Winston Churchill

By: Aubrey Gum, Caroline Reid, Colleen Cunningham,

Matthew Whiting, Megan Grubbs

Introduction
Throughout history we have seen leaders rise and fall; they either lead to inspire and
motivate their people or rise for selfish reasons, creating chaos. Many leaders will be
remembered for their excellent communication skills and their ability to act out a vision with
success while others will only be remembered for their failures and the turmoil they brought to
the world. Winston Churchill would be considered one of the leaders who acted with vision for
the good of his followers even when his opinion was not popular. He once said, You have
enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life (Winston S.
Churchill). Churchill was a great leader with many enemies because he stood up for what he
believed in. His determination, integrity, communication skills, and accomplishments made him
a memorable leader for many years.

Biography
Winston Churchill was born on November 30, 1874. His mother, Jennie Jerome was an
American heiress, and his father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was from a long line of aristocrats.
His father was successful in his political career, possibly leading Winston Churchill into his
interest in politics (Winston S. Churchill). As a child, Churchills father showed little affection,
but did establish great expectations for his son. Churchill attended Harrow Preparatory School,
where he acted out in rebellion toward his father, causing his academic failure. When his father
passed away he began to buckle down and focus more. He was able to finish school, but decided
to join the military instead of attending the University of Oxford. In 1893, he was accepted to
Royal Military College to become a cavalry officer and during his time at the military school, he
learned how to become a strong leader. After graduation, he traveled all around the British
empire as a journalist and soldier (Winston S. Churchill). By 1900, he had published five

books about his travels. These books include: The Story of the MalaKand Field Force, The River
War, Savrola, London to Lady Smith, and Ian Hamiltons March (Book Collector's Guide).

Experiences that helped contribute to his/her development

Churchills vast range of experiences allowed him to develop into an effective leader.
Most of his leadership skills came from being in the military where he was involved in four wars
and was an active leader during many of them. In 1915, one of his campaigns did not work out
and led to the invasion of Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. In his plans, he had hoped Turkey would
withdraw from the war and Balkan states would join the Allies, but this was not the case. The
end result was devastating to him, the Allies had to withdraw. Between World War I and World
War II, Churchill mainly was involved in small jobs, but stayed busy. In 1940, Churchill became
prime minister and took on another great leadership role. In his speech regarding World War II,
Churchill claims:

We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what
is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and
with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny,
never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.
You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs,
victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without
victory, there is no survival (Winston S. Churchill)

Winston Churchills speeches contributed to his success as a leader. In his speeches, he

was able to use motivating words to gain peoples trust, which is an important skill essential to

being a good leader. Although he may have been a little hard to understand, when he spoke,
people listened. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his mastery of historical and
biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values
(Winston S. Churchill).

Description of leadership behaviors and practices used by the leader:

A leader needs to exert specific leadership traits, including: drive, desire to lead, selfconfidence, honesty, and knowledge of business. Winston Churchill exhibited many of these
traits (McWilliams & Williams, 2009). He is most well known for his honesty, persistence, and
strong desire to lead. He was a man of honesty and once stated, The truth is incontrovertible.
Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is (Namin-Hedayati,
2014). Churchill felt that the truth would always come out in the long run and expressed this
feeling in many speeches. Winston Churchill once said, Each night before I go to bed, I try
myself by Court Martial to see if I have done something really effective during the day I dont
mean merely pawing the ground, anyone can go through the motions, but something really
effective (Namin-Hedayati, 2014). This statement truly shows how persistent he was; he always
tried to do the best he could, even when he was not succeeding or seeing results right away. Not
many leaders nor people ask themselves a profound question like that before they go to bed
every night. Winston Churchill had a strong desire to lead, and with this desire he accomplished
many things. He had a strong desire to lead his people for the good of his people; he always
wanted what was best for his country. The traits that Winston possessed helped him to become a
successful leader. These traits distinguish him from many other leaders such as Adolf Hitler, who
had a desire to lead, but did not lead for the greater good. With these characteristics, he was able
to practice many different leadership styles.

What can we learn from this leader?

