Growing up I was a history buff – especially when it came to stories from the US Civil War.
One of my favourites was after a brutal first day of fighting where the Union General Ulysses S. Grant was surprised by a Confederate attack but was able to avoid disaster.
Grant’s right hand man General Sherman came up to Grant to recommend retreat and withdrawal but what he saw and heard changed his mind – and the course of the battle, the war and history.
“When I reported to him [Grant] that evening, he was sitting by a fire near the bank of the Tennessee River, with a lantern shining on his face, and he was smoking a cigar. I was a little shocked at his apparent indifference, and commenced by saying: ‘Well, Grant, we’ve had the devil’s own day, haven’t we?’ He looked up, still holding his cigar between his fingers, and replied: ‘Yes. Lick ’em tomorrow, though.'”
Sherman didn’t mention retreat or withdrawal.
And the next day the Union army did whip them and drive them from the field.
Naturally, in the short term Grant took a lot of heat for being surprised in the first place and was politically punished but ultimately Lincoln kept him and he went on to win more victories, become the Commanding General, win the ultimate victory and then become elected to the Presidency in 1868.
There is a lot of lessons we can unpack from the life of General Grant which I can’t go into here.
But his clarity of purpose despite the gossipers, naysayers and heat he took is the most significant lesson for any business owner today.
And his ability to delegate and promote men to serve under him on merit and not ego served him well as they went on to make his victories and that of the country possible.
Now that lesson we will be covering in our upcoming Dual Delegation and Networking Masterminds with Cigar Experience at the Deck Restaurant in the Palm Dubai.
We are holding this event live on Wednesday 24 April from 4 – 9 PM GST (including 3 course dinner).
To find out how to effectively step back and delegate click on this link here to reserve your seat.
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My name is George Sotiropoulos
I’ll give you the clarity to confidently make decisions and investments that drive your business forward and give you the life you want.
But don’t take my work for it, find out more by clicking here to check out our different services and resources.