StartUp founder lessons in leadership from the heroical 'Six VCs before breakfast'

We are now over 100 years on from the events of April 25, 1915, a day forever recognised in British Military history for one of the most courageous actions ever performed by the British armed forces, which took place at a beach close to Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. The gallantry displayed that day led to the ‘Six Before Breakfast’ awards of Victoria Crosses in recognition of the bravery shown by the 1st Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers.

In early 1915, the war on the Western Front was not going well for the Allies. Casualties were high and it was not the short conflict many predicted. Britain’s First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, and Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitchener, began a campaign to force the Royal Navy through the Dardanelles. But this faltered and it was decided to land troops at Gallipoli.  .

As part of the wider British attack, the Lancashire Fusiliers were chosen to take a small, sandy cove – code-named ‘W Beach’ – just 350 yards long and between 15 and 40 yards wide between Cape Helles and Tekke Burnu. It was so well defended that the Turks may have regarded it as impregnable to an attack from open boats. Nevertheless, the attack began at 6am on April 25. By 8am, mass fatalities had occurred.

Captain Richard Willis, who led C Company during the attack, survived to record the events of the day: Not a sign of life was to be seen on the peninsula in front of us. It might have been a deserted land we were nearing in our boats. Then crack! The signal for the massacre had been given; rapid fire, machine-guns and deadly accurate sniping opened from the cliffs and soon the casualties included many men.

The Lancashire Fusiliers started the day with 27 officers and 1,002 men. Twenty-four hours later, a head count revealed just 16 officers and 304 men. Six men from the regiment were proposed for the VC, Britain’s most prestigious military award. But this was turned down and only three Fusiliers were gazetted for the VC. However, after much lobbying, nearly two years later, in March 1917, the remaining three were also awarded for their bravery at ‘W Beach’ – renamed ‘Lancashire Landing’ in honour of the Lancashire Fusiliers. Together they became known as the ‘Six Before Breakfast’ VCs.

The Lancashire Fusilier medals awarded medals were:

• Major Cuthbert Bromley – aged 36, died at Gallipoli

• Corporal John Grimshaw – aged 22, a miner from Wigan, died in 1980

• Private. William Keneally – age 29, a miner from Wigan, died at Gallipoli

• Sargeant. Alfred Richards – aged 36, died 1953

• Sargeant Frank Stubbs – aged 27, died at Gallipoli

• Captain. Richard Willis – aged 39, died in 1966

The VC is the highest military decoration awarded. It was created in 1856 and given the inscription ‘for valour in the face of the enemy’ by Queen Victoria. VCs are made by melting down the bronze from two Chinese cannons taken from the Russians at Sebastopol. There is enough bronze left to make 85 more. Some 1,358 VCs have been awarded, to 1,355 soldiers - three men have received them twice:

The Allied Commander-in-Chief said that No finer feat of arms has ever been achieved by the British soldier than the storming of those trenches from open boats. The Lancashire Fusiliers were awarded eighteen VCs in the First World War, more than any other regiment. The invasion failed, with the Allies unable to advance more than a few kilometres inland. A bloody stalemate ensued which lasted until we evacuated the peninsula eight months later in January 1916. Some 500,000 lives were lost in the campaign.

The Gallipoli Campaign is a valuable case study for learning about leadership qualities and styles which we can take into founders’ endeavours in startup ventures.

1. Leaders need a rational and balanced mind at all times With the setback of the Dardanelles initiative, the British concluded that an amphibious assault was the only option  remaining. A regiment was assembled but their forward thrust met with immediate resistance. They remained in that position for five months. It was at this juncture that Churchill called for further reinforcements. Fortunately, his wish was countermanded which prevented further casualties.

Takeaway: Churchill showed how leaders are gripped by irrationality in their pursuit of a glory that is elusive. When so much is at stake, the tendency is to take unwarranted risks. The countermand order to Churchill’s request for troops was a decision taken in a balanced frame of mind by weighing the pros and cons of the eventual course. All leaders should reflect to preserve their rationality turbulent times.

2. Leaders have to inspire, whatever their own circumstances One leader who captured the imagination is Captain Alfred Shout, synonymous with the battle for Walker’s Ridge. Captain Shout engaged the Turkish defence with his predominantly under-trained troops and still managed to hold ground. But what brought Shout enduring recognition and a place in history was his unsurpassed dedication to his men.

Shout saved a dozen lives through his personal acts of courage and determination. carrying wounded men from the line of fire. What makes the endeavour all the more remarkable is that Shout himself was severely wounded  – his lungs were punctured by bullets. The severe strain would ultimately claim his life.

Takeaway: Captain Shout’s story is one of leading by example. To gain the respect of your team, a leader sets an example through his actions.

3. Leaders listen to their team The decision to attack Turkey was advocated by Churchill. He argued that a surprise attack on would debilitate the Turks from further participation in the War and facilitate an Allied takeover of Constantinople, giving them access to the Black Sea, via which they could receive supplies.