Churchill was a determined and confident leader. In his early life, he struggled to get into
military school, but then he began to see the importance of education and became one of the
schools best students. This shows how his hard work paid off and led him to grow into a
powerful leader. It also lead him to receive many prestigious military awards and honors.
Winston Churchill believed that failing was not always a bad thing because he understood how to
learn from his mistakes. This gave him a more positive outlook on failure, and he was not
discouraged when things did not go as planned. Churchill once said, A pessimist sees the
difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty (Langworth,
2012). This quote illustrates Churchills outlook on life and his positive attitude towards what he
could change instead of everything that needed to be changed. Another obstacle that Churchill
surpassed as a child was a speech impediment. Through hard work and perseverance, Churchill
became one of the best public speakers of all time. We can learn from this great leader that
anything is possible as long as you never give up (Winston Churchill).

Description of the background, traits & skills of the leader:

With his military background, Churchill was able to practice working together with
people from all lifestyles and backgrounds; as he worked his way up the ranks, Churchill was
able to gain more leadership skills and understand the qualities a good leader must have. His
father was involved in politics, giving Churchill a chance to see what it took to become a
powerful leader in the world of polititians. Churchill was a very passionate leader which helped
him relate to the general public without making them feel inferior. He had a way of getting on
their level and letting them know that their voice was heard. Winston Churchill maintained many
leadership qualities including: vision, encouragement, good communication, influence, and

engagement.
The skills and characteristics that Churchill possessed categorize him as a strategic,
transformational, inspirational, and charismatic leader. Churchill was a strategic leader because
of his ability to organize and plan for the future in order to initiate positive change. Charismatic
leadership could be used to define Churchills technique because of the strong relationship he
created with his followers. Charismatic leaders also communicate their vision in an expressive
way. Because Churchill was an excellent speaker who could communicate the need for change
and inspire those with a loss of hope, he was called upon during World War II to give faith to
those in Britain in a time of despair (Leadership Analysis - Winston Churchill).
When comparing Winston Churchill to another one of the most influential leaders, Adolf
Hitler, it is obvious that these two men shared some of the same characteristics but had very
different ideals. Hitler is seen as a powerful figure capable of influencing people by creating fear
in them. Churchill was a powerful figure with plans for improvement and good change. Both
leaders would be considered charismatic but Churchill was more inspirational than Hitler. As
Hitler inspired people to hate Jews and feel threatened by him, Churchill focused on
improvements for an entire nation, not just eliminating people he held a grudge against. Hitler
used different techniques to intimidate people such as staring into the eyes of people he was
talking to and not blinking. Churchill did not act like Hitler; he did not have any tactics he used
while talking to people, he did not have speechwriters, and he did not use heat in crowded rooms
to make people feel uncomfortable. In contrast, Churchill used other trademarks like using
methods of speaking that other politicians in the Victorian Era used, skills that people like
Gladstone or his father, Lord Randolph Churchill, used. Churchill used props, such as: hats, bow
ties, cigars, canes, and other items to help make himself recognizable to the public.These

trademarks made him memorable to people who only saw public political cartoons in
newspapers about their leaders.
Hitler was known for his physical appearance and stage presence, while Churchill was
not. Of the two leaders, Hitler was kinder and more considerate to his immediate staff while
Churchill was rather rude to his. Churchills staff and secretaries often became tired of his
rudeness and lack of affection, while Hitler actually remembered the names of his staff, knew
their birthdays, and checked on them when they were ill (Roberts, 2011). Churchill was only
liked by his staff because he was saving civilization, not because he was friendly to them
(Roberts, 2011). His lack of affection for his staff was one of the only downfalls of his
leadership. Hitler was much better at managing people but was not as good with small details;
this was where Churchill showed his detail-oriented thinking. He was able to look at the bigger
picture and pay attention to the smaller details of what was happening. Churchill was more
successful because he was not a totalitarian dictator, but instead could run a war in a rational
and logical way that was simply impossible in Nazi Germany (Roberts, 2011). Both Hitler and
Churchill showed characteristics similar to one another. For example, neither one of these leaders
changed their message to suit their audience, but instead, they simply got their point across and
insisted that they were right (Roberts, 2011). Hitler and Churchill were two very different leaders
and the following quote says a lot about the type of leader Churchill was in comparison to Hitler:

Today one of these leaders is recognised simply as the archetype of what to avoid at all
costs. The other is considered of supreme relevance to the world politically, even nearly
four decades after his death. One died by his own hand, in the ruins of his capital, where
his corpse was hurriedly doused with petrol and set alight. The other died in his ninth

decade, loaded with honours and an object of admiration for the entire globe (Roberts,
2011).

