This newsletter is regularly published to provide investigation tips to businesses owners, managers and HR personnel, claims personnel in the insurance industry and members of the legal community. Next week a regular issue will resume in that mission with Ethical Interviewing – Part 2. For this issue, however, I would like to take a moment of your time to pass along thoughts about our national and world-wide crisis.
In a blink of an eye, our world has been rocked to its core. Each of us has been threatened with a potentially deadly illness, our economic faucet has been abruptly shut off and sobering and drastic measures have been imposed by all levels of government. Politicians, members of the health care industry, leaders in our own professions and industries along with coworkers, friends and members of our families have been shaken and some have become scared. We feel like we are looking at an uncertain future, and we hear people using terms like “game changer” and “new normal.” COVID-19 was recently recategorized as a Pandemic and shortly thereafter leaders starting calling it a world war. As a result, we are witnessing the best from humanity and to a much lesser extent (thankfully) the worst.
These are unsettling times for sure, but history can provide us with some valuable lessons as to how to deal with this crisis emotionally. Few of us alive today experienced the last world war (WWII). How did it make our parents, our grandparents and our great grandparents feel? Did they feel the uncertainity that we are feeling now? I am sure that they did. How did they muster the courage to get through those horrific times emotionally? They did it by pulling together, by feeling that they were all in it together and by knowing that their own contribution had value to winning the war. Those feelings and beliefs were generated, enhanced and supported by great leaders at the time.
When in undergraduate school, I developed a passion for 20th Century U.S. history, especially the decades leading up to, including and subsequent to WWII. Allied leadership was key to victory over the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy and Japan. Two Allied leaders (Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill) were absolutely critical to Allied mental wellbeing, most especially U.S. and British citizens. Both were smart, tireless and no-nonsense, and both were extremely charismatic. President Roosevelt made regular heartfelt speeches and fireside chats which were regularly radio broadcasted to our nation for over 10 years, and Prime Minister Churchill made riveting speeches to his House of Commons (also broadcast by radio) that rallied, encouraged and comforted the British through their dark hours. Both used candor, sincerity, and both exhibited exceptional demeanor and empathy which gave their people hope and the courage to continue on and win.
Churchill was one of the greatest wartime leaders in modern times. He was an articulate and passionate orator who developed an espirit de corps among the British citizenry. He said many great things, the following of which are some of my favorites:
“If you are going through hell, keep going!”
“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat’… 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.”
“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight on the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
There have been many wars since WWII that have impacted our lives, but none have involved the entire world to the extent that WWII did. Our world is now in the fight to control and eridicate COVID-19. I encourage you to read about the challenges of the last world war to understand better the mindset to win.
Our libraries are closed, but much is available online. Take a little time to understand how our parents, grandparents and great grandparents felt so that you can better deal with the current challenge. Commitment and perseverance are everything. Remember what Yoda said, “Do or do not, there is no try!’’ Stay safe everyone!
Research North, Inc. (RNI), is a professional private detective service providing support to the business community, the insurance industry and individuals in Michigan and Wisconsin since 1981. The company also offers pre-employment background checks to small and medium sized businesses through a subsidiary called Backgroundcheckswork.com that is fully staffed by professional investigators who are retired from law enforcement.
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