Happy Christmas

As this is the last post of the year from me I thought I’d just share a couple of interesting things – a book to read and a place to go. My normal MO is to try to offer some little message that relates to marketing but my Christmas present to my small band of readers is to forget that and just recommend this book and this place. I think there are lessons to be taken from both but let’s just leave it with the thought that they make you think and they give you perspective. Never a bad thing for marketers.

The book is “The Churchill Factor” by Boris Johnson.
I cannot tell you when last I enjoyed a book so much. As it happens I am a fan of Boris but I know many are not and will point out that Boris writing about Churchill is a thinly veiled invitation to draw a favourable comparison between writer and subject. Critics will also say that Boris is so in awe of Churchill as to be blind to his shortcomings. Actually these are very well covered in the book but Boris works hard to downplay them, contextualize them and show that they are more than compensated for by Churchill’s achievements. Whether you like Boris or not or indeed whether you think Churchill’s life and achievements are better documented in other worthy tomes (The Churchill Factor is somewhat ‘Biography Lite’).

I guess what I have enjoyed most is being reminded what a truly extraordinary man he was and what a difference one man can make. Brilliant, tenacious, hard working, big picture and small detail, brave, innovative, funny and flawed. A man shaped by his history and a shaper of history. Soldier, writer and journalist, politician – leader. Every CEO and anyone who aspires to be a CEO should read this. It has to change your perspective on the challenges and opportunities you face.

Like all great dramas Churchill’s story is a story of redemption – in his case several redemptions over the course of his long life. Which brings me to my recommended place.

I have just returned from my second trip to the Zulu Battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorkes Drift.
Like any really good story I enjoyed it as much as the first time, five years ago, and took away new perspectives on arguably one of the darkest and one of the finest events in British military history, perhaps helped by going with one of my oldest friends who is a historian. We stayed at Fugitive’s Drift, founded by the late David Rattray and continued by his wife and sons. As before we were taken through the story of these two great battles of this utterly unnecessary piece of British imperialism that served only to prove the bravery of the fighters on both sides and destroyed a Zulu nation.

The two battles occur in one 24 hour period and in one small part of Africa either side of the Buffalo river. The first, Isandlwana, took place on a big battlefield and was over in 90 minutes. It resulted in the loss of 2000 well-armed and mostly seasoned British troops, only 55 escaped on horseback, the rest were slaughtered. The second battle kicked off that very afternoon at Rorkes Drift, just a few miles way, in an area the size of a couple of tennis courts. For close to 12 hours 135 British troops, many of them sick and all of them inexperienced, held off 4000 Zulus. An act of hubris leads to devastating defeat and results in redemption.

For the British it was humiliation followed by an improbable victory, for the Zulus it was the other way round.

David Rattray’s son, Andrew tells the story expertly, fairly, compassionately and inspiringly, just as his father did. He focuses on the human stories as much as the military facts. And everyone is moved, in many cases to tears as I was the first time. This time, perhaps, no for sure, influenced by reading the account of Churchill, it just made me think. Lord Chelmsford under-estimated his enemy, he had no respect for them. The Zulus at Rorkes Drift disobeyed orders and abandoned what had given them victory at Isandlwana. Had they stuck to their strategy they would have won both militarily and morally.

Churchill, who of course was shortly after to spend time in this part of Africa and was captured and escaped from the Boers nearby, evolved his strategy and learned from his mistakes, albeit history is always kinder to the victors.

It does one good to get a bit of perspective and it can be found in the most unexpected places. Happy Christmas.

Read more from Mark in our Clubhouse.