A Lesson On Business Chivalry from the Skies of the First World War...Over the Western Front

Posted by yoni67 under Self-Development
From http://jobshuk.com 4761 days ago

"To the memory of a brave and chivalrous foe..."

I just can't get those crazy freaking words out of my head!

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Comments

Written by yoni67
4731 days ago

BTW Duncan,

I had commented a few short weeks ago in this thread that there were only two WWI combat vets left in the world. I don't know if you saw on the news yesterday, but the last one passed away yesterday:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13289607

Truly, the end of an era!

Yoni

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Written by ILForums
4761 days ago

Really inspirational. You are a true pleasure to read and a very unique mind.

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Written by yoni67
4760 days ago

Why thank you! Maybe unique, maybe crazy, maybe I just have too much time on my hands?

Yoni

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Written by m4bmarketing
4761 days ago

Good point about competitors and a great story to illustrate it Yoni. In my experience the relationship you have with your competitors can be healthy for your business.

Susan

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Written by yoni67
4760 days ago

Susan,

I found the story so cool as told by Jeff Shaara, I just knew I needed to use it. You are right about competition, it is healthy and can be used to better ourselves. And you just never know when a relationship with a rival can emerge.

Yoni

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Written by Jerusalem Post
4761 days ago

Brillant Yonatan!

JPost Editors

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Written by yoni67
4761 days ago

Thank you editors. Now stop surfing the net and get back to editing :)

Yoni

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Written by alastair
4761 days ago

Another classic Yoni. Some people take business competition to extremes that are unhealthy, both personally and for the company. Too many people and too many companies treat the competition like the enemy. My competitors are competitors, not enemies. Some of them might even be my friends and in 5 years time our companies might work together.

Sometimes I have to remind myself about that distinction but I think it's really important.

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Written by yoni67
4761 days ago

Alastair,

I'm not sure about the classic part, but it was an opportunity to put something that hit me like a ton of bricks on paper. I once had a business enemy. We ended up talking at a business luncheon and became friends. After we buried the hatchet, we both became sources of referrals for each other's specializations. A partnership was formed.

Yoni

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Written by shepherd
4761 days ago

Great job Yoni. You said you get a lot of ideas from reading books. This is more proof.

Shep

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Written by yoni67
4761 days ago

Shep,

A great book can spawn so many ideas and considering a paperback is usually about 8 bucks, wel worth the price from the standpoints of both enjoyment and blogging.

Yoni

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Written by rush
4761 days ago

It gave me chills!

Rush

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Written by yoni67
4761 days ago

Rush,

It gave me chills too the moment I read in Jeff's book about the wreath and the message. If you are interested in further reading, I recommend the book HIGHLY!

Yoni

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Written by BradenM
4761 days ago

Yoni,

Did you ever see the movie Enemy Mine with Louis Gosset. It is kind of corny, but they start out trying to kill each other and eventually respect each other and become friends. Louis Gosset actually has a baby before he dies that the other guy helps deliver and adopts. Men on his planet have the kids. It is really corny but shows the respect between enemies.

Braden

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Written by yoni67
4761 days ago

Braden,

I saw it a long, long time ago. I have to admit it was a kind of forgettable movie at the time. In this context though, it's appropo and I'm glad you brought it up. A great example of enemies gaining the admiration of one another!

Yoni

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Written by businessavante
4761 days ago

Wonderful, Yoni!

I read long ago about the battle of the Somme in 1915 - my memory is clouded, but something like 60,000 men died on the 1st day - trench warfare, attrition, and shrapnel from artillery. Did we learn anything? (Yes - how to kill even more people even faster. Sad!)

Duncan

p.s. I'm glad you mentioned poison gas - mustard gas, nerve gas, etc - people are beginning to forget they were Already used in huge amounts. That's why we have the Geneva Convention.

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Written by yoni67
4761 days ago

Thank you Duncan,

Very much appreciated.

A few thoughts: in only a few short years we will mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WWI. Can it be? And can it be that there are only two soldiers left alive who fought?

And yes, always newer and more effective ways to kill.

I read once that during the Somme, every foot gained in either direction cost 7,500 lives. 1.5 million casualties and the lines never moved more than half a mile. Attrition. Trench-warfare. Unbelievable.

Yoni

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Written by yoni67
4761 days ago

Thank you!

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