Rally Your Troops Like Churchill

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In his first speech as Prime Minister, Churchill said: "We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering." According to Fears, Churchill would probably tell today's business leaders: "Your employees are robust. They can take the truth if you give it to them. But if you sugarcoat the facts, they won't believe another word."

Walk the factory floor and listen. After the German invasion of France, 400,000 British and French soldiers were trapped in the town of Dunkirk in northern France. A large evacuation of troops across the English Channel seemed futile to Churchill's own military officers. Churchill listened to his top brass but also called on soldiers in battle. Based on the soldiers' resolve, Churchill decided to stay and fight. By doing so, England was able to evacuate 365,000 soldiers in nine days. No longer would there be talk of a British surrender. Listen to your rank and file. Show your employees and customers that you care about their opinions.

Radiate confidence. According to Fears, during the German blitz when fighters bombed London and other cities relentlessly, Churchill insisted that people in his office smile and remain upbeat. Churchill became famous for walking the streets after the city had withstood yet another attack, his fingers raised in a victory sign.

What is your demeanor in the workplace today? If Churchill could radiate confidence in the face of attack, the rest of us can remain upbeat despite today's economy.

Never give in. In a speech at his former boarding school on Oct. 29, 1941, Churchill delivered a phrase as relevant today as it was then: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

There are times, like today, when people need to hear this kind of message. As an inspiring leader, you must deliver the message of hope with your deepest conviction. It will help improve the morale of everyone in the workplace.

Always keep the big picture in mind. "These are not dark days; these are great days. The greatest days our country has ever lived." Churchill spoke those words in 1941, four years before the German surrender. Churchill saw brighter days in the middle of gloom. Fears says Churchill would advise today's leaders, "Don't despair and give up when things seem at their depths." He'd temper this advice with, "Don't become arrogant when things look as though they can only go higher."

Churchill reminds us anything is possible when you fill the hearts and minds of your employees with encouragement. The future is too bright to communicate anything less than relentless optimism.

Carmine Gallo, a business communications coach and Emmy-Award winning former TV journalist, is the author of Fire Them Up! and 10 Simple Secrets of the World's Greatest Business Communicators. He writes his communications column every week.