Theoretically, it was a sound idea, but Churchill failed to consider practical factors like terrain and enemy strength. Interestingly, the Officers did not share the same enthusiasm that their leaders did, and there was scepticism about the feasibility of the project. In hindsight their fears proved true.

Takeaway: Front line personnel often possess a better sense of reality than the view offered to leaders from a more distant perspective. Here is a valuable lesson – listening to the voice of others who have a closer contact to the situation can provide valuable insights in devising more suitable plans of action.

4. Leaders always strategise with foresight A wave of New Zealand soldiers were sent to back up an Australian regiment at would later be named the Anzac Cove, but chaos and confusion ensued. Without a clear vision of the objectives, the operation failed miserably. But indifferent to the general consensus, General Hamilton ordered his men to move on irrespective of enemy hostility.

The fiasco at Anzac Cove would lead to Hamilton losing his job. Here is an important lesson for all leaders: No amount of ambition can act as a substitute for strategy and planning. The damages at the Cove could have been averted had Hamilton prepared more carefully.

Takeaway: There were other significant factors that undermined Allied efforts: the infantry were not properly trained, and technical difficulties were overlooked in preparation for the campaign - for example, the capability of the Royal Navy in the unique geographical conditions of the Dardanelles Straight was never tested

5. Leaders take lessons from failure Gallipoli will always be remembered for the Allied defeat. The Allies came close to gaining some strategically important victories in the course of their year long ordeal, but the defeat is all the more surprising, given their superior technological know-how and greater numbers.

Inaccurate maps, poor decision making and landing on the wrong beach near the start of the campaign contributed to failure. The Allies should have known that the terrain was not ideal for an offensive, and should have focused their troops somewhere else.

Takeaway: It is evident that the British underestimated the Turkish military sophistication. One of the qualities of good leadership is gaining sound understanding of the competition. The British leadership failed in this regard.

6. Leaders need to avoid the fog of conflict Entering a war has been compared to walking into a pitch-black room and shutting the door behind. World War I was triggered by violence in the Balkans, it took years to resolve the underlying issues behind the conflict.

Takeaway: The same principles hold for conflicts in all settings, including its parallels in business, which can take on a life of their own. The enveloping ‘fog’ that descends can take the participants far from any outcome they would have foreseen, and confuse thinking.

7. Leaders do not stand still Technology, culture, economics, trade, and finance were driving Europe in extraordinary new directions through nearly a century of peace prior to the fateful summer of 1914. Political and social structures, reflecting the values of earlier times, failed to keep pace. We can recognise the shortcomings of European aristocratic and political leadership culture brought ruin to the nations it was intended to serve.

Takeaway: Leadership must act in the now, as well as securing a future. Resting on your laurels brings complacency and inertia, leaders have a responsibility to be active at all times, and not to stand still.

8. Leaders build team relationships During the most adverse encounters a team will ever face, the relationships and camaraderie between its members bind them together. Trusting one another will inevitably lead to teams overlooking individual motives in place of team objectives. 

Takeaway: Simply put, interaction fuels action and a collective resolve, mental strength in a crisis. Leadership is about fostering team dynamics and building a culture of trust in a team.

9. Listen to everyone, but trust your own judgment Imagine the military briefings. Leaders gather to discuss mission parameters, strategies and tactics, and while everyone weighs in with their opinion, ultimately, the highest-ranking officer makes the decision. In business, one bad decision may not mean ‘life or death’, but it can have a detrimental impact on the fate of your business.

Takeaway: The best leaders listen, are receptive to advice and seek to learn from others – yet have an unwavering trust and confidence in themselves to always make the best decision. Trusting your own judgment is paramount. 

10. Leading from the front Many films of the conflict show officers leading the charge out of the trenches and going over the top first. At Gallipoli, 17% of the officers were lost, refuting the criticism that they didn’t stand in line. They were often the first to die on the charge up the field.

Takeaway: This was literally about leading from the front, and in such circumstances, decision-making isn't a democracy - the leader takes responsibility, and their behaviour shows this.

Summary A remarkable spirit of reconciliation brought the Gallipoli story to a conclusion, in the post-war message from Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, leader of the Turkish army and it’s founding president, inscribed on a large monument at ANZAC Cove, in answer to the pressing requests of the parents of ANZAC soldiers who wanted the remains of their sons brought home for burial. 

Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives. You are now lying in a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where, they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent their sons, from far away countries, wipe away your tears, your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.

What is leadership? Leadership is the capacity and the will to rally people to a common purpose with the character to inspire confidence. I also like the quote from French bishop, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord: I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep led by a lion than an army of 100 lions led by a sheep.

On the centenary of Gallipoli in 2015, for the first time, the six VCs awarded to the Lancashire Fusiliers on the first day at Gallipoli were in the same place, at the same time, at the Lancashire Fusiliers Museum in Bury. http://www.fusiliermuseum.com/. I was fortunate to visit the exhibition and took the photo used for this blog.