Book Description
Winston Churchill has long been one of the world’s preeminent leadership role models, his voice still reverberating more than forty years after his death. This was illustrated when New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, described after 9/11 as "Winston Churchill in a Yankees cap," wrote to Celia Sandys: "Your grandfather was a great source of inspiration and strength to me following the tragic events." In We Shall Not Fail, Sandys (with coauthor Jonathan Littman) distills the traits that made Churchill so effective throughout his career, including his use of language, his courage under fire, and his willingness to defy convention and stand up to bullies. Drawing on vivid personal stories, as well as her grandfather’s letters and speeches, Sandys reveals the lessons we must all learn if we are to lead in today’s tough times.

Book Info
Author is the granddaughter of Winston Churchill. Biography highlights and celebrates the character that made Churchill a leader and reveals lessons to be learned for those in the business environment. DLC: Churchill, Winston, Sir, 1874-1965.

About the Author
Celia Sandys is the granddaughter of Winston Churchill. She is the author of The Young Churchill, Churchill: Wanted Dead or Alive, and Chasing Churchill. She is founder and chairman of Churchill Leadership. Jonathan Littman is the author of several books, including The Fugitive Game.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"In We Shall Not Fail, Churchill's granddaughter Celia Sandys has distilled the essential principles of leadership that guided Churchill throughout his remarkable career." "Heralded as the most significant English leader in history, and certainly the greatest orator of his time, Churchill seemed to have been born with the ability to lead. Yet for all his natural gifts, Churchill constantly worked to make himself a better leader, embarking early on a self-taught course of study. Frail and sickly as a young man, Churchill became a crack shot and fiercely brave soldier on the outposts of the British Empire." "His dedication to self-improvement and effectiveness resulted in an extraordinary ability to persevere and motivate others. He pressed for results through his red-tinged "Action This Day" memos and face-to-face meetings with his ministers and generals; he pushed for arms commitments from Roosevelt in letters and telegrams; and, most of all, he made his vigorous and undeniable presence felt in visits to the troops and the latest bombed-out London neighborhood." More than just a biography, We Shall Not Fail highlights and celebrates the character that made Churchill a leader for the ages - his courage, his magnanimity, his impatience with bullies, his passion. Drawing on vivid stories, letters, and speeches, Sandys reveals the lessons we must learn if we are to lead in today's tough business environment by studying the actions and words of a man who to this day remains an inspiration to all.

FROM THE CRITICS

Soundview Executive Book Summaries

Lessons In Leadership
Celia Sandys is more than just an expert on Winston Churchill: She is his granddaughter. While researching his legacy and exploring her personal history with the man, she has uncovered a plethora of timeless wisdom that she has boiled down to a number of essential leadership principles that guided him throughout his career and can be applied by any leader who wants to be more effective and motivate others.

We Shall Not Fail is a leadership primer, filled with vivid stories, letters and speeches from Churchill's life that have been turned into thoughtful lessons that modern business leaders can use for guidance and inspiration.

On May 10, 1940, Winston Churchill became the wartime Prime Minister of Britain. As a journalist, a soldier, a field commander and an administrator, he knew how to lead, and his leadership skills were vital as his nation faced the Nazis who had already run over France, Belgium and Holland. He was able to take on this monumental task because he possessed the qualities that are needed by a great leader.

Churchillian Principles
Each chapter of We Shall Not Fail contains a narrative that describes the events of his life that demonstrated his ability to lead and embody the principles he espoused, and ends with a list of Churchillian Principles related to the topic at hand.

The first chapter of his book is dedicated to courage, and describes the man who demonstrated immense courage while fighting on the battlefield, while saving soldiers from a derailed train, and while escaping from a Boer prison camp to fight again.

Using these experiences as a foundation, the authors list these accompanying principles: Meet challenges head on. A good leader creates a culture where failure and error are looked upon as steps toward success. A demonstration of personal courage can galvanize a team or organization that lacks resolve.