I wish I had met, let alone heard of the legend that Bill Campbell was. You’ve never heard of him either? This football coach of men (Sacred Heart) and girls (true!) also coached the most successful CEOs and entrepreneurs the US has ever produced! From Eric Schmidt to Steve Jobs and numerous others in the venture capital and technology sector of Silicon Valley with the likes of Apple, Google, Intuit and others—Campbell unleashed inherent potential in these giants making them even better leaders and more caring to their people. Campbell’s secret sauce lay in his generosity, love of fellow man, and a genuine curiosity in determining how to make people better. A notable cursing sailor and prolific hugger, Campbell’s style represents a kind of leadership often lost on mega-companies today, which is to say that, at the end of the day all businesses are comprised of people who make them go, and we must better understand how better to relate to people if we want our businesses to succeed! Easy five stars and all who read should be grateful to these collaborating authors for capturing Campbell’s essence after his passing in 2016.
Brig. Gen. Chad T. Manske, USAF (Ret.) is Chairman at Daedalian Foundation and a strategy and logistics consultant. Previously, he was the 30th Commandant of the National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. As the commandant, Brig. Gen. Manske was responsible for formulating academic policies, supervising curriculum planning, preparation and ensuring excellence in classroom teaching.