72 Hours of Leadership
72 hours.
Three sleepless nights and three long days.
A lot can change in 72 hours.
Especially when the fate of the entire free world hinges on you having to make one colossal and very big decision.
If you’re a CEO, a small business owner or entrepreneur you already appreciate the endless ticking clock, the ceaseless march of time and the mountain of pressure on your shoulders to make all the right moves. From long-term strategic decisions to the daily grind of the 72+ micro decisions you make each day.
What if the entire fate and fortune of your organization depended on how you handled a three-day pressure cooker that would test every fibre of your character?
The recently released World War II drama, Pressure is like watching a masterclass in high-stakes decision-making. It’s about sorting through the fog of ambiguity, internal conflict, monumental risk and being accountable for your choices.
In the 72 hours leading up to the D-Day invasion of Normandy, it was critical that weather conditions cooperate as more than 150,000 Allied troops prepared to assault Hitler’s Fortress Europe. This may have been history’s most consequential weather forecast for the largest amphibious operation in history, otherwise known as Operation Overlord. Originally, the plan was to hit the Normandy beaches on June 5, 1944, which made the verdict from chief meteorological officer, Group Captain James Stagg indispensable. His gloomy forecast, however, wasn’t what Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted to hear… but it’s what he and other Allied military leaders needed to hear. The interplay between Stagg and Eisenhower and the decisions they made – when everything was on the line – elevates this film and ranking it as one of the greatest stories of real-life leadership ever told.
To get a sense of what’s involved in making tough decisions under extreme circumstances, formulate a battle plan to watch the movie and feel the Pressure of 72 Hours Of Leadership on this edition of Leaders & Legends.
“When pressure mounts and strain increases everyone begins to show the weaknesses in his makeup. It is up to the Commander to conceal his: above all to conceal doubt, fear, and distrust”
- GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU:
Sitting, watching and enjoying popcorn at the Cineplex Odeon in Northwest Calgary, it wasn’t long before it dawned on me that Pressure was not just another war movie. Not another action-thriller taking liberties with historical events. What’s depicted actually happened. These are the people who were there as they wrestled with their own fears, egos, emotional burdens and self-doubt. In many respects, that’s what unfolds inside every organization today being threatened by winds of change and disruption in the marketplace. This film does a masterful job depicting people caught in the ultimate crucible; having to make enormous decisions without ever knowing for certain how they will turn out. To have this cauldron of human emotions swirling around one monumental decision within a 72-hour window made me reflect on how this remarkable film applies to what everyday leaders are facing right now.
1. Confront The Brutal Facts:
Referenced by Jim Collins in his classic Good To Great, the film shines a spotlight on the immense moral courage required to deliver bad news. Chief Meteorologist James Stagg remains true to his convictions despite knowing he will not be the most popular guy in the room when his findings clash with existing plans and preferences of the Allies top military brass. The stance taken by Stagg is not something we see every day in organizations with middle level executives being brave enough to “speak truth to power". What are the implications of courageously confronting those in authority with facts, moral clarity, or honest feedback? How many are truly willing to put themselves out there on a limb knowing the risk it carries to one's reputation, career, or status.
2. Pressure Is Par For The Course:
This is what you signed up for. Goes with the territory. If you’re the one who took on the job as leader, the job description demands that you remain calm in chaos. Leadership pressure is universal. Panic is optional. As the film describes, the room can get loud sometimes. It can be filled with opinions and egomaniacs. However, it’s up to the leader to be a calming influence; to steady the ship while fixing problems and staying focused on the objective. Great leaders will never be able to eliminate pressure, but in the middle of it all, they must stay true to their purpose.
3. Navigate Uncertainty:
Despite possessing enormous resources with troops, equipment and investing an incredible amount of time planning, there were no guarantees that D-Day would succeed. This was not a slam dunk by any means. So many things could have gone wrong or backfired. Pressure serves as a powerful reminder that leadership carries the emotional weight of decisions – especially when there are no perfect answers and prices to be paid. Eisenhower had to make tough, decisive choices without absolute certainty. He had to synthesize the convergence of conflicting expert opinions, overcome his own reservations and manage the unpredictability of Mother Nature, all while carrying the responsibility for tens of thousands of lives.
This movie succeeds because every scripted word, the cinematography, sound effects, every plot twist and every scene fully reveal the tension, urgency, and ambiguity hanging over that 72-hour period in June of ‘44. It makes Pressure worthy of consideration of being ranked as one of the Top Five business movies ever made for the way it speaks to staying cool in the face of chaos and bringing our best selves to the leadership table.
Pressure may be based on events from 1944, yet also delivers a timeless message in a world where truth is fragile and fake news is common. From a personal point of view, I have been fascinated with the D-Day operation since junior high. The multitude of leadership insights, decisions and ‘what if’ scenarios. If the Allies failed to gain a foothold that day, there would be no going back to the drawing board. There would be no do overs. It would be at least another year or two before they could regroup and attempt another landing.
Twice, I have stood on that lonely windswept beach in northern France. Walking on the sands of Omaha Beach, one can imagine the air filled that day with dense smoke, the rat-tat-tat of machine gun fire, cries of the wounded and the roar of cannon as the English Channel becomes soaked with blood and dead bodies. When you explore the Germans defensive positions and view the battlefield from inside the bunkers, only then can you fully appreciate what a daring, risky and heroic operation this was.
D-Day still resonates today because it represents an unflinching difference between right and wrong. Between good and evil. Not one soldier wanted to live in a world in which Nazi tyranny prevailed. So, they put everything on the line that day - with more than 4,000 making the ultimate sacrifice – and all of us who still enjoy the benefits of those freedoms are forever grateful. From deep in the archives, here is the story of D-Day shared about a decade ago.
“So much of the progress that would define the 20th century, on both sides of the Atlantic, came down to the battle for a slice of beach only six miles long and two miles wide”
- PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
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