Some of the most valuable lessons in leadership come from history – not just the history of leaders we've worked with or the legends within our organizations, but from stories and figures that reach much further back. It's in those deeper historical examples that we often find timeless insights that still resonate today.
When I travel, whether for work or pleasure, I try to learn something about the place I am visiting and the people and leaders who founded and built the city I am in. This past week, I have been working in Europe, mostly in France, and carved out time to visit Brittany, Normandy, and, of course, Paris.
While I had a lot of client facing meetings and programs. I managed to make the time for a biking tour of Normandy and a walking tour of Paris – both with local historians. And what I learned was interesting, moving, powerful, and incredibly insightful.
Over the years I have read many books, watched my share of documentaries, and I was lucky enough to have a few good history professors that taught me most of what I know about the French Revolution and World War II.
But as I shared, spending time in the areas where the history happened, and learning from those who have spent their lives studying this one period or time, has taught me three incredibly valuable lessons in leadership.
A Leadership Lesson From Napoleon
When Napoleon rose to power, France was a mess. The country had just experienced the Reign of Terror, and fear and paranoia were rampant. The people had lost trust in leaders, and with good reason. Their leaders were corrupt. They were tired of war, economic uncertainty, food shortages, and joblessness.
As I said, France was a mess. The country was fractured and people divided – rich vs. poor, royalists vs. republicans, radicals vs. moderates. But Napoleon was able to unite them and unite the country.
He “rebranded” the country – gave them an identity and something to believe in. He led the people by uniting them under the identity of being French first - before their regions, their religions, or their beliefs. He made them see that France was not broken but instead destined for greatness.
The Lesson: As a leader you need to give your team something to believe in, to be a part of – they need you to define the identity and the cause.
A Leadership Lesson From Omaha Beach
For anyone who has ever visited Omaha Beach, one of the first things that strikes you is just how much of a miracle it was that we, The Allies, won. Because pretty much right from the start everything at Omaha Beach went wrong.
The Allie leaders had incorrect intel, thinking the Germans had far less forces than they did. The beach was narrow, the tide was high, and the shoreline was littered with mines and traps. The rough sea had most landings veering way off course — some sank, and some soldiers drowned before ever firing a shot. And there were massive casualties – the first wave of soldiers who hit the beach were wide open to the German forces – snipers, machine guns, and a relentless assault.
So what won the day – what produced the miracle?
Small bands of soldiers with no leaders, no orders, driven by values, belief, sheer guts, and resilience who in the midst of unrelenting uncertainty, adapted, adjusted, and figured out what to do and how to take the cliffs. As I said, a complete miracle.
The Lesson: As a leader, you have no control over what your team will face, or situations they will find themselves in. So as a leader, you should not train them to do the job. No, instead train them to believe in what they’re doing, and teach them to think.
And The Most Important Lesson In Leadership
And probably the most important leadership lesson I learned this trip is the lesson of sacrifice. I learned that real leaders are never thinking about themselves, they fundamentally understand that that is not their purpose or their cause.
No, they are driven simply by caring for and serving others. When you think about real leadership, whether it be those who served in The French Revolution, World War II, or any battle that defined our world as we know it today, the thing that comes to mind is sacrifice.
What true leaders give is their time, their energy, their resources, and their lives. They do it simply so those they care for and serve can succeed.
The Lesson: To be a leader, a true leader, you need to put the success and needs of everyone you serve ahead of your own.
So as I said, the most important lessons in leadership come from history, the leaders who have led through challenging and uncertain times.
History doesn’t just tell us what happened — it shows us what matters. In every story I walked through in France — from Napoleon’s vision to the blood-stained sands of Omaha Beach — one thing was clear: real leadership leaves a mark. Not because it’s loud. Not because it seeks the spotlight. But because leadership is all you need to ensure your team turns uncertainty to their greatest competitive advantage.
