Leadership Lessons From Pearl Harbor Day

Tomorrow will mark 78 years since the Japanese army attacked the United States Army at Pearl Harbor. This is a day that lives in infamy.

The attack left thousands dead. 2,403 soldiers, sailors, and civilians were lost. Over 1,000 more were injured.

Grey warship docked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Photo by Curtis Reese

Pearl Harbor Day is a day to look back. To reflect. And to remember those we lost and the terrible act that caused it.

Looking back on history, we can learn about what happened and how to prevent future attacks. You can also use the reflection of what happened to learn leadership lessons.

Today, I want to look back at what happened on December 7th, 1941. I want to look at it and see what we can learn from this heinous act and how we can become better leaders.

Army Of One Or A Fireteam?

I vividly remember the old Army slogan: Be all that you can be. The Army slogan then changed to: An Army Of One.

The Army Of One slogan never sat well with me. Sure, it sounds great to someone who wants to be free and on their own. They can be their own army. They can go after the enemy as the Lone Ranger.

Shadows of men at dusk

Photo by Papaioannou Kostas

But is an Army Of One truly effective? One man, going out on his own (other than John Wick or Bryan Mills), is not going to be very effective.

He will run into situations he is poorly suited for. He will look around and find no one to help him. In the end, he will flounder because he was on his own.

I was recently introduced to the term Fireteam at Barn Base Camp. The term resonated with me. It made me realize what the Army Of One slogan was missing.