A brief note on family history…
Some readers may be wondering why I’ve suddenly become interested in Sherman tanks, strategic thinking and a cartoon general with a lightbulb attached to his turret.
As it happens, I recently discovered that General William Tecumseh Sherman is my eighth cousin, four times removed.
Whether this means strategic leadership runs in the family is a matter for debate.
The evidence is mixed.
General Sherman coordinated large-scale military campaigns across the American Civil War.
I occasionally coordinate leadership workshops and manage to find my reading glasses.
Still, there are some striking similarities:
- We both answer to “Sherman”.
- We both believe in having a plan.
- We both appreciate decisive leadership.
- Neither of us enjoys unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Only one of us has marched through Georgia.
For the avoidance of doubt, my coaching methodology involves considerably less destruction of infrastructure and significantly more listening, questioning and reflective thinking.
So if the Sherman Think Tank becomes a regular feature of this blog, you can think of it as a small tribute to a distant relative who understood the importance of strategy, combined with my own belief that leadership works best when firepower is replaced with brainpower.
After all, the modern leader’s most important weapon isn’t a cannon.
It’s a good question.
💡 The management takes are mine. The military campaigns belong entirely to my cousin. 🪖