Since I've been doing so much reading on success and technology, I wanted to mix things up with some biographies. Obviously just any biography wouldn't be worthwhile, it had to be something historical to leave modern technology behind.
The Last Lion, by William Manchester and Paul Reid starts with the story of Sir Winston Churchill, supplanting the existing Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlin.
The details of the war were certainly interesting, but I'll let WWII buffs who are better with dates and names retell those stories. For me the character of the people in that saga were what interested me the most. Here's a quick overview:
Stalin
The communist leader of Russia who initially started the war in Axis with Germany, but once betrayed, formed a weak alliance with the Allies. Throughout the whole war, Stalin seemed laser focused on securing Russia's borders, recapturing lost territories from WWI. His focus was so great that he gave little thought to the deaths of millions of his people or the politics with the U.S. To him, he was fighting the war alone and he would take whatever he wanted at the end of the war. He did, and he would. Your resolve determines your tolerance for costs.
Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt was the U.S. President for almost all of the war (except when the U.S. bombed Japan). He had the unenviable task of pulling the U.S. people out of apathy and into action. Having already suffered a world war and a great depression, Americans were not interested in anything happening in Europe and held little reverence for it's history. Roosevelt was over confident in his charisma, believing he could build a strong relationship with Stalin. He also underestimated Stalin's resolve which led to the fall of the iron curtain. When two similarly able men collide, the one with the stronger resolve will win.
Churchill
Just barely in office, Churchill finds himself at the start of the WWII (which would not be named such until later in the war). Bombs fly across Europe and Nazi's begin the attack of neighboring countries. What I loved about Churchill were his faults. Heavy drinker, heavy smoker, lover of war & short tempered. Having served in WWI, his ideas about modern warfare failed to match reality almost throughout the war. As a strategist, he failed to calculate it's impact in many critical battles.
Churchill's most inspiring trait was his spirit. He spoke in a strange old english (which later became regarded favorably) and he had many opportunities to end the war without many English casualties because Hitler was fond of England and offered favorable terms of surrender.
It was Churchill's passion and ability to convey it that not only convinced a war-weary England to pick up arms again, but did so with enthusiasm that lasted much of the war. Against all odds, he managed to convince that island to fight to the last breath. Even when he failed battle after battle and allies toppled to the Nazi army, he still kept their spirits up. Not by appealing to them with false victories, but by telling them things would get worse and to be ready.
At the end of the war, Churchill's war with the Nazi's cost England their entire empire. All the colonies became independent. England was left broke, destroyed and no longer the world leader. But they won and England loved him for it. You don't have to be perfect, you have to be willing.
Application
It reminds me that we don't have to be perfect. God chooses us at different times for different things. When he chooses us, it's not because we are perfect, but because we are the right person for that role. No amount of studying, networking or any other success principles will force you into that position. Many president's have come and gone without needing to display the courage of Winston Churchill. All we can do is grow ourselves the best we can so that when the time comes, we have the tools to do the job the best we can. Maybe if Churchill spent more time learning people skills or modern warfare strategies he would've come out of the war a little better off, but today it doesn't matter. He was God's man for that role, no one else would do.
Are you growing so you are ready when the time comes that God calls you to do something with fierce conviction?
