I hope you enjoyed this short series on leadership; it is loosely based on The Legacy of Leadership a short series of videos and documents from the George C. Marshall Foundation. You can also find this material on iTunes in the iTunes U section.
George C. Marshall was an impressive person although those who met him in early life may not have realised it due to the slow start of his military career. He rose through the ranks of the officer corps eventually becoming Chief of Staff of the Army, a position he held through WW2. By the time the war was over he had been promoted to General of the Army (5 stars).
George C. Marshall is also known for the Marshall Plan which helped rebuild Europe after the war. He lead this plan while US Secretary of State. During the period he also received the Nobel Peace Prize (1947). He eventually became President of the American Red Cross and, his final public position, US Secretary of Defense.
So why use the George C. Marshall videos as a basis for this series? After all the man was not a project manager and project management is not war or politics. That is somewhat true but his story shows one of the greatest attributes of leadership; portability. The common thread throughout his career was leadership; candor, selflessness, commitment, integrity, and courage.
A word of caution; the acting in the videos is not necessarily the best you'll ever see. Please do not let this detract from the message.
What do you think? As always comments are welcome.
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