what each person needed, individually. He said, “Sometimes all a soldier needed was a calm voice reassuring him that everything was fine.”
He was determined. “Hang tough!” He said. “Never, ever, ever give up regardless of the adversity. If you are a leader… you have got to keep going.”
And, he was humble.
“I may not have been the best combat commander, but I always strove to be,” he said.
It was his deep sense of caring, combined with his fierceness and determination… and his humility… that caused those who followed him to revere him for the rest of their lives.
Major Winters died in 2011. He had gone on to have a successful career in business, and became something of a celebrity after the book and miniseries “Band of Brothers” came out. And so, he gave many talks on leadership. People were hungry for what made him successful.
In my view, it’s simple. It’s that he cared enough to separate himself just a little, become as prepared as possible, and with a deep sense of character inspire those who followed him as he led from the front.
He once gave an interview where he shared a story… a story that makes me emotional every time. I watch this interview frequently, and every time, I tear up.
Because, while sharing someone else’s story, his voice is shaking. He cared deeply about others. And the idea they all stood for…
That it was the gathering together of these people… that changed things. They accomplished together what they could not achieve separately.
He shared the story of a grandson who asks his grandfather, “Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?” And the grandfather says, “No, but I served in a company of heroes.”
That’s the way they were, because they had a leader who showed the way: always put others first.
Major Richard Winters, born January 21, 1918… died January 2, 2011. And a major source of inspiration for me as I try to learn…
That leaders lead from the front…
And they show us…
How to never, never, never give up.
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