In support of Memorial Day, I picked five quotes from great military leaders that are applicable to anyone running a team.  The military has given us some of the great leaders who have achieved extraordinary feats.  Some managers today forget that running a team is leading people.  Clear communication and showing your team what you expect by actions is critical.  Communicating through email and phone does serve a purpose, but technology does not find the motivators in your seller’s lives; nor does it instill a sense of confidence in their leaders.  The only way to do this is by face-to-face interaction.

1.      The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership. -General Colin Powell

2.       Always do everything you ask of those you command. – General George S. Patton

3.       Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy. -General Norman Schwarzkopf

4.      I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself. -General Robert E. Lee

5.       Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. -General George Patton