Experiences that helped contribute to his/her development:

Churchill had lots of military experience and military background. He earned many
achievements and has many military awards and accomplishments. He won the Nobel Prize in
Literature in 1953 for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for
brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values (The Nobel Prize in Literature).
He is very well known for his Iron Curtain Speech in the United States. The Iron Curtain
symbolized the physical boundary and conflict dividing Europe into two separate areas from the
end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The following quote creates
an image for the reader to envision of The Iron Curtain:
The Iron Curtain symbolized efforts from the Soviet Union to block itself and its
satellites from open contact with the west and non-Soviet-controlled areas. (Wiki - Winston
Churchill) On the east side of the Iron Curtain were the countries that were connected to or
influence by the Soviet Union. On either side of the Iron Curtain, states developed their own
international economic and military alliances. The Iron Curtain took the form of border defenses
between the countries of Europe in the middle of the continent. The most notable border was
marked by the Berlin Wall and its Checkpoint Charlie which served as a symbol of the Curtain as
a whole (Wiki - Winston Churchill).

The events that demolished the Iron Curtain started in discontent in Poland and continued
in Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Romania. Romania was the only

communist state in Europe to violently overthrow its totalitarian government (Wiki - Winston
Churchill). Churchills first recorded use of the term iron curtain came in a telegram on May
12, 1945 to U.S. President Harry S. Truman regarding his concern about Soviet actions, stating:
An iron curtain is drawn down upon their front. We do not know what is going on behind
(Churchill, 1962).

How this leader could have improved his/her effectiveness & what can we learn?:
Churchill was great at giving speeches and was a determined leader, but some people felt
like he overstepped boundaries at times. Churchill had great ideas and plans for his country, but
sometimes he focused too much on the small details and changed his plans often which caused
chaos and confusion. Churchill made mistakes, just like anyone else, but he stated that his
biggest mistake was restoring Britain back to its gold standard. Churchill also failed at
Norwegian offensive, tax reform, and a coal strike (Winston Churchill). In the beginning,
Churchills political career was very controversial, but from Churchill, we can learn that
persistence is key. A leader needs to be persistent, however, they also need to know their
boundaries.. From Churchill, anyone can see that it is often important to look at the bigger
picture and not get wrapped up in the small details of any task or event.

How effective this leader would have been in other organizations

Winston Churchill was a strong military leader and statesman, and had the ability to
inspire people with his speeches and make them rally behind him. These characteristics are
important in any organization, making it appear that Churchill would have been highly effective
in other organizations. Especially in a time of economic crisis, causing company downsizing and
decreased profits, Churchill would make an excellent business leader. In an organization where

employees are discouraged and unmotivated, Churchill would explain the reality of the situation,
providing the team with a vision in order for them to gain sight of the bigger picture, offer advice
on how to achieve the goal, and then motivate them into achieving this. Churchill excelled at
adopting a vision and inspiring people to embrace the necessary changes. Because people
respond to behaviors more than words, Churchills passion and drive for the cause in which he
spoke upon inspired many people. Business leaders can learn from his technique in order to gain
trust and motivate their employees (Leadership Analysis - Winston Churchill).

Any other information about this leader you believe is important:

While in the military, Churchill was included in several life threatening events but was
strong enough to make it through all of them. During his reign in World War II, Churchill was
very unhealthy. In 1941, he suffered a heart attack, and in 1943, he came down with pneumonia
(Winston Churchill: Prime Minister, Journalist (1874-1965)). Health was not his only problem
during this time though. While he was reporting on the Boer War in South Africa in 1899, he was
taken prisoner by the Boers while on a scouting expedition; he made headlines when he escaped
and traveled around 300 miles to Portuguese territory for safety (Winston Churchill: Prime
Minister, Journalist (1874-1965)).
In most pictures of Churchill, a cigar is in his hand or mouth. This was one of the props
he used to become recognizable to the general public. He became an avid cigar smoker after he
visited Cuba in 1895 during the time that Cuba was rebelling against the Spanish Empire
(Welsh). He was inspired by the events that were occurring around him and was excited to see
the potential for all the great things that could happen in Cuba. Churchill was initially in Cuba to
show his rank in the military and flaunt the fact that he could go somewhere far away and do
what he wanted (Welsh). It was in Cuba that he and fellow officer Reginald Barnes stayed at

