[Article & Audio] What Pearl Harbor Shows Us About Leadership
What Pearl Harbor Shows Us About Leadership
December 7, 2021 marked 80 years since the Empire of Japan's infamous attack on the US Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii... 80 years since Battleship Row was decimated and Japan believed, wrongly as it turned out, that it had dealt a death blow to the United States' ability to wage war.
On the surface it might seem that the attack was an unmitigated success for Japan, but if you look a bit more closely, it's not hard to find a few pearls of leadership wisdom in the event and its aftermath.
On the surface it might seem that the attack was an unmitigated success for Japan, but if you look a bit more closely, it's not hard to find a few pearls of leadership wisdom in the event and its aftermath.
Use what you know.
In other words, all the information in the world is useless if you don't implement it. Remember the Skywarn volunteers? Their work would be meaningless if the National Weather Service ignored their updates instead of issuing weather bulletins.
That's what happened in the lead-up to Pearl: US intelligence officials knew from as far back as January 1941 that the harbor was a target, but that information was never properly used.
When your boots-on-the-ground network gives you intelligence that can help your team or business succeed, don't just stick it in a drawer... put it into action.
That's what happened in the lead-up to Pearl: US intelligence officials knew from as far back as January 1941 that the harbor was a target, but that information was never properly used.
When your boots-on-the-ground network gives you intelligence that can help your team or business succeed, don't just stick it in a drawer... put it into action.
It might be hard to do. Do it anyway.
Part of the reason some of the higher-ups in the US military didn't take the warnings about a future attack on Pearl Harbor seriously was because they assumed that an overseas operation of such magnitude would be impossible for Japan to pull off.
Japanese leaders, on the other hand—or Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, at least—believed that "Given the current conditions, I could say we have practically won already.”*
Happily for the US (and the rest of the world), Tojo had the wrong end of the stick, but the lesson here is clear: don't let what other people think is impossible stop you from doing what you believe is necessary.
Japanese leaders, on the other hand—or Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, at least—believed that "Given the current conditions, I could say we have practically won already.”*
Happily for the US (and the rest of the world), Tojo had the wrong end of the stick, but the lesson here is clear: don't let what other people think is impossible stop you from doing what you believe is necessary.
Find the silver lining.
Battleship Row was destroyed and most of the harbor was in tatters, but when Admiral Chester Nimitz surveyed the damage, he took what had appeared to be an overwhelming defeat and turned it into an opportunity to boost morale.
How? By pointing out three things the Japanese had overlooked in their planning:
Businesses of all sizes have been trying to navigate unprecedentedly tough times in recent years, but it's up to you, as the leader, to find the silver lining in what's happening.
Maybe it's that now you know your teams can be effective working remotely. Maybe it's that now you're more streamlined and efficient. Or maybe it's that now you've realised you have what it takes to succeed in, shall we say, interesting times.
How? By pointing out three things the Japanese had overlooked in their planning:
- Because the attack took place on a Sunday, most of the sailors were off base on shore leave, meaning that casualties, while high, were significantly lower than they might have been.
- The dry docks were intact, meaning that damaged ships could be repaired on site instead of having to be towed to the US mainland for repairs.
- Fuel supplies for planes and ships were also left intact, meaning that the US had the ability to power its fleet just as soon as everything was up and running again.
Businesses of all sizes have been trying to navigate unprecedentedly tough times in recent years, but it's up to you, as the leader, to find the silver lining in what's happening.
Maybe it's that now you know your teams can be effective working remotely. Maybe it's that now you're more streamlined and efficient. Or maybe it's that now you've realised you have what it takes to succeed in, shall we say, interesting times.
And one final note about Pearl Harbor and its lessons: never forget.
*This quote by Tojo is from a recently-released memo written in 1941 by Japanese Vice Interior Minister Michio Yuzawa. Here's the reference link: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/launching-war-hirohito-and-pearl-harbor
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