WW2 Story: Why Wasn't There Any Anti-Aircraft Firing Last Night?

WW2 Story: Why Wasn't There Any Anti-Aircraft Firing Last Night?

As the London bombings began in September 1940, Churchill asked the London anti aircraft commander: "Why wasn't there any anti-aircraft firing last night?"

"We can't shoot at a target in the dark, sir. It's a waste of ammunition," came the reply from the Anti-Aircraft Commander.

Churchill snapped and said, "I don't care. I want us to fire back every night, no matter what. People have to know we are fighting back."

Similarly, as a corporate leader, sometimes you need to put up a fight even when you know it might not yield any results. It helps the team see that you are actively fighting for them, which can have a long-term positive impact. 

For instance, in January 2018 at ZS, there were two associates who deserved promotion to Associate Consultants. However, my manager believed they weren't ready. I strongly advocated for them, but my onshore manager, adhering to 8 year old performance standards for promotions, did not budge. 

Although the associates weren't promoted at that time, they knew I had fought for them and therefore, were confident that if they maintained their performance, they would be promoted in the future. They chose not to seek other job opportunities and continued their excellent work. Six months later, they were promoted without question.

"Follow" me for more such stories

Read past stories like above at https://lnkd.in/d9ijze8r