fancy hotels and indulged in Cuban culture; from that point forward, Churchill favored Cuban
cigars (Welsh). Among his favorite brands were Romeo and Julieta and La Aroma de Cuba,
which does not exist anymore (Welsh). He stocked 3,000-4,000 cigars in a room across from his
study and had them all in boxes on shelves labeled small, large, wrapped, and naked
(Welsh). Churchill was even given the nickname Cigarface after a London cartoonist drew
Churchill as a gangster toting a tommy gun (Welsh). He enjoyed smoking cigars so much that he
even worked with a flight expert to create an oxygen mask that made cigar smoking possible
while in flight. They came up with a design and Churchill happily puffed his cigar as they flew
15,000 feet in the air (Welsh). Eight to ten cigars were smoked by Churchill on an average day,
but he did not always smoke them in their entirety; sometimes he would smoke them for a little
while and then let them burn out and just chew on them (Welsh).

What specific actions & practices of this leader result in high levels of performance:
Churchill was a very confident leader who made some of the greatest speeches in history.
His Iron Curtain speech is recorded in textbooks all over the world. One of the greatest things
Churchill did was to stay motivated and make the United Kingdom a successful country.
Churchill made this possible by being honest, having lots of passion, and being courageous.
Churchill was a strong and confident leader; he did not believe in lying to the public, but telling
them the truth about what was really happening in the world (3 Leadership Qualities of Winston
Churchill, 2014). Churchill used different tactics than other leaders and had great success with
these. As discussed earlier in the paper, the types of leadership that Churchill offered to the
public made him a very trustworthy, likable man. He was charismatic, strategic,
transformational, a visionary, and inspirational. All of these types of leadership styles worked
together to play a role in his strong leadership capabilities.

How do these actions and practices reflect or not reflect the leadership behaviors,
concepts and models studied in this class:
In conclusion, as a group we have learned that Winston Churchill demonstrated many of
the qualities discussed in class. These include: strategic leadership, charismatic leadership and
visionary leadership. With the information we have gathered and by applying the topics that we
have discussed in class, we have determined Winston Churchill to be an effective leader.
Through demonstration of leadership techniques and characteristics discussed in class, such as,
initiating structure, consideration for followers, high approachability, vision, and charisma, it is
obvious that Winston Churchill served as an excellent leader and truly worked toward the greater
good (McWilliams & Williams, 2009).

Work Cited
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http://www.churchillbooks.com/guide.cfm
Churchill, Winston S. (1962), The second world war, triumph and tragedy, Book 2, Chapter
15: Bantam, pp. 489 and 514).
Langworth, R. (2012, September 28). Churchill on pessimists and optimists. Retrieved April
17, 2015, from https://richardlangworth.com/optimistspessimists
Leadership analysis - Winston Churchill. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2015, from
http://leadershiprocks.tripod.com/id1.html
McWilliams, A., & Williams, C. (2009). MGMT. South Melbourne, Vic.: Cengage Learning
Australia.
Namin-Hedayati, F. (2014, March 19). 3 Leadership qualities of Winston Churchill. Retrieved
April 20, 2015, from http://www.centerforworklife.com/3-leadership-qualities-winstonchurchill/
Roberts, A. (2011, February 17). Secrets of leadership: Hitler and Churchill. Retrieved April
17, 2015, from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/hitler_churchill_01.shtml
The nobel prize in literature 1953. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2015, from
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1953/
Welsh, P. (n.d.). A gentleman of history. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from
http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/A-Gentleman-of-History_6006/
Winston Churchill. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2015, from
http://www.wyzant.com/resources/lessons/history/hpol/churchill

Winston Churchill. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2015, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill
Winston Churchill: Prime minister, journalist (18741965). (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2015,
from http://www.biography.com/people/winston-churchill-9248164
Winston S. Churchill. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2015, from
http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/winston-